Services

Charles Huff Architect offers architectural services for 30 years in the areas of residential remodels and additions, custom new homes, historical restorations, new commercial buildings, tenant improvements, and architectural consultations.
 

Architectural Project Phases Descriptions

All architectural projects evolve through three phases. 

1. Schematic Design

The first phase, the Schematic Design Phase, encompasses the general program or physical extent of the project.

Elements of the Schematic Design Phase include:

a)      Site analysis of possible residential home or commercial building placement, or areas for vertical or horizontal additions.

b)      Room orientation studies.  How do all rooms relate functionally, aesthetically and structurally?  What is the best solar orientation for each of the rooms?  How does internal and external noise affect each room? 

c)      Review of building setbacks, height restrictions, utility easements, and review of floor area ratios with governing city or county.

d)      Based on the above elements, rough diagrammatic studies of the building layout including relationships between existing spaces and proposed spaces.

After these studies are complete, they are refined into scaled drawings. 

2. Design Development

The Design Development Phase takes two or more alternatives to a more refined stage through the development of floor plans, site plans and elevations.  Internal wall and cabinetry arrangements are also investigated during this phase.  Once a final site plan, floor plan and elevations have been agreed upon, the design development package is complete.  At this time these drawings can be used for two purposes, design review and budget bids.

The design review process may be required by municipalities and homeowners’ associations.  These groups review the plans to ensure that they conform to their architectural or planning standards.  In the case of city design review, notices may be sent to neighboring properties informing them of your project and where they may view the drawings (usually at the planning department).

The budget bid process involves a contractor reviewing the design development drawings and approximating the construction cost before the full construction drawings are prepared.  This process attempts to ensure the client that the project is within budget and if it exceeds the budget, the construction drawings can reflect those changes.

3. Construction Documents

Phase three of the architectural process includes the Construction Document Phase and the submission of these documents to the appropriate building department and to the contractors for their formal bidding process.

The construction documents include the information from the structural engineer, civil engineer and the Title 24 energy consultant, if needed.  The design development drawings are formalized by adding supplemental drawings which constitute the final construction documents.

The construction documents include:

a)      Site plan, general notes and schedules

b)      Floor plans; including electrical, mechanical and plumbing locations

c)      Foundation plans, ceiling framing plans, roof framing plans and roof plans; all structural members, seismic connectors and seismic notes and schedules

d)      Exterior elevations and sections where needed

e)      Title 24 energy calculations and notes

f)        Architectural and structural details at various construction conditions

Upon completion of the construction documents, the project is ready to go to the planning and building departments for plan check.  At the same time, the drawings are sent to various contractors for formal bids.  The contractors pick up the drawings at our office after review with our staff; the client is contacted by the contractor to view the potential project.