Frequently asked