Design/Build recommendations for frame row house?
Would love suggestions for Design/Build firms. We’re looking at a small 3 story frame house where space will be at a premium. The house requires a full rehab and this time around we’re inclined to go with a modern interior aesthetic as there is very little original detail to preserve. I have the names of a few architects and I like their work, but a contractor friend said we might also want to consider going the Design/Build one stop shopping route. Your feedback is appreciated!
snarkolepctic
in Construction 13 years and 6 months ago
7
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7 replies
Jasperrose11 | 13 years and 6 months ago
Worked with Ferris Construction in Brooklyn on a townhouse project, and a project for my Mother. Beautiful work, attention to detail, has designers, I highly recommend them. Call Andrew 917-584-7286.
anon552 | 13 years and 6 months ago
We worked with a design/build contractor and were very pleased. Email me at famdoc at yahoo dot com and I’ll give you his contact info, as well as some insight from our brownstone reno project.
masterbuilder | 13 years and 6 months ago
A different definition of design-build: I have been a design-builder for many years – meaning I design for my clients, and I build for my clients. I work with a number of architects and engineers for DOB filings, who neither design nor build but simply manage the filings. The drawings needed to satisfy the DOB need only be minimalistic. Design drawings for a client on the other hand play a very different role. I find 3D renderings and lots of site-visits to physically shape the space are necessary to turn client vision into a highly-functioning home for clients. The New York definition leans to the packaging as listed above from some of the posters, but is not a universal definition. By my definition it means the architect, who has extremely limited hands-on experience, takes a very limited role while the design sensitive builder takes the principal role with the client. Explore the different approaches and choose what works for you.
dazednconfused2 | 13 years and 6 months ago
Oh, Jock, now you’ve done it! Why I oughtta… Seriously, Jock’s point is valid. There are a lot of people out there calling themselves desig-build because it’s a real buzz-word right now, and it does have it’s pro’s and con’s. The pro’s are that it does have the potential to make the process much smoother and more efficient than a standard architect-contractor relationship, but it does open up the potential for conflicts of interest. We try to address the latter by leaving the construction contract open for competitive bidding right up until the end of the DOB filing process. My contractor knows that he’ll be compared to others, so he keeps his costs honest and competitive. We’ve been working this way for a few years now and I’ve never had a problem in this regard.
jockdeboeraia | 13 years and 6 months ago
Not to piss people off but design build is still not legal in NYS. I have a very good contractor that I work closely with and can take care of your project in a similar manner.
dazednconfused2 | 13 years and 6 months ago
At Urban Pioneering Architecture, we’ve done a number of these type of renovations. We maintain the feel of a traditional brownstone, with the attention to and level of detail which gives these houses their character, but we create open, warm spaces more befitting of modern lifestyles. As a design-build partnership, we approach every project together – architect, contractor, and project manager. Together, we have enough experience to create a proposal that includes everything from design through construction, all the way to DOB close-out and C of O where necessary. This becomes our working budget, and we stick to it. Unless the owner decides to make changes after the proposal is provided, we finish the job according to the numbers therein. Our design-build method means that each job gets a project manager who visits the job at the very beginning when we first write the proposal, also works on the development of the design and does all of the construction drawings. When the job goes to construction, the PM is on site almost every day, providing in depth supervision and being the liason between the office, the job site, the GC and the owner. This approach ensures project continuity throughout the life of the project. It allows us to control costs from the very beginning, even building into the system efficiencies lost in the traditional architect – contractor relationship. The fact that the same person is drawings the details and helping build them in the field means that no information is lost in translation from office to field, eliminating errors and streamlining the construction documentation process. This creates opportunities for savings which we pass directly on to the owner. I am a LEED accredited professional and my team shares my passion for environmentally sustainable products and construction methods. One of our recent projects was named a Brownstoner House of the day: http://bit.ly/vzp45e Thank you, Jim Hill, RA, LEED AP Urban Pioneering Architecture (646) 309-7259
AnArchitect | 13 years and 6 months ago
Hi. We regularly work under a design build format. We’re architects, engineers, and construction managers and would welcome an opportunity to be considered. Please feel free to contact us at any time: Agencie Group, www.agenciegroup.com, Tel: 212-203-0265