Have you ever wondered what the process of working with an architect at Streamline is? We're here to explain!
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) defines Five Phases of Architecture commonly referred to throughout the industry: Schematic Design, Design Development, Contract Documents, Bidding, and Contract Administration.
Schematic Design:
During this phase, the owner and architect talk about the project and the owner’s requirements. The architect researches and analyzes the property, including building and zoning codes that might affect the site analysis. Once we’ve completed that step, our firm utilizes software programs such as Revit, Sketchup, and Bluebeam to review and create documents. The overall objective of this phase is to establish the basic design of the building with the shape and size.
Streamline will produce and develop the comprehensive plan and preliminary exterior design; these will be presented through a series of design iterations in the form of professionally built 3D sketches to help you visualize the finished project.
Design Development:
An extension of the schematic design phase, the design development phase takes the designs and the results of the first phase a step further. During this phase, Streamline will finalize the design selected by you and begin working on general structural details of the building, like the placement of doors and windows. We will create a more detailed design and implement any revisions. This design will be very specific, with interior and exterior design elements shown through renderings that help the client visualize the project clearly and quickly.
While picking finishes can quickly become overwhelming, our team of interior designers is here to help; we also have access to our design library, where we can curate and pick any finish desired!
Construction Documents:
During the construction documents phase, Streamline will start working on construction documents, technical specifications, and permit applications in this phase. These documents are created to keep the overall vision of the project and your specifications in mind.
The documents created will be used by our consultants, who'll use the drawings and other details to begin prepping for the next phase of the project.
Bidding Documents:
The next phase of the process is bidding. Streamline will assist you in finding the best-suited contractors based on their expertise and costs.
Streamline will review the bid documents received, provide you with a detailed analysis of your options and help you compare the varying cost figures.
Construction Administration:
This phase involves regular site visits to answer questions from the builder and proactively address any potential issues before they occur. Since the construction work is underway, we will ensure that the project is being constructed per the design specifications. Once construction is completed, the last step is to perform a final walk-through and create a punch list of any remaining tasks to complete the project.
Each project is unique in its own way; some projects will not require every step, and others will require additional work such as field studies. If you are interested in working with Streamline, reach out today! We'd love to help you bring your project to life!