A lot of times designers and architects tend to dream big and forget about the budget. And important part of making realistic plans is to put numbers to the design as early in the game as possible, so you know you’re not way off track. So at Castaway House, now that we have solidified a schematic design for the house, both interior, exterior and landscape, we are getting bids from contractors. There are two reasons to do this early in the game rather then when the drawings are complete and into the city for permit review, which is the typical process.
1. Getting a construction estimate in the schematic design phase allows the design team to make changes before it’s too difficult and before they have spent too much time on one scheme and are reluctant to make the necessary changes to meet the budget.
2. Selecting a contractor early in the project allows for greater integration of design ideas with construction and budget realities allowing for better quality and cost control.
As outlined in LEED, part of a sustainable project is to have an integrated process, meaning that the project team, including the owner, designer, engineering consultants and contractor should work collaboratively as early as possible. At Castaway House, we knew that having the contractor join the team early was critical to executing a sustainable project.
We’ll let you know who we select and introduce you to the contractor soon!
Here’s the latest floor plan, created by Cavin, that includes the landscape plan designed by Jeremy Stapleton.
Tags: Architects, blooming rock, castaway house, Cavin Costello, city permit review, Claire Aton, construction estimate, contractor, cost control, designers, engineering consultants, integrated process, landscape design, LEED, phoenix, project team, quality control, remodeling, schematic design, sustainable remodel, taz loomans, The Ranch Mine
