We can approach our first meeting together in one of two ways:

At an Introduction Meeting, I’ll answer your questions about working with New Leaf, and I’ll get the information I need about your scope of work to provide you with a proposal. 

If you have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish and how to go about it, and my travel time is minimal, an Introduction is all we need for our first meeting. This usually takes an hour or less, and is free of charge.

A Consultation Meeting gets you more information right away about moving your project forward, and gives you a better feel for our chemistry working together. We’ll dive right into brainstorming about your project, working together to figure out what you want to prioritize on your wish list, what is practical, whether approaching things in phases makes sense, and more. You can use this information whether we continue working together or not, and the additional time together gives you an even better chance to see if we have good chemistry together. A Consultation meeting typically lasts two hours or longer, and the fee varies depending on the project and the location. I’ll let you know how much it will be when we schedule our meeting.

Then within a week or two I’ll provide you with a proposal for the architectural services that will take you all the way through construction following the rest of the New Leaf process. 

A Written Proposal, so you’ll know what to expect. You’ll enjoy your new home, renovation, or addition for many years, so we’ll need some time to make good decisions, and create plenty of drawings and other information showing what you want in your finished home. After the consultation or introduction meeting, I’ll create a written proposal with a fixed fee for your particular project. In most cases, payments will be broken down into several phases, relating to our design review meetings.  I base my fees on the amount of time I expect to invest in your project, but the prices I give you in the proposal will stay the same as long as your scope of work doesn’t change. If there is a change, I’ll keep track of the time associated with it and invoice that at an hourly rate.

Cost per Square Foot? I don’t use a cost per square foot for my design fees because that wouldn’t consider the unique lifestyles of my clients and what they hope for in their homes. Percentage of construction cost is another way some architects set their fees, and the time required for design does have a strong relationship to the cost of the project.  If you look online or listen to design shows, often you will hear a range of 10% to 20% of construction cost for residential work, with renovation projects tending to be at the upper end of that range. I’ve found I can usually provide the services my clients need for less than that. If you are using fairly standard construction methods, I can give you the benefits of thoughtful design with more streamlined architectural services. A fixed fee means I don’t make more by designing a house that will cost more to build. My goal is to meet all your goals in less space, saving you money on construction! 

Sorting out your options. You may know that you need to change your home to make it work better for you, but not be sure what you want to do. A Consultation is a great way to start. We can spend a few hours together so I can answer your questions and help you make more informed decisions. For some small projects, I can create a sketch during the consultation that you can use in discussions with contractors.

Spending your dollars well. Careful planning is what makes a project the best it can be. “Where does the sun come in? Where do the shoes go? What is the view from this spot? Will the people in this room feel connected to activities in the next space?” A New Leaf home design considers these questions and many more. After all, you don’t just want more square footage, you want a place where you will feel at home.

Is New Leaf right for your project?  If you already have a design worked out and just need to have it drawn up for the building department, it makes more sense to work with a drafting service than an architect.  If you are in a rush for drawings, I may not be able to meet your schedule.  If you aren’t particularly interested in energy efficiency, careful use of space, and connection to the site, another designer may be better for you. If careful planning, individualized attention, design that compliments your existing house,  and generating as much energy as your house will use are important to you, give me a call!

It’s important that you are comfortable with the person you choose to design your project. You will be working together for several months to design a renovation, addition, or new home that will be part of your life for many years to come. So how do you decide whom to work with? Here are a few things to look for and questions to ask as you make your selection:

Experience: Are they familiar with residential design, particularly with projects similar to your own?

Specialization: Do they do this kind of project as the focus of their business, or is most of their work on projects different from yours?

Education: Do they have formal education in design? Architectural training develops an awareness of issues such as circulation, views, natural light, balance, proportion, differentiation of spaces, and construction detailing. It also encourages consideration of multiple ways to solve a problem, sometimes in ways you hadn’t previously considered.

Staff: Some construction companies offer design as part of their services, and many of these companies are very professional in the construction services they provide. But design and construction are separate fields, and you’ll want to evaluate the qualifications for them independently. Does the company have a design professional on staff? Is their background and training primarily in design or construction? How much experience does that individual have?

Listening: Are they paying attention to what you say? Asking good questions? Taking notes? Your designer needs to be able to listen carefully, so they understand your family’s needs before they start to design.

Imagination: A good designer envisions more than a space when they look at a room; they see all of the things your family will do there. Breakfast on sunny mornings, homework after school, evenings with a glass of wine. Thinking about these daily activities leads to a design that considers your lifestyle and creates a space that is both beautiful and enjoyable to live in.

Communication: From phone calls to emails to drawings, communication is critical to getting a design you will be happy with. A CAD program that provides a three dimensional model of your design can be an especially helpful tool for your designer to communicate possible designs to you. When you can see what your project will look like, your designer can make sure it’s the solution you want before it’s built.

Before you buy can be a great time to talk with an architect. Sometimes when you are looking for a new home you may find one that has a lot of potential, but also things you just couldn’t live with long term. In this case, knowing whether a renovation or addition project is practical can make the difference between buying a house or continuing to look. A consultation with New Leaf Home Design can help you to sort it out.

For instance, you may want to open up a wall between the kitchen and an adjacent dining or family room but aren’t sure about how that would work structurally. Combining two small bedrooms to create a master suite, or adding a first floor master to a house that currently has all the bedrooms upstairs are other things you may be wondering about. You might have the feeling that a house has plenty of square foot age, but the current layout doesn’t use that space well. Converting a garage into a kitchen or family room and adding a new garage is an other possibility. New Leaf Home Design has experience with all of these project types and many more. I can help you decide what can be done with the home you are considering and whether it is the right home for you.

Here’s how it works…

Once you’ve found a home that meets most of your needs, give me a call. We’ll set up a time with your realtor to meet at the house. Then we’ll do some brainstorming about the possibilities. It will take about 90 minutes to 2 hours for us to create a vision of what can be done and understand how practical it is. If we spend a little longer, I can do some quick measurements and leave you with a sketch of a solution.

After you’ve purchased a house and want to make the changes we’ve discussed, New Leaf Home Design can help with that too! Sometimes the consultation is all you need, but other projects may benefit from full architectural design services. I use 3D CAD modeling software, so you’ll be able to see what your renovations will look like. Then I’ll create the drawings you’ll need to get permits and have contractors do the work. I can provide suggestions of experienced contractors if you would like some recommendations.