"An idea is salvation through imagination"
-Frank Lloyd Rite
In summary, for those who like lists, stages of work are:
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Introductory meeting
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Basic plans and Bill of Quantities
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Choosing a contractor and other craftsmen
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Selecting materials not supplied by the contractor
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Preparing work plans
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Contractor work on site (which also has different stages)
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Finishing
And one last word regarding the schedule...
Duration of work on the project varies greatly from a project to project and from client to client. Obviously a little overhaul will be faster than the construction of a villa. Additionally there are people who want to think for a long time about every possible option, and there are people who prefer to decide quickly. The important thing is to match the work style to the time limits.
Project concept
Each project is comprised of three parts:
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Vision - what do we want to do? What is our dream?
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Constraints - schedule, budget, the work space itself
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Fulfillment - turning vision into reality within the constrains
As an architect I deal with all of these. I help refine the original vision, investigate and verify the constraints, and finally, along with the contractor I deliver the final product realization.
My goal is to leverage the vision and through knowledge of the various constraints provide you with a better product. Ultimately, A good realization is one that takes the constraints, find the benefits in them, and uses them to leverage the vision and create a home that exists in the real world corresponds with the environment and occupants in an optimal and harmonic way. A small apartment is not better or worse than a large apartment. A house on the hill is not superior to a house on a plane. The point is getting the right fit. Fitting the needs, the wishes and the environment.
Work
We will start with an introductory meeting. In this session we will understand with the vision and basic constraints. In most cases, a complete understanding is obtained only after visiting the site.
In the next step plans are sketch and various options are offered. In case of a remodeling project, this step also includes precise and detailed measurement of the apartment. Out of the various options one is chosen for execution. For this option basic plans are drawn and a bill of quantities is put together. These plans are not yet detailed enough to start the work itself, but together with the bill of quantities (which is basically a list of everything needed) it is sufficient for contacting different contractors and suppliers.
Now we can turn to various contractors and craftsmen. I usually recommend contacting around three contractors and invite them for a meeting on site in order to choose the most appropriate one. We will also contact craftsmen that the contractor does not provide such as carpenter, window installer and more...
In parallel we will select materials that are not supplied by the contractor such as flooring, sanitary ware, etc....
Now the entire project is completely clear, detailed work plans can be provided and we can get started with the work on site.
Contractor starts to work. During work there is a strict distinct between work phases that allow for a proper work and proper supervision. Sometimes during work, various issues arise that may require changes in plans, these are mostly minor changes.
Throughout the whole process make sure that everything is done to full customer satisfaction.
The total cost of the project is comprised of the following:
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Contractor (the bulk of the cost)
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Other craftsmen: carpentry, aluminum and more...
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Additional materials: flooring, sanitary...
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Home dressing: Furniture, appliances, etc.
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Architecture
Project cost
Obviously different projects have different costs resulting from the budget and the nature of the project. My added value as an architect is experience and knowledge of the various constraints that help me save you effort and money in the planning stage.
Usually, a rough cost estimate for the whole project may be given at the introductory meeting, while the exact cost will be known only after receiving quotes from the contractors and other craftsmen, and selected all the materials. Sometimes the cost does not fit the budget. In this case we will make changes in order to meet the target budget.
When selecting a contractor It is important to emphasize that the lowest bid is not necessarily the best one as various contractors work to different standards, and work quality and a reliable contractor are also very important.
Adequate supervision over the contractor's work is also important, as it prevents errors in advance and lets us find unexpected issues early on. The rule of thumb is that dealing with problem at a later stage can be ten times more expensive than dealing with the same problem earlier.
Rinat Golomb-Auman, Architect and Interior Designer
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