Working With an Architect

You should choose your architect much as you would choose a physician or a lawyer. Check their reputation and references certainly, but be sure to interview them personally as well. Custom home design is a very personal experience and you must be sure that the person you select will really listen to your needs and desires, and will help you design the home of your dreams, not theirs. You will be spending quite a bit of time with your architect and will be sharing important parts of your life with them. Be sure that you like, and trust them. Professional qualifications are very important but "bedside manner" may be equally critical.

 

Many factors must be considered in setting the fees for a custom home, including, the difficulty of the site, the size of the home, the complexity of the program etc. Please contact us so that we may ask all of the questions needed to quote you a precise fee.

 

Construction costs vary due to dozens of factors in a custom home design. The exterior materials, the number of floors, the site, the interior finishes, the area of the country, the complexity of the design and the structural and mechanical systems used are only a few of the factors that influence the cost of constructing a custom home. Beware of anyone who will quote you construction costs for a home before they know a great deal about you and your home's design.


TKP works closely with experienced custom homebuilders and contractors during the design of your home, partnering with them to provide estimating for ongoing cost control and for advice on construction efficiency during the design process. We are happy to work with the builder of your choice, to help you select a qualified builder, or to refer you to someone we have worked well with in the past.

 

First, call us. (303 278-8840) We will talk you through the entire process and it is our job to help you with all the decisions that must be made while designing your home. We can tell you what decisions need to be made at what time and you can be as involved or as uninvolved as you wish in the process. We work very successfully with clients who are not in the same place as their architect, or often, their building site. E-mail, fax, and conference calls allow us to keep our clients informed and involved in the entire design process even from a distance.

Yes. A structural engineer is required for homes in most parts of the country. TKP has an in-house structural engineer to best coordinate the architectural and structural design of your home. An interior designer may, or may not, be required to finish your dream home. However, most people find the services of an interior designer to be invaluable during the design process. On larger luxury custom homes the need for careful integration of everything from fabrics to floors usually requires the services of an experienced and sensitive interior designer. TKP can recommend an interior designer, or will be happy to coordinate with the designer of your choice. Landscape architects, lighting designers, mechanical engineers, surveyors, soils engineers, pool consultants, audio/visual consultants, and kitchen designers are some of the other consultants often brought into the team on a luxury custom home. Your architect acts as the team leader, orchestrating the consultants and the builder to achieve the maximum in creativity and enthusiasm from everyone involved in your home design.

 

In general, yes. However, TKP can assist with site selection for those people who have a strong vision for their home design, and are not sure which site might best fits their needs. The best homes are always designed within the context of a specific site. Orientation, access, views, grade, surrounding buildings, vegetation etc. are all considered in the custom home design process.

This varies based on the size and complexity of your home design, and factors such as Design Review Boards and your ability to make timely decisions. Usually, from the time we begin design to the time we are ready to submit the finished construction drawings for a building permit is about 5-7 months. Most of our homes are built in 9-15 months.