Every project begins with a conversation.

Whether you’re unhappy with a certain aspect of your home, you’re outgrowing (or have outgrown) your space, or you’re looking to finally realize your dream, the first step when engaging with an architect is getting to know one another.

We’ll meet at your home — or, if you’re building from scratch, at the site — and I’ll ask a series of questions that aim to understand how you live, who you are, and what you’re hoping to achieve by working together. Questions like:

What are the specific needs of your project?
Have you lived in the home or did you just purchase it?
Have you worked with an architect before?
Do you have kids? Pets?
Do you entertain?
Are you a voracious reader, or do you prefer to park it in front of a television to wind down the day?

As mundane as they may seem, the details matter, because while most people think square footage is paramount — i.e. the more of it they have, the more comfortable they’ll be — there is tremendous value in efficient, thoughtful design. Whether your project requires re-configuring existing space or expanding your footprint, my goal is to leave you with a finished product that meets your needs, exceeds your expectations and improves your quality of life.

While it varies based on the complexity of the project, the process typically includes the following phases:

I will follow up our introductory visit with a detailed proposal that outlines your goals and explains some of the finer details of the process, including very preliminary thoughts on budget and timeline. If my terms are amenable and you decide to put your trust in me, I’ll re-visit your house, document it through measurements and photographs, and then the real fun begins.
After drawing the existing conditions and doing any necessary zoning research, I will produce initial design ideas that aim to both satisfy your brief and really explore what might be possible. This will include multiple floor plans and, depending on how extensive the scope of the project, various elevation studies and precedent images.
We’ll review these drawings together, and during this more intentional conversation — now having something tangible to digest — we’ll try and hone in on a scheme, or at least identify positive attributes of each.
The schematic design process is iterative, so while we may get super close to a viable concept right out of the gate, more often than not, additional tweaks need to be made and alternate versions need to be considered. Only when we’ve settled on something that truly excites us can we move on.
Schematic designs are, by definition, diagrammatic. During this initial DD phase, we’ll zoom in a bit to create more detailed space, lay out structural components, and flesh out the main parameters of the project. A written document will be produced that outlines some specific design elements or ideas, ones that aren’t easily identified in early drawings.
Once we have a more-than-basic design package, we’ll engage with a general contractor so that we can better understand where things stand, cost-wise. The contractor and I will meet at the house, we’ll walk through the drawings and the project, and they will provide an estimate or range of probable costs; a temperature-check, if you will, to ensure we’re heading down the right path.
In some cases, projects exist in areas that require additional permissions. If necessary, Locraft Architecture can prepare materials for, and present to, Homeowners Associations, Neighborhood Advisory Boards, and Historic Preservation Commissions. I have successfully argued for Zoning relief via special exception, and have even applied, and been approved for, a code modification. If we think it can be done, I’ll do my best to make it happen.
You’re comfortable with the initial pricing feedback, we’ve started conversations with all the necessary parties, and it’s time to put the hammer down. More drawings and details are added. Engineers are consulted. Specific materials are identified. Lighting plans are generated. Door & window schedules are created. Jurisdictional requirements are dialed in, and we’re inching closer and closer to a construction-ready architectural set.
Needless to say, permitting is a significant milestone. Once drawings are filed, the countdown can begin in earnest for the start of construction. While the process is fickle and can take from a few weeks to several months, this time is spent developing even more details, ones that weren’t necessary for approvals but will give contractors the information they need to properly realize our intent.
Throughout this phase, the contractor will also be working to finalize their numbers. The information we’ve added to the drawings since the original estimate will allow subcontractors to provide more accurate proposals, which will ultimately lead to a contract price.
Once the contract is signed, the permit has been issued, and you’ve done everything to mentally and physically prepare for demolition, the work begins and things immediately get very real.
Locraft Architecture is capable of managing — and would prefer to be involved in — all aspects of the design and construction of your project. I can be your advocate on site, develop interior drawings for millwork and/or custom design elements, help you select fixtures and finishes, and effectively ease the burden of dozens of decisions that arise throughout the process.
As the project nears the finish line, a secondary benefit of construction administration is the coordination of the punchlist. You’ve committed a lot of time and energy to get to this point, so we need to ensure that things were done properly and according to our standards and expectations. I can help with that, too.
The project is done, you’ve settled back in, and you can barely imagine what the place was like before we embarked on this adventure.
Not only are the spaces more comfortable and easier to navigate, but you’re now genuinely excited to return home and enjoy what you’ve worked so hard to achieve.

To start the conversation, feel free to send me a note.