Frequently Asked Questions

---

We specialize in designing high-end residential, multi-family, and commercial projects. Our team has experience designing in the Black Hills and surrounding region for the last twelve years. We are certainly seeing a shifting trend over the past 2-3 years of more high-end custom homes and clients look for more affordable options and investment opportunities outside of Montana and Colorado.

Our design process first and foremost starts with our client. Listening to their vision, their inspiration, needs, budget, and schedule are just a few pieces of critical information that we use to begin the design process. Once we have the detailed defined, we move into the traditional design process that begins with schematic design (SD). 

There are four industry standard design phases.

Schematic Design (SD)

-Schematic design is the area of widest exploration where we take all of the information that we have gathered and synthesize it into a preliminary design concept. At this phase we will study all the factors of your site such as solar orientation, topography, wind direction, acoustics, privacy, and program. Additionally, we will study a variety of massing and design concepts with you to help visualize your home before we move into the following design phases. Schematic design can vary wildly from client to client based upon our starting point and timeline of the project. At the end of SD, our goal is to have one design that we are refining in the next phase.

Design Development (DD)

-During the design development phase, we will take a deeper dive into the details or the project such as materiality, spatial layout, adjacency, and an early development of the project assemblies. We will also engage our consultant team along with recommendations of General Contractors to build your project. By the end of the DD phase, we will have a final design and budget of the project which will be carried into the CD phase.

Construction Documents (CD)

-The Construction Document phase is the part of the project where we are building the physical plans (blueprints) that our General Contractor will use the build the project on site. This phase is heavily focused on coordination with our consultant team so that we can produce a high-quality set of drawings and details for your home. 

Construction Administration (CA)

-The Construction Administration phase is where the General Contractor is building your project on site. Our primary role in this phase is to visit the site at regular intervals to ensure the project is being built in conformance with the drawings.

This is a great question that can and should vary significantly depending on the client. A good rule of thumb is 6-9 months from start to finish. The variation in timeline comes from a number of factors such as complexity of design, size of the project, current workload, pricing timelines, and many more. Locally, contractor schedule and "building season" also play a role in when we as a team decide to complete the drawings

Fee's will always vary depending upon the complexity of the project, scope, specialty consultants, timeline, and construction type. A good rule of thumb is between 7% and 10% of the construction cost. From this percentage, we as the architect hire all other consultants such as the structural engineer, mechanical & electrical engineers, and civil engineer.

This depends on the comfort level of your General Contactor. It's extremely rare to find a perfect set of plans where a client doesn't want to make any changes. These plans are typically designed and engineered as shown and changes can end up costing a significant amount to accomplish. Always consult with your builder before purchasing.

Absolutely! The builder of your home or commercial project is one of the most important decisions of the entire process. We have a great working relationship and experience with many local contractors in the area whom we can suggest for your project.

Construction prices have risen steadily over the past 5-years and are just recently beginning to level out to a fairly predictable level. Home prices will depend upon scale, quality, and complexity. The low end of design will be approximately $350 per square foot for a basic level design, and $650-$700 per square foot for a high-end modern home.