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SERVICES
The cost of architectural
services varies according to the scope and complexity of the project.
Small additions can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands
of dollars. Many of our projects include ranches and colonials in the
$2,500 - $60,000 range.
THE
WORKING RELATIONSHIP
Gienapp Design
is committed to establishing a positive working relationship with our
clients. Etc. Etc. Etc.
THE
CLIENT*
A central ingredient
in the most successful design projects is a good client. Some clients
have clear idea of program, budget, and other project objectives, including
the final appearance of the building. Others look to their architect
to help them define the project objectives, as well as to design a building
that meets these goals. In both cases, the effectiveness of the marriage
between clients and architecture is a major factor in making design
decisions throughout the project.
COST*
It is important
to analyze the project budget to understand its implication for the
building design. Virtually all project budgets are limited. The architect
must make careful use of funds, directing them to those decisions that
appear to be most important to the success of the design solution. An
experienced analysis of the budget can usually identify the size of
the discretionary portion as well as establish clear guidelines for
the basic system selections to take place during the design.
ESTABLISHING
DESIGN GOALS*
The client and
design team have goals, expressed formally or informally, for the project.
These goals create functional and aesthetic guidelines for judging design
decisions, and the project objectives help establish priorities when
trade-offs must be accommodated in the design solution. Compromises
between budget and quality, appearance and energy efficiency, and hundreds
of other decisions have to be made within the context of an understanding
of project goals and priorities.
EVOLVING
A DESIGN CONCEPT*
With the design
goals in hand, the architect develops a design concept - or perhaps
several. This may be a plan concept, the section of a geometric form,
a decision to mass the building vertically or horizontally, or the use
of an organizing element (such as a central mall for the interior spaces).
The concept might be based on a particular image or a historic precedent.
It may employ a "design vocabulary" of formal and aesthetic
ideas that will govern the development of the design. Whatever the underlying
principles, it is common for architects to develop several representations
and variations to help them understand and articulate the evolving design
concepts.
EVALUATING
CONCEPT ALTERNATIVES*
Working with
these possibilities and variations, most architects have developed a
process for narrowing them down to a set of workable concepts. In some
cases, the selection of alternatives is based on a point-by-point evaluation
of the concept against the original project objectives. In other cases,
it is an intuitive judgment based on experience. In most cases, it is
a combination of both.
CONTRACTUAL
FRAMEWORK*
Design is undertaken
within a contractual framework that
This contractual
framework is established in the agreement between owner and architect.
Design activities may be described in detail or, in the case of small
or mimited scope projects, in a few sentences. AIA Document B141, the
most commonly used form of owner-architect agreement, establishes five
project phases:
*
- Content courtesy of The Architect's
Handbook of Professional Practice, 12th edition
published
by the American Institute of Architects
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