What is the right prescription for southern high performance residential architectural design and building? In our evolving practice we now recommend a prescription of high-performance solutions on every project. From a humble renovation to custom new home built to Passive House criteria we consider features in an following order of priority according to our client’s…
Is it possible to enjoy of journey? We’ve all heard the horror stories—budget over runs, delays due to poor planning, small details ignored during design becoming emergency decisions during construction, and on and on and on. Doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. Yet, the journey of creating a new space or transforming an old…
We think our clients want to integrate project management technology with the project process so they can be aware of what is going on, feel included, and communicate on their time. We want to create a work around to avoid common information sharing problems when building residential custom architecture? Clients typically focus on the project when our office…
Can you fast track construction? Is it safe? The project has the Team in place. The design was adjusted to pricing reality. Owner has agreed to a price based on a design, assumptions and allowances. Is it possible to start a fast track building process understanding the need to speed while finishing construction documents? Like…
Reality check Successful projects need a reality check before finalizing the construction package at about the 50% complete point in the design process. The design team will help establish allowance amounts for unselected items that will satisfy the client’s goals about quality without having to make all selections and designing all detail. The reality check…
Teamwork At a recent grand opening we celebrated the 100% completion pf a residential project and the great results of teamwork. It was hard to remember who on the team was most responsible for driving the design. The architectural principle could see the initial ideas were carried through design and construction. The Project Architect controlled…
What is project stewardship mean? Sometimes project stewardship is literal; like when we were recently commissioned for our 5th project for the 3rd owner of the same property. Other times the project stewardship involves helping clients make good long-term decisions about using advanced building science strategies to create healthier, more resilient, lower operating cost buildings….
Change will happen; let’s plan for it. As architects how can we plan to anticipate change long-term for a private house, an institutional building owner or even limiting turnover of a commercial lease tenants? Ideally people and buildings can change together. How can residential buildings plan to anticipate change? In residential design, we consider how…
What is wrong with this picture? Why do certain building, streets and places feel right and some feel terribly wrong? Should individual buildings contribute to a place’s safety, walkability, and good urban design? We believe a good architecture achieves a state of design consciousness. Imagine a world where infill homes were not piles dropped from space…
Does the project work? The Jones Pierce second principle of the way to insure having A fun client experience says projects must be viable to proceed. Viability it typically defined only as by architectural project budgeting. Early in the project we look at several possible aspects of viability to make sure the project works as…