FAQ

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How do the project phases work?

Kaplan Thompson typically works with our clients from the planning phase of a project through the final stages of construction. We’re able to guide your design from vision to reality, ensuring that the project meets your expectations, saves you from unwelcome surprises, and stays in line with your estimates.

Most projects include Planning, Schematic Design, Design Development, Pricing and Permitting, Construction Design, and Construction Administration phases. If you have another expert in mind for certain phases of the process, we may be able to tailor your design and build program to accommodate their role. We often include Interior Designers, Landscape Architects, and specialized engineers as appropriate for your project and budget.

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What is the Planning Phase?

We launch the planning phase with a conversation about what’s possible, and move from there to developing your program, which is a detailed description of your building. We evaluate the scope of your project and determine the parameters that will influence our design challenges and opportunities.

We ask lots of questions and do plenty of research. For instance: how close can the building be to the ocean? Which building codes or zoning laws need to be considered? What kind of taste, mood, and style should shine? How much storage do you need? If it’s a renovation, what existing conditions do we need to consider? Will you be able to take advantage of important views without compromising your privacy? How could you gain solar access without cutting down trees? And most importantly: how will real people live or work in the space every day?

For most clients, this is the most fun part of the project. We move incrementally from dialogue to design sketches, turning around ideas quickly so we know we have your full approval before proceeding. Once we’re all satisfied, we develop the overall schedule for your program, including the next phases and timeline for completion based on the approved design brief.

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What is the Schematic Design Phase?

Once we’ve developed a schedule for your program, we figure out how your sustainable building will look and operate as a home. For a home, we determine which spaces will exist—bedrooms, kitchens, office spaces, closets, mudrooms, sun porches, and how many windows and other important features you’ll need. For a commercial project, we’ll also consider factors like occupancy limits and future expansion.

We move from sketching to rendering more accurate drawings that show various assemblies and relationships between elements of the design. Depending on the complexities of your project, we’re able to show 2D floor plans, elevation views, and 3D drawings that give you a clear sense of the space we’re designing together. After developing several rounds of drawings developing schemes that suit your program, we’ll deliver the design solution of your dreams.

In general, we prefer to choose a builder at the end of this stage. Bringing your builder in early helps to keep costs down over the life of the project because we’re able to communicate about goals and expectations for the schedule, budget, and quality of the work performed. Unlike a design and build firm, which locks you into set costs and structures, Kaplan Thompson makes it possible to work with any builder you choose. The freedom to choose the right builder for you means you’ll get what you want, whether it’s better quality, lower costs, personality, or the chance to choose and customize the elements that make your space special.

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What is the Design Development Phase?

Design development adds greater specificity and detail to the interior and exterior schematic designs for your building. We get into the nitty gritty of green architecture, including engineering for the building’s heating, cooling, and ventilation systems, energy analysis, electrical and plumbing systems, and more.

In this phase, we get an accurate tally for practical realities like floor-to-floor heights, doors, fixtures, and materials for floors, siding, beams, and finishes. We draft these elements in digital 3D models so we know their true dimensions, which helps you to make important decisions. This also helps your builder to obtain estimates for materials and systems early, so you know what is available and what will work best in your space.

Once we’ve developed these specifics of the building’s mechanics, we’re generally able to obtain a permit to move forward with your building. For more complex commercial projects, or in municipalities with more complex rules for permitting, we oversee the process, including communication to teams of subcontractors, so the project begins on time and without confusion.

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What is the Pricing and Permitting Phase?

As we finalize your design drawings, we obtain and review estimates to make sure that your finished building will come in on target. We’ll adjust the design plan as needed if budget estimates come in higher than expected so you’re able to get what you need without compromising on the elements of your building that matter most to you.

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What is the Construction Documents Phase?

This is often the difference between high-performance green architecture and basic construction: at this stage, Kaplan Thompson’s team develops your design in careful detail, taking care to ensure that every component of your building is truly designed—intentional, thoughtful, and personal.

In this stage, we train our eyes on the details, specifying materials, products, and assemblies. Our goal is to produce the specific sets of instructions the builder needs to construct your project, including detailed floor plans, elevations, and building sections. We develop your drawing set carefully so that your design vision will be executed properly, with attention to detail. Custom design and the special characteristics you’ve chosen that make your building unique shine at this stage, and this is the point at which our skill and experience in sustainable architecture set us apart from the pack.

The drawings might also include structural engineering, mechanical design, interior finish layouts, and other documents. Working with your builder early in the process helps us to determine which drawings they need (and which they don’t), assuring quality in every detail, and saving you time and money during design and construction.

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What is the Construction Administration Phase?

In this final phase, we keep up with the progress of construction. We make sure everything has been executed properly, auditing for the smallest mistakes or discrepancies that can signal and prevent bigger problems down the line.

Anyone who tells you the unexpected will never occur hasn’t built enough buildings! The real question to ask when you’re choosing an architect is how effectively have they been able to resolve problems in the past. Our team has seen it all, from weather delays and construction errors to near-fistfights between vendors and contractors. We’re awfully handy to have around at this phase.

We insist on a blower door test during this phase. This test is an important component of high-performance construction and Passive House design in which we pressurize your building and test for leaks. This is especially critical for high-performance green buildings, as it ensures maximum efficiency and air tightness, eliminating holes in your building’s exterior shell, saving you money and keeping your building performing at its best for years to come.

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How long will it take to design and build my project?

The exact timing of your project depends on several factors, including its size and scope, location, builder availability, and the time of year. The project’s speed will also depend on how involved you’d like to be, and what types of design elements you choose.

We like to take time at the start of every project to carefully prepare designs with you. The more time we have to decide and execute on a design vision, the more assurance you’ll have that construction will proceed according to plan, and you’ll get just what you want. Ideally, three to six months to design and draw is helpful. In some cases, we can fast track this process, but we’ll caution you that there are often cost and risk considerations that typically outweigh the appeal of speeding through the design phase.

Construction on new homes can take anywhere from six to sixteen months; eight to twelve months is the average time for custom-designed sustainable homes. Small to medium multi-family buildings, restaurants, and educational spaces depend on a whole range of factors and these timelines can vary quite a bit from home construction. We’ll be glad to talk to you about your timeframe and the many ways in which we can deliver your dream building to you on time and on budget.