Is your design all that it could be? You’re probably going to be spending tens — if not hundreds — of thousands of dollars on your project. Isn’t it worth getting some good design advice from a seasoned pro? I’ve been on design and software forums for almost twenty years, and see many people posting their designs, hoping to pick the brains of everyone else. But let’s be frank. The people who can give you the best advice do this for a living, and you need more help than can provided in a few well-meaning comments from other amateurs. I see some of these designs and think to myself, “Gosh, if they’d just put the kitchen over there, and flipped the bathroom over to the other side, they’d have a really great plan.” I see roof lines that are a mess, windows that are ill-proportioned for the house, rooms that will be difficult to get furniture into, weird uses of materials on the facade, or kitchens that have layouts that are practically unusable. Ack! Enough lipstick on pigs.
This is a consultation that, for a reasonable fee, offers access to an award-winning architect, without needing to commit to “full boat” services. You will need to provide photos of the existing house, and the floor plans you’ve got (in electronic format; you may need to take the paper plans for scanning into PDF format), along with your goals and concerns. This might be as a second opinion on a design you’ve already got, or it could be for suggestions on how to get your design going in the right direction.
You can send me your design, either in Chief Architect format (preferred if you have it, since then I can spend more time on the design aspects), or other other format (DWG or PDF), along with your thoughts and goals by e-mail. Then, we’ll have up to a 30-minute phone consultation for me to ask you questions after I’ve spent some time reviewing all this, and get clarity on your priorities. Next, I’ll draw your plans in electronic format so that we will have something to be able to work with in our session. Then we’ll have up to a two-hour online session where you’ll get a “crit session” similar to what my architecture professors gave me, with suggestions on how to improve your design. I will be kind, but honest. If I see opportunities that you have missed or problems that I see, I’ll tell you. You can ask any questions you want to, even about your project in general. If you later need to buy another hour or two, that is available for my coachees.
Finally, I will send you the results of our discussions in PDF format. (Tabloid or A3 size.) Please understand that this all will be focused on the most important aspect — getting the DESIGN right! These plans will be helpful to you, but they are not construction drawings suitable for bids or permits. (They may be enough for getting a rough BUDGET from a contractor, however.)
This approach might be great for design-build contractors who might aren’t completely self-confident about their design skills. Even if you haven’t gone to architecture school, you can now look like you have!
This session is primarily aimed at people who have been struggling with their designs and are unsure if they are doing the right thing. Or know that they could have a better design and aren’t exactly sure how to accomplish it.
To arrange this counseling session, just call or e-mail me and we will find a mutually agreeable time. (No Sundays, however.) To make things easy, I ask for payment by PayPal in advance of the consultation. Just click the PayPal button below.
NOTE: California Business & Professions Code Sec. 5536.22 requires a written contract between architects and their clients for architectural services, unless it is expressly waived by the client. Because the services you are requesting are very limited in scope and duration, we agree that proceeding with this PayPal transaction constitutes your waiver of a more extensive contract. However, if you request additional services, a written agreement will be provided.