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Peter G.

Hendrickson
ARCHITECT AIA
LEED Accredited Professional
2171 Rivera Drive
Santa Rosa, CA 95!9
"o#ile 7!7 2$5%$1&9
Evenin' 7!7 5$9%&&1$
(eter)*endric+son,s#c'lo#al)net
Who needs an architect?
Anyone looking to build, add to, or renovate any type of building needs an
Architect. There are many benefits to having an Architect involved in your project.
You have a vision of what you want. Now you need to make that vision a reality.
Here's How An Architect Can Assist You:
Architects can save you money.
An Architect's services are a wise investment for the money, not an added cost to
your project, because a wellconceived and designed project can be built more
efficiently and economically and increase your property value. Architects avoid
oversi!ed rooms and wasted space and can help you select materials within your
budget and at a fair price. Architects can reduce building costs, decrease your
home's energy needs, and increase its future resale value through good design.
"aving a single, complete set of architectural drawings to present to a number of
prospective contractors allows you to choose among comparable bids bids that
are based on the same e#pectations. $hen the contractor knows at the start
what will be built and when the client has taken time to plan carefully, costly
delays and change orders during construction are minimi!ed.
Architects can make your life easier.
%uilding is a long process that is often messy and disruptive. Your Architect
represents you, not the contractors. Your Architect looks out for your interests
and smoothes the process, helps find &ualified construction contractors, and
visits the worksite to help protect you against work that's not according to plan.
Architects solve problems.
'ew people reali!e how complicated a project isthat is until they find
themselves lost in the ma!e of design options, building codes, !oning laws,
contractors, and so on. The Architect is the one professional who has the
education, training, e#perience, and vision to guide you through the entire design
and construction process, from helping you define what you want to build to
helping you get the most for your construction dollar.
Architects ee the !i" #icture
Architects are educated to assist you in defining what you want to build, present
options you might never have considered, and help you get the most for your
valuable investment. They don't just design four walls and a roof they create
total environments, both interiors and e#teriors, that are functional and e#citing
places in which to work and live. %y working directly with you and assessing your
re&uirements in great depth, the Architect tailors the design to suit your
personality, needs, budget and lifestyle. An Architect's knowledge of site
planning and natural energy processes (the influence of wind and sun on the
building, groundwater flow, etc.) helps accommodate your project to the site
characteristics and neighborhood conte#t. The design aesthetic of the project is
perhaps the most obvious area in which an Architect makes a uni&ue and
valuable contribution, creating a visually appealing place with pleasing character
and style. *ltimately, your property's value is increased through appropriate
design, improved functionality and high&uality detailing.
Architects $ranslate Your Wishes into #lans for Construction
+ach building has a special history, every site has unusual conditions, and every
client has uni&ue goals, desires and re&uirements. The Architect seeks a design
solution that unites all of these and reflects your uni&ue personality and style of
living or working. Your hopes and dreams for your project may be vague and
abstract, and are usually e#pressed in words. The Architect works with you to
translate them into drawings and specifications that are a visual and detailed
technical prescription for construction. The goal is for you, your Architect, and
your builder to share the same, very specific e#pectations about materials,
&uality, workmanship and other outcomes.
Architects Help %ake ure the #ro&ect is 'Code Compliant'
%oth the town and state in which the project is located have regulations that
govern your project. An Architect should be aware of them and help make sure
that your project satisfies them. ,oning regulations, which are published by each
town and vary from one town to another, concern the building's use, si!e,
relationship to the site and parking. %uilding codes are published by the state and
address how buildings are to be constructed, dictating, for e#ample, door si!es
and materials, window si!es and locations, structural lumber si!es, and stair and
hallway dimensions. A special section of the code ensures access to public
buildings for people with disabilities- it dictates re&uirements for bathrooms,
kitchens, ramps and other building elements. The Architect's documents are
submitted to your town in order to obtain a building permit so construction can
begin- they are used by the town building inspector to determine that the project
will meet local re&uirements.
Architects Coordinate the Work of Consultants
The Architect coordinates the work of specialty consultants your project may require,
including structural, electrical and mechanical (heating, plumbing, air conditioning), and
civil (drainage and site utilities) engineers.
Architects Help You ecure a !uilder
The Architect can help you through the process of selecting a contractor through
competitive bidding. About half the cost of any construction is labor and the other half
materials. Since labor costs vary according to skill, experience and the contractor's
overhead, competitive bidding allows you to select a contractor on the basis of cost and
schedule as well as reputation and approach.
Architects Administer the Construction Contract
The Architect brings an e#perienced and balanced perspective to the project
during construction. The Architect serves as your advocate, working to be sure
the project is built as it was designed and specified. The Architect analy!es and
helps you make decisions about .change orders., which could affect your
project's costs. /hange orders are any changes proposed by the client or the
contractor or changes re&uired to address conditions that could not have been
foreseen. 'inally, the Architect authori!es payment to your builder, giving you
added assurance that both you and your Architect are satisfied with the builder's
performance and product. 0ome clients prefer not to involve the Architect during
the construction phase (perhaps to save money)- however, by keeping the
Architect involved through construction, you will have an important advocate and
an important perspective on the progress of the job.
$hether you are remodeling, adding on, or building from scratch, the Architect
can guide the way. $orking with contractors and other construction
professionals, Architects can help you end up with a welldesigned project that
meets your needs and works with your budget and time frame. 1ake your vision
become a reality2 0peak with an Architect who is a member of The American
3nstitute of Architects (A3A) at the earliest stage of the design process.
A()*A+) *A$) ,-* A*CH.$)C$/*A0 )*(.C)
Architects typically charge for their services
in one of three ways:
4 "ourly
4 /ost per s&uare foot
4 5ercentage of construction cost
'or residential remodels the most common method is hourly.
Architectural hourly fees range from 678 to 698: per hour. 0ervices involved
in a remodel include field measurement of e#isting conditions, concept
development, development of design details and structural issues and
construction document production. The time re&uired to complete this process
will vary depending on the si!e of the project and the time the /lient takes to
decide upon and select among the options presented by the Architect. Additions
to homes that include new master suites or kitchens can take from between 7: to
98: hours depending on the goals of the client.
The cost per square foot method is less commonly used. 3t does not work well
with remodeling projects and is most often used in the design of custom homes.
3t assesses a fee based on the s&uare foot measure of the largest concept
presented to the /lient. ;enerally, this method limits revisions to a specific
number, generally three, and if the /lient desires further revisions, the Architect
will bill on an hourly basis. 'ees range from 6< to 68 per s&uare foot for concept
development and 69 to 6= per s&uare foot for construction document production.
Fees based on a percentage of construction cost is most commonly used in
large commercial projects. 3t is difficult to gauge construction cost ahead of time
for residential remodels or custom homes. 0uch fees can range from >? to
98?.

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