Hiring a designer is a big commitment. We understand the enormity of this decision and how important it is to get it right. To make sure we are the right fit for you, and that you are the right fit for us, we want to share a bit about how we work, the process you can expect, and the value we bring to each project.
Pre-designed ADUs
If you are purchasing one of our pre-designed ADU plans the process is relatively simple. Visit our ADU store and pick the design that best meets your style and project goals. Purchase the plan set and you will receive a PDF and CAD files with the drawings needed to build your project. You will then manage the permitting process and work with any additional consultants that may be required by your local building department, like structural engineers or others.
If you are interested in making any design revisions to the plans you chose, please contact us and we can discuss the changes you have in mind, the process to revise the drawings, and the corresponding price.
Custom Design Services
The value of what I do for custom designed projects is related to the impact the well designed home will have on your life. We provide the joy of family gatherings, calm of reading a book in a comfortable and well lit room, the wonder of being able to watch the seasons change the natural world around you or your family grow and expand through new generations.
It may seem that design fees are an added cost that increases your budget. We believe the opposite is true. The value of hiring a quality designer far outpaces the price. It is an investment that pays back over the life you and your family spend in the home. It is an investment that increases the value of your property immensely.
A well designed home can improve your lives immeasurably through connections to nature, healthy indoor environments, and efficient use of space to name a few. Careful design considerations can save you thousands of dollars during construction. By integrating high-performance systems, utilizing sustainable construction techniques, and incorporating passive design strategies great design can save you thousands more over the lifespan of your project through lower energy bills and maintenance costs. The investment in design fees will be more than offset when you consider the savings over the lifespan of your home and your resale value. Design fees are a bargain and you will get a better result if you invest more in the design process, ensuring your home is well through through.
Meanwhile, there is no price on the enjoyment of living in a space that was designed specifically for you and your family. The time you get to spend enjoying life in your new home is priceless.
Your project’s trusted advisor
If you are looking for a timeless home design that blends beautiful spaces with the surrounding landscape, than your values align with ours. Each project is specifically linked to the character of your land, your unique lifestyle, and an exploration of materiality.
There is still a lot of steps before design work can begin. This is why we think of ourselves more of a trusted advisor rather than your typical residential designer. We are here to help you achieve your goals from your first thoughts of building a custom home through to the completion of construction. We can help you talk through your goals and ideas, develop the project brief, create a project budget, look for ideal property, and guide you as you make the decisions needed along the way. The earlier you engage us, the more we can help your project be a success.
Research
Once you have decided on what you want to build and have a property for the project, we conduct research to understand all of the codes, regulations, and site conditions that could impact the design. We guide you in hiring a surveyor and other consultants needed to analyze the land and select the base place to site your new home.
Design Process
Through a process called programming, you share your project goals, wants, and needs. Together we identify all the spaces and elements you want in your home, and any key features we should incorporate in the design. We then ask you to prioritize this list to identify what are must haves vs what are nice to have but not necessary as we work through the design and project budget.
Once the programming is complete, the design phase begins. We work closely with you to craft a design that meets your needs, compliments the context, and has a positive impact on the climate and those who will live in the project. You are part of this process and are engaged throughout to share your ideas, taste, and needs so the home is a reflection of your lifestyle.
Expert Consultant Team
Part of the design process includes bringing in other experts to help make your project technically sound. We help hire, coordinate, and manage all of the consultants that will be needed to complete your project. From structural engineers, geotech and civil engineers, to arborists or energy consultants, we will help find the right team members for your project and coordinate their work. Like a conductor of an orchestra, our job is to make sure everyone is working harmoniously to get your project done to the high quality our clients expect.
Permitting
The permitting and approval process is the next required step towards getting your dream home built. This means we research the requirements of your local building department. We help fill out permit applications and compile all of the drawings, forms, calculations, and other documents they need to review in order to approve your project.
This isn’t the fun part of our job, but it is vital to get this right. Expediting the permitting process can save months of time to keep your project on schedule.
