Design

Building a Deck - Planning

RenovateDSM — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:21:21 -0700

In order to legally construct a deck, you have to get a building permit. As long as standard construction practices are adhered to and you aren't trying to do anything too "out of the ordinary," you will most likely be allowed to prepare your own permit drawings. You may find, however, that it pays to take advantage of the experience, design talent, and drawing skills of a professional to prepare your drawings.

Renovation Design

RenovateDSM — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:39:12 -0700

If you intend on hiring a design professional to prepare drawings for your renovation project, you should hire this person as early in the process as possible. Some design professionals will be willing to assist in evaluating potential properties, but others prefer to wait until you have a property under contract before committing their time.

Not all renovation projects require professionally prepared drawings. However, a design professional provides more than just drafting skills. The design professinal’s job is to help you through the daunting and sometimes frustrating decision-making process by suggesting proposed solutions and providing insight into potential problems. This is why the one you select should be experienced in your type of renovation project - ask for references and a portfolio of similar projects. There are issues specific to renovation that an design professional who specializes in commercial construction will not necessarily be familiar with.

Renovation Design Process

RenovateDSM — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:27:56 -0700

Design services are typically broken down into the following phases: predesign, schematic design, design development, and construction documents. These phases, while somewhat fluid, proceed in a relatively straight line. Larger decisions and issues that affect the project as a whole are dealt with in the initial phases and grow increasingly detailed as it progresses.

Predesign

Selecting a Design Professional

RenovateDSM — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 15:15:36 -0700

In no particular order, here are some key things to look for as you select a design professional for your renovation project. You should decide on the relative priority of these issues before interviewing designers.

Experience with your project type – Design professionals that focus on new commercial development may not have the specific expertise to take on a historic renovation.

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Construction Documents

RenovateDSM — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 20:11:26 -0700

The construction documents serve as the primary means of communication between the design professional, plan reviewer, inspectors, and contractors. They consist of a series of drawings and text that describe in detail the work to be performed on your building. The drawing and text are composed on sheets of paper, usually 24" by 36" and bound into "sets" that can be distributed to the people involved in your project. For some types of projects and in some situations, the City of Des Moines requires construction documents to be prepared and stamped by a licensed architect.

Architects and Design Professionals

RenovateDSM — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 20:03:41 -0700

In order to use the "architect" title, a designer must have a professional degree, have completed a supervised internship, and have passed a series of tests. However, not every renovation project legally requires the participation of a registered architect, and not every architect is an expert in renovation design. For the purposes of this section, the term "design professional" refers to both registered architects and non-registered renovation designers.