Communication is the key to success on our projects.
The first stage of the process is to meet with our potential clients and discuss their goals and vision for their projects. This may occur at the site of the project or in our office. We will take notes and document the conversation, photograph the site if possible and begin the preparation of a design proposal.
Subsequently, we sit down as a staff and discuss the merits of your project. If we feel that we would be successful on your project as explained in our mission and vision above, we will prepare a design proposal that outlines the scope of work for the project and the associated costs for the design services to support that scope. Included in the proposal will be a standard Terms and Conditions and an estimated time frame for the project. We then send this proposal to you for review and signature. Once completed and provided back to us, we review our work schedule and set a date to begin the project.
 
Example of a Program
 
Typically, we have a preliminary meeting and discuss the lot you are working with and in the event that there is an existing structure on the site, the use of that structure. We discuss with you, the opportunities you have to improve the site and options that you have to travel the road to success. During this early conversation, we create a program or "Road Map" to your project. This program entails, a listing all of the spaces you desire and the approximate room sizes you envision. This will quickly allow you to understand the overall size of your project and can be modified easily to accommodate your budget. The entire design team including you, the client, has an opportunity to review the program and discuss the components. Additions and subtractions occur until all are satisfied that this is the framework for the design to be built upon.

The next step is to have a design meeting using the program as the road map and our visionary skills as the tools to create the basic design concept for the project. We call this a "Design Charette" and it normally lasts about 2-3 hours and can be an intense time of thought for all involved. We will ask an enormous amount of questions about your lifestyle, family, Holidays, pets, collections, etc. We will make you think about items that you feel are taken for granted. We will discuss your goals and vision for the project. We will then begin the arduous task of creating a complex design that begins to answer our questions. We will go through multiple concepts during the meeting. We will discuss options that you may have, possibly ideas that may sound outlandish but will allow you to begin thinking about the design in a new manner. We will educate you in the basics of design excellence and allow you to achieve a level of design that you were not aware of that could occur. By the end of that meeting, we will have a design concept that we all agree with and is ready to be entered into the computer system we use to document our designs. This meeting has the capability to enlighten you, surprise you and invigorate you about your project.
 
Example of Design Sketches

The next step is to enter the design concept into the computer system and begin the creation of documenting the design. We use the term Preliminary Design for this phase. This may take multiple schemes and a variety of sketches until we are satisfied that the project is heading in the direction of success. Part of this process is to examine the site and document the conditions we have that will affect the design. Possible views on the site, setbacks, easements, environmental conditions, all play a part in the design process. If we do not review all of the external and internal issues at this stage, we run the opportunity of failure. We will not allow that to occur. This preliminary design stage will ultimately include floor plans and front elevation for your review and approval. Only when we receive full approval on this stage, do we move to the next stage.

The next stage is the Design Development stage. This is where we continue to develop the design, increasing the level of detail and providing information for pricing of the project. The drawings will include all the plans and outside elevations of all of the sides of the project so you are able to understand the design concept. We also can provide stunning visualizations utilizing our computer technology that will allow you to view your project from any viewpoint in space. We constantly review the budget and make you aware of any concerns we may have in regards to affordability of the project. We will not complete a project until we have been provided a construction price that is acceptable to our clients. Once we have completed this stage, then we begin the last stage of the design process.

Documentation of the final design: This is where we compete the drawings for your project. They may include a variety of drawings, necessary to deliver the concept to your builder and your self. We will provide all information necessary to construct the project, receive a building permit and provide other pertinent information that will allow the project to be a success.

Example of Construction Documents
 
Once the drawings have been completed, your builder will provide a final cost for the home and a contract will be signed to allow for construction to begin. During construction our team will review the quality of the construction, time frame for payments for completed work and other pertinent phases of the construction process. This is a critical stage and we recommend to all of our clients that RBA represent you the owner until the final review of quality is complete and the certificate of occupancy has been issued and the final review of the construction has been completed.
 
As you can see, the design process will hopefully open your eyes to the wonderful possibilities your project has and we will do everything in it's ability to achieve success.
 
We look forward to working with you on your project.