Construction
Selecting a quality General Contractor to build the project is vitally important and not an area where picking based on price is appropriate. Typically this means engaging around three companies that we think would be able to deliver your finely crafted home. We set up times for them to visit the site, review the design, and meet with you to discuss the construction process. This allows you to see who you resonate with most and who builds trust in their ability to complete the project to your high standards. Together we discuss which company would be the best fit for the project, negotiate their fees, go over the final construction budget, and set up the construction process.
We participate in the construction phase. Although we don’t dig out foundations or swing hammers, we are a resource for you and the contractor throughout the construction process. It is always easier and cheaper to solve problems on paper rather than in the field so we track the progress and communicate with the construction team when issues arise, changes are needed, or additional drawings or information is requested.
The goal is to deliver an end result that reflects the design intent documented in the drawings and that reflects your goals and ideas. We are there to advocate for your best interest as the drawings are translated into the final building.
How we do it
We don’t want to compromise on quality, ever. For this reason we limit the number of projects we work on at once to make sure all of our clients receive our full attention and our best work. We aim to only have 3 active projects at one time. One project is “on the boards” in the active design phases, another project will in for permitting approval or just starting construction, and one project further along in the construction process. We only start the next project when construction is wrapped up or the project on the boards is ready for permitting. This process allows each project to be given the time it deserves and we can focus our creative energy on developing the best design solution for our client’s unique needs.
This approach means that your project is front and center in our thinking. We have the time to work through all of the decisions needed to make a great home, and then carefully document those decisions to describe the design intent to the people who will be building the project.
The design phases typically take anywhere from six months to a year, sometimes more, depending on the scope of the project and the involvement of the clients. This means that there may be a slight wait before we can begin your project. We feel this approach leads to the best results and the happiest clients.
We break down our design process into 5 phases.
1. Research
With hundreds of variables that affect each project we begin our process by conducting research to set the foundation of the next phases. This includes doing zoning and code research for the local jurisdiction to understand the local laws and regulations. We visit the site to understand the existing conditions and get a feel for the site and how the house can integrate into the landscape. A programming meeting allows us to work with you to develop a list of all the requires spaces, sizes, and needs for the home. We also talk about what the essential items are and what are the “nice to have” elements. At this phase you also hire a site surveyor to document the property lines, site topography, and identify any site features (like trees, retaining walls, utilities, etc.) that could affect the design and location of the project.
2. Design
With the research complete, we can now start developing the design of your home. We work closely with you and your family to craft the look and feel of your project. This starts with an understanding of the site, surrounding context, local climate, and your goals and ideas. We then develop the floor plans, form of the house, elevations, sections, and three dimensional views of the project. We work through multiple iterations of the design to distill the best solution to your needs. The process leads to a balance of beautiful spaces that are functional, sustainable, and inspiring.
3. Document
This is where we develop all the drawings and details needed to describe the design intent, how the contractors and crafts people should build the project, and specifying all of the materials, systems, fixtures, and other products that will end up in the project. We work closely with you to make sure all decisions are made and documented in the Construction Documents to avoid expensive change orders during construction. It is always more affordable to make changes and document decisions on paper before construction begins.
4. Permitting
We work with the local jurisdiction to get approval for the design drawings. This involves submitting permit applications and responding to comments and requests for information from the local review staff. Each jurisdiction has their own unique rules and regulations and permitting process. We do our best to facilitate the process and work to get approvals in a timely manner.
5. Construction
Throughout the construction phase we work with you and the contractors to make any outstanding decisions, observe construction progress, and help deliver a high-quality finely crafted end result that aligns with the design intent.
Fundamental Design Values
Based on our extensive experience we have developed some fundamental design values that are threaded through all of our work. These are the standards that we abide by in each project, regardless of size, program, or budget. If you hire us, these are the features your home will have as a basis to start from.
High Performance Construction: All of our homes go beyond code minimum requirements for insulation. Beyond filling the wall cavities with insulation we wrap each project in at least 2” of continuous rigid Roxul insulation for better thermal performance, higher efficiency, and increased comfort. This is a small upfront investment that pays dividends throughout the lifespan of your project through lower energy bills and a more comfortable indoor environment.
