As drawings are used as a tool in design, design is a tool used in project coaching.
A lot of investors and homeowners when starting the process of construction do not understand the number of team members involved. As the owner, you will find yourself signing agreements with many different design and construction professionals to build your project. The first professional contract you may sign is with a surveyor. Then you may sign one with an architect, one with a civil engineer, a structural engineer, an interior designer, and more. All these contracts mean you are the single point of contact for each professional. You are responsible for the cross-communication and coordination between them. If you are not familiar with the process, why would you agree to do this?
There is a better way!
There is a way that saves you time, money, and stress. Imagine one design contract with one design professional. A one-stop shop to help solve the problems ahead. Project coaching places your architect in the driver seat as the team lead who sub-contracts and communicates with the other design professionals. Much like your general contractor connects you with the sub-contractors and manages the construction efforts, your architect can do the same on the design side and more. Your project coach acts as your advisor of design and construction. From beginning to end your project coach advises you and guides you through the process, solving the problems on the drawing board and in the field.
Project coaching isn't a new concept. In the commercial world, it's just called being an architect. Things are unfortunately very different in the residential world, and who typically suffers is you, the owner. Let's break down the steps in project coaching.
Pre-design
During pre-design your construction coach offers project feasibility by evaluating the site and your goals for the project. This feasibility includes the size of the project, evaluating the zoning regulations, establishing an initial project budget, and more. This step is critical for establishing the parameters of the project.
The Design
From schematic design to design development this step represents the most tangible elements of the construction coaching service. These phases determine the look, layout, and constructability of the project. This phase also includes the sub-contracting of the other design professionals to develop a more holistic design.
Construction Documents
Communicating the design to the contractor through architectural drawings is critical in creating your project. These documents represent the contract between you and your builder. Making your contract stronger with details and specification gets your project built better and closer to your intent.
Bidding and Value Engineering
Costs of construction fluctuate and are difficult to keep track of. Construction coaching includes the coordination of the bid process. It's important to keep the bids fair, which is why offering approved substitutions to project specifications requested by the bidding contractors is important.
Construction Evaluations and Administrations
Designs and drawings are complex, and a contractor interpreting the design 100% correctly does not exist. This is why construction coaching includes site evaluations during construction. Construction evaluation places a quality control check on your contractor and their subs to ensure correct interpretation of the design.
Traditional Design service, especially in Tennessee and Kentucky includes only a fraction of these services. This has led to bad relationships and bad design. Forget about simply getting a design, or a set of drawings and handing them off to your contractor. How do you get those drawings through planning and zoning for a permit? How do you verify that the land you are about to buy will allow you to build the project you want? How do you get the design coordinated with the project budget before the design is complete? How do you better ensure the project will meet your proforma? How do you make sure the design will be built correctly without your contractor cutting corners?
The answer to all these and many more is project coaching. No one can do it better than the team member who knows the most about your project, who designs the project, who knows the construction, and who understands the regulations.
Our firm offers a variety of service options, each option determines our level of involvement, and more importantly, your level of involvement with project coaching being the top-level service. Let us know if you need help, we also offer blogging and consultation to help you get the ball rolling.
© 2020 by Clements Wimsatt Architects PLLC
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