At Grisafe Architecture, we employ a five-stage process in our architectural design. This is a fairly typical process you’ll find with many architects in and around Long Beach. However, the difference is the manner in which these processes are practiced. The best architects in Long Beach deliver a highly personalized client experience throughout the process.
The five-stage process we follow at Grisafe Architecture is as follows:
Schematic Design
This first phase is arguably the most important one in the process. This is when the large-scale decisions are made, such as spatial requirements and the general style of the home or building. In this phase, our firm will ask our clients many questions to get a good idea of how the space will be used, what type of look and feel they want in the space, and any special considerations we should keep in mind.
Our firm takes all of the information we receive from our clients and produces concepts that solve the clients’ specific wants and needs. Clients get the chance to review multiple concepts before initial plans are submitted to the city for a preliminary code review. By the end of this phase, they will have a good sense of the general floor plans and the building elevations.
Design Development
In this phase, the architect and the client begin to hammer out the finer details of the project. The best concept from the Schematic Design phase is selected and is then developed to a point where the design intent can be communicated to both the client and the city, and a rough budget is established. At the end of this phase, the resulting plans will be sent to a structural engineer.
Construction Documentation
This phase is where the architect creates the formal design document that directs construction. It specifies the details of the final design for approvals and firms up budget costs.
Approval & Bidding
Once the preliminary construction documents are complete, it’s time to obtain official approvals from municipal and other authorities. Plans are submitted and any required revisions are made by the architecture firm. Approvals can take several months, depending on the complexity of the project, and whether or not it needs any special approvals, like in the case of historic properties or those that fall under the jurisdiction of the Coastal Commission.
After all relevant approvals are received, the project goes through the competitive bidding process from qualified contractors, the client reviews the bids received from various contractors, and ultimately, a contractor is awarded the project.
Construction Administration
In this final phase, the architect, the contractor, and all sub-contractors will collaborate to ensure the project is built according to the plans, and is completed on time and within the stated budget. Some clients prefer to let their general contractor handle all of the construction details. However, many of Grisafe Architecture’s clients ask our firm to stay involved all the way through the project’s completion.
Throughout the entire five-stage process, the team at Grisafe Architecture maintains regular communication with our clients. We allow them to be as involved as they want to be in the process and listen carefully to their needs, ideas, and concerns. We navigate the complex approval process on their behalf and help them achieve their desired results by seeing things through to the end.