Energy Storage: Each of our projects will have Tesla Powerwalls, or similar, battery storage. As our climate is changing, we are experiencing more extreme weather events in all parts of the world. From fires on the west coast to hurricanes and increased snowfall in the northeast and central states, weather is getting increasingly unpredictable and often leads to loss of power. To protect our clients from this unpredictability each home will be equipped with the appropriate sized battery storage system to power the home for at least 24 - 48 hours.
Net-Zero Energy Ready: The homes we design are set up for being Net-zero energy from day one. This means all of our systems and appliances are electric - we don’t put gas lines to our projects - and we aim to orient our designs to take advantage of sun angles for solar panels. Coupled with the extra insulation and with an appropriately sized PV array, your home would produce as much energy as it consumes, and potentially more. You could even sell extra energy production back to the grid if that is allowed in your location. At the bare minimum, you will have a home that can run off the battery storage for days on end, or even be completely off-grid if desired. You don’t have to sacrifice quality or luxury to do right by the planet. We carefully select the systems and appliances that are highly rated, luxurious, enjoyable to use, beautiful and fossil-fuel free.
Smart Home Enabled: Technology is advancing as the internet of things grows more prevalent. We keep up to date on the latest products, systems, and smart home technology so our homes are ready to make your life easier. From smart nest thermostats, smart lights, smart locks and camera systems, to internet enabled speakers and appliances, our homes are ready to be plugged in and on call when you need them. We have a list of products that we specify in each home to give our clients the flexibility, security, and convenience of utilizing the latest technology.
Quality over Quantity: We want our projects to last and we want our clients to love their homes long into the future. Whether we are working on the layout and floor plans for your project, or picking the specific tile for the guest bathroom, we will guide you to the best quality result that meets your needs and fits your budget. Discussions will always be about the best value and getting the highest quality possible rather than squeezing in more stuff just for the sake of it. It is always preferable to have better materials or a more efficient layout than to sacrifice quality for the sake of bigger or more.
When you work with us, the above are standard operating procedures and integrated automatically into all of our designs. We believe they are the right choices to better serve our clients and be better for the environment.
Why you should work with us
We are more than designers. Instead, think of us as partners and advisors that guide you through a process that leads to a wonderful new home. We are here to help answer questions, guide you through decision making, and advising you as you budget and plan for your project.
Design can be a lot of fun. Meeting new people, learning about their goals and ideas, visiting new sites, exploring the surroundings, researching the context and history, and crafting a design that balances all of these factors is invigorating. We are constantly learning, solving problems, and working with amazing people. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing clients walk into their new homes after working together through the design and construction process. That is what we love about our work.
Along with building strong relationships with our clients, we design projects that give back to the land we work on. Each project must have a positive impact on the surroundings and we make sure to instigate these discussions during the design process. Whether we are working in an urban context or out in a forest, the impact of our work extends beyond the property lines. By supporting local craftspeople, sourcing local sustainable materials, and repairing the landscape and improving the ecosystem, our work balances the function of each building, design excellence, and the benefits we can impart on the world.
If you are looking for a designer who will both challenge your preconceived ideas and listen to your needs and goals then we would make a great partnership. If you care about the environment and want your home to have a positive impact on the surroundings, we would love to be on your team. If you are open to big ideas, new ways of doing things, and challenging the status quo, then we would love to collaborate to design your dream home.
Why you shouldn’t work with us
Look, not every client or project is the right fit for our studio. Although we have a wide range of experience on a variety of project types, we aren’t experts in all aspects of design and construction. We also have specific values and passions that we want to incorporate into each project. If you are looking to create 200 cheaply built suburban McMansions, we aren’t the designers for you. If you want to build a house out of shipping containers there is a better fit out there. If you know exactly what you want and just need someone to draft the blueprints, I recommend you look elsewhere. If you are looking for the cheapest designer you can get, try craigslist. If speed is more important than quality, you don’t want to work with us.
