Process

Our job is to enhance the quality of your project in tangible ways beyond the obvious visible physical form. “Invisible” areas of design include durable and healthy construction practices, air quality strategies, and passive heating and cooling. Each project begins with an informal interview and questionnaire to document what we call your “programmatic” requirements. This allows us to skillfully weave the multitude of requirements, ideas, images, aesthetics and budget constraints into the final design.

Our process includes:

Site Evaluation – Integrating the Design with Your Site
We evaluate solar orientation and effect of solar patterns – accurate solar modeling during the design process informs key decisions for window placement, roof shading, orientation, views and more. We also analyze local climate, prevailing winds, relationship to land resources, site hydrology, land history, current and future landscape development, and views.

Program Integration – Matching the Design with Your Criteria and Lifestyle
We work closely with you to identify key patterns of your lifestyle in developing your schematic design. We identify priorities to develop a framework of construction techniques and material selection. We also integrate systems that effectively work together to reduce the overall cost of maintaining, heating and cooling your building.

Study Options – Establishing Requirements for the Project
This phase consists of establishing requirements for the project such as design objectives, development of space requirements, relationships between spaces (including outdoor spaces), flexibility and expandability, special equipment and more. Schematic 3 dimensional computer modeling during this process provides an integrated visual representation for you and public agencies during the review process.

Team Integration – Ensuring a Professional, Cohesive and Collaborative Team
If necessary, we identify or introduce professional consultants early in the design process so you can review their work and evaluate their relationship to contract services. We also encourage early participation with building contractors to develop close communication during the design phase of the project and to solidify the owner/contractor relationship before building begins. We have excellent working relationships with local building contractors because we work closely with them throughout the entire building process.

Cost Analysis – Staying within Your Budget
At the end of schematic design and before completing construction documents we engage building contractors (or cost estimate consultants) to provide cost estimates to assess target goals for the best use of your budget. At these benchmarks, we review options to make sure the work stays within your budget. If necessary, adjustments are made to the building program, building systems options, component options, finish options or revise the contractor scope of work.

Construction Documents and Specifications – Combining Common Sense with Professional Experience
The documents we provide you and your contractor have “common sense” details and specifications that are an accumulation of experience and a track record of performance of use in Southern Oregon. Green specifications have been the focus of our firm for over ten years, with up-to-date revisions based on current reports and reviews on every project. Carlos began implementing the Natural Step Framework™, a proven, scientific framework for sustainability, in his specifications for construction that highlight whole building integration techniques, non-toxic construction, and applications as requested by clients with specific needs.

Please contact us to learn more. We’re pleased to provide a complimentary consultation to answer any of your questions before we get started.

• Copyright © 2012 Carlos Delgado Architect LLC