FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Project management: Who will be my main point of contact, and will they be the lead designer?
Rachelle leads many of the projects, however, our dedicated team helps where they are best suited. Rachelle is a licensed architect with a vast array of experience, however the majority of her experience has been in commercial architecture varying in size, however we are interested in both commercial and residential. You can best contact us via email, however, by phone works as well.
Design philosophy: What is your design philosophy, and what are your most rewarding projects?
Quality over quantity. Our mission statement is to help local families and businesses in the Placer county and Sacramento areas to design, permit and construct new architecture in order to better serve their needs and transform existing spaces to conform to what they currently have in order to meet their current and future needs. My most rewarding projects are where the client truly becomes an equal member of the team, integrating their vision with our knowledge of the built world and design capabilities to realize their project to completion.
Fee structure: How do you charge, and what is the estimated total cost?
This will depend on you (the client)’s needs and what you value. Typically, architects (including our firm) will bill as a percentage of the construction cost which will reflect the cost per square foot you wish to achieve and the complexity of the project. If you are unsure of exactly what you need, I am happy to work with you to develop that. How we bill is not standard across the board. This typically results in an hourly not to exceed basis in the early stages (known as the programming and schematic design phases of a project). This will help get us a firm understanding of what will and will not work for your space and will allow us to move into developing the design and construction documents (typically billed at a percentage of the construction cost). This tends to help both parties (we the architect, and you the owner) know what the cost of the design portion of the project will be, and while we are happy to do hourly not to exceed, this is hard to forecast what the design cost will be in the beginning.
Budget management: How do you approach budgets, and how do you ensure the project stays on budget?
Budgets are your friend! Why design in a vacuum and get your hopes up for living in some castle in Germany or a sprawling ranch in the wild west, if you can't actually afford either? Let’s get you a space that works for your needs, that you can afford and you will be excited to come to every day, and not stressed out because you only see the physical manifestation of a massive debt you may or may not be able to afford. This could mean adjusting:
- the cost per squarefoot
- adjusting the size of the space
- looking at additional funding
- phasing the project
- looking at if some things in the project are truly needed
- or deciding if some spaces could be combined or become multipurpose
Construction involvement: How involved are you in the construction process?
Typically architects are involved through construction until project close out to ensure the design that was agreed upon and permitted is actually constructed. Typically, the architect visits the site at a standard interval and at major milestones, to give the owner an honest update on construction. However, if for example you have a long standing existing relationship with a contractor, I don't have to be, however this will need to be formalized in writing.
Interest: What excites you about this project?
Now that I run my own firm, every project excites me! If a project doesn't excite me, I don't take it on. We value quality over quantity and this is why I left corporate architecture. I am not interested in doing 30 projects at once, barely being able to keep our heads above water. We firmly value bringing quality architecture to our community and want to see our community thrive. Sacramento metro is thriving and growing (where are we NOT having construction?!) . We don't want to just hand your project off to someone else to draft it up and on to the next shiny new thing. We enjoy having less of an assembly line way of life. While yes, we would love to do some larger projects, however we value being invested in the projects that are on our desk and ensuring we get the details correct from the start.
Project challenges: What challenges do you foresee for my specific project?
Our region is very diverse physically (the site, terrain, and restrictions on site) as well as socially. Therefore because of this, it is difficult to answer. We learn something new on every single project, however our expertise is in commercial projects. We have worked on ground up senior living, residential remodels, commercial interior renovations, large scale structural modifications of movie theaters and large scale renovations of existing anchor stores at malls, office renovations, ground up multistoried commercial projects and worked through the permitting challenges during the 2020 pandemic to name a few. If you don’t think your project is listed but still feel a pull to us, send us an email or call us, we would love to hear from you.
Why should I hire an architect and not a drafter?
An architect is someone who has demonstrated a sufficient base level of knowledge that is standardized across the United States. With an architect, you are getting the expertise in communication of how one goes from an idea to the realization of a built space as a functional, beautiful and efficient space. An architect can (and should) work as an agent for you, the owner, despite your level of construction knowledge during the build process, while also working as an equal partner with the general contractor to get the client the best possible space for your needs and budget.
Architects are skilled and properly qualified (by law) to navigate the rules and regulations, zoning codes, building codes, and permitting processes from the authorities having jurisdiction (city, county, state, health department, fire department etc) allowing them to again, work as your agent to get your project across the finish line and on the way to construction. We also are required to continually learn about our profession, products and rules and regulations in order to stay current and maintain an active license.
Architects help create well designed, sustainable spaces which can increase your property value and reduce on going maintenance. We help oversee construction to ensure that what is being built is in accordance to what was agreed upon during design, and if there needs to be a variation due to budget or time constraints, we help ensure that you will be aware of any deviations and these have been approved by you the owner.
While many people are knowledgeable about some things in this industry, an architect and a non licensed person is similar to the knock off online product analogy. Just because you can buy something that looks identical, in reality, that cheaper item might have poisonous chemicals that will do more harm than good when you just saved a few bucks on the front end (hello, Shien and their lead filled toys). Just because it looks good on the shelf, doesn't mean it will last more than a single season. If you had a person with little knowledge working on your house, that you sleep in, are you confident the proper due diligence was done? Do you want your accountant doing your root canal? Please beware the internet scam artists, they are very real and very dangerous.
We don't just design you a vague idea, we help communicate your idea through graphical representation to the other team members in order for that idea to become permitted and built, so everyone is on the same page (this would be a form of a written document).
We are so thrilled to be on this new project with you!
How will you communicate with me?
I prefer email (so we can search and refer back), but phone calls are also acceptable. Text is also fine, again because we can search back through the flurry of information. Happy to work with you.
Do you handle the permitting process?
Yes, this is all apart of the permitting phase and we cannot and should not design in a vacuum, it is a waste of everyone’s time to design without first consulting what is and is not required and allowed in regards to zoning, building codes and other regulatory requirements, this is industry standard due diligence.
INITIATE A PROJECT CONSULTATION
Please complete the inquiry form and provide your contact information to facilitate an informed discussion regarding your design objectives, and our team will respond promptly to outline a comprehensive solution.
We are licensed in California and Texas and insured.