We work with people who don’t want to sacrifice on quality, who are passionate about sustainable living, and are looking to create homes that are beautifully integrated into the landscape and will stand the test of time. We aren’t the cheapest design team and we don’t compete on price. Our design process isn’t fastest out there because we want to make sure each decision is the right solution for you. Please don’t hire us if this doesn’t resonate with you.
How we get paid
Building an ADU or custom home is a significant investment. One that will pay off for years to come as you enjoy living in a home designed and built specifically for your lifestyle and needs. The value you get from a well designed home is immense.
I don’t have an hourly rate and don’t bill by time spent. I give fixed prices so clients never have to pay more if things take me longer than expected. I understand that clients appreciate cost certainty so they can appropriately plan and budget for their project. Cost overruns are one of the biggest pain points people have with the design and construction process and I aim to avoid these in my design fees. This is why I develop fixed fee pricing for our projects based on the value the project will bring to your life. Before I give a quote I need to understand your wants and needs, the project’s program, and what problems we will be solving through our design efforts.
We offer three tiers of service as outlined below. Each client selects which service package is the best fit for their project and budget.
10% of the custom home budget.
This is the base level of design services and includes Schematic Design through Permitting. This is ideal for clients who have already done a bunch of the research and leg work to understand what is allowed and for those who want to actively manage parts of the project and consultants. This would also be ideal for flat suburban or single family zoned properties within cities where the rules and regulations are known. Any code research, planning assistance meetings, work outside the standard permitting process (like historic review), documenting existing conditions, consultant fees and coordination, construction observation, etc. are additional costs. If you like to be hands-on and have the time this could be the right fit.
15% of the custom home budget.
This is the standard level of services that is ideal for most custom home projects. This includes all Predesign services like code and zoning research, planning assistance meetings, full design services, all permitting work, general contractor selection and bidding, and construction administration. We also coordinate all consultant work, although they will invoice you directly for their fees. This option is ideal for rural sites, properties with complicated topography, and projects that are looking to do something unique or non-standard. This would also cover projects in designated historic districts or other areas that have more complicated rules and regulations or complicated permitting requirements. Or it is the right fit for clients who don’t want to do their own research or be as active in the management of all the various consultants.
25% of the custom home budget.
This is the premium service and is an all-in package. In this package all you need to cover outside of our services are the cost of hiring a surveyor and paying the permit fees to the local jurisdiction. We handle the rest. This is ideal for clients who want to be more hands off, are looking for someone to manage the entire project, and want a fixed fee for the work.
Custom Designed ADUs Fees
For ADUs we offer a flat fee of $35,000 for the design of a custom ADU project. This offers clients cost certainty and also allows us to dedicate the time needed to deliver a great design and impeccable services to our clients. This fee includes our design fees, and any in-house printing and reimbursable expenses. Consultant fees would be in addition to our fees. We understand this isn’t the lowest fee out there for ADU designs but with our experience, design sensibilities, and dedication to our clients, we know that the value we provide far exceeds the fee amount.
Once the fixed fee is established, I develop a project schedule. I then divide the design fees into even monthly payments based on the schedule duration. This approach gives our clients confidence and predictability for the design fees and the even monthly expenses are easy to plan for.
As an example, if you have a $1,500,000 total budget for your new custom home and select the 15% fee structure, the design fees would be $225,000, leaving $1,275,000 for the construction budget, permit fees, and additional consultant fees. If the project schedule is 24 months, you would be invoiced for $9,375 on the first of each month, no more, no less. The goal here is to be clear, transparent, and predictable with no hidden costs or fees along the way.
The fees also include printing, travel, and reimbursable expenses, unlike many firms. The only additional cost that could come up is any necessary consultant fees. Of course, you would need to approve these before any costs are incurred.
Ready to get started?
If what we shared above resonated with you, we would love to talk with you about your project goals and ideas. If you have any questions you would like us to help with, or you are ready to get started with a project, please fill out the form below. We will get back to you as soon as we can. And did I mention that we will work almost anywhere in the world?