The process
A long, careful interview. Three real plan options. One architect, all the way through.
Most architecture firms hand you off after concept design. Brendan doesn't. The engagement is built around three phases — discovery, design, construction support — and the same architect runs all three.
01
Discovery interview.
Several hours, no design yet
The engagement starts with a long conversation. Not a quick brief — a full interview about how you live, how you want to live, the lot, the neighborhood, and the constraints. It's detailed enough that clients regularly call it the most thoughtful interview they've ever experienced. Down to the temperature you sleep at.
The output is a written design brief that the rest of the project answers to. Nothing gets drawn until this is right.
The process began with one of the most detailed and thoughtful interviews we've ever experienced.
02
Three real floor plans.
Plan studies, then refinement
You get three stunning, distinct floor plans. Each is a complete design study, not a rough sketch. The point is to pressure-test the brief against the lot in three different ways so you can see what trade-offs you're actually making.
Once you choose the favorite, refinement is fast. Materials, lighting, kitchen and bath finishes, site work, exterior detailing. Construction documents follow.
He then presented us with three stunning and distinct floor plans, each thoughtfully designed.
03
Construction support.
Permits, engineers, contractors
Brendan handles permits, finds the engineers, and coordinates with your contractor. Site visits are routine, not a special event. Questions from the builder get answered fast — usually same-day — which keeps the build moving and prevents small unknowns from becoming change orders.
The architect of record stays through final walk-through. The relationship usually keeps going from there.
He handled the complexities with such skill that we rarely felt the usual stress that comes with building a one-of-a-kind home.
Before the first call
What to have ready.
- — Parcel address. Even a rough one. We'll pull the lot before the first conversation.
- — Photos. Phone shots are fine. Standing on the lot facing each direction works.
- — A paragraph or two. What you're imagining. Bedrooms, scale, vibe, must-haves. Imperfect is fine.
- — Rough timeline. Are you breaking ground next year, or three years out? It changes how we sequence the work.
Ready when you are
Ready for the discovery conversation?
Send a few photos of your lot, the parcel address, and what you're imagining. We'll set up time from there.