Don't be Fazed

Designing and building a home or planning and building space for a new or growing business is a complex task. One way to make a complex task more manageable is to break it down into smaller tasks, and architects apply a similar strategy to the design and construction process. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) defines the Five Phases of Architecture that are commonly referenced throughout the industry: Schematic Design, Design Development, Contract Documents, Bidding, Contract Administration.

Having a basic understanding of what happens in each of these phases of work will help you communicate with your architect. It is also important to be familiar with the milestones and deliverables of each phase because architects often organize contracts and project schedules around them. At WC STUDIO we value openness and want the experience of working with us to be as simple and stress-free as possible. We name and describe our work phases slightly differently than AIA to make it easier for our customers to understand. Below is an outline of our project phase breakdown, with a description of the deliverables or milestones at each step. This list can be modified to meet the needs of a particular project, and the time each phase will take depends on many factors, but most projects will proceed as follows:

PICTURE GALLERY

PRELIMINARY DESIGN
Preliminary design is an information gathering phase that will form the basis of the design phases that will follow. The main aim at this stage is to learn everything possible about our customers' personality, lifestyle and needs, as well as to determine how much space you need now and are likely to need in the future, and how this space should be used, organized and used. edited. This information is organized in a document called a Schedule, which describes all the rooms and spaces for the project, their approximate sizes, and the specific qualities or unique features you are looking for. The other part of the preliminary design phase is observing and documenting the existing conditions at the project site. This often requires surveying the land to determine property line locations and/or measurements of existing structures. We also conduct background research to better understand the site's relationship with the environment, climate, people and regulations affecting the project. We track these regulations in a Zoning Summary document and speak with city planning staff if questions arise. Customers should expect to be very attentive at this stage and ready to answer personal questions. Sometimes we give you “homework” to get to know you better. Collaborating in this way allows us to better understand your values and needs, resulting in a design that reflects your individuality with optimal functionality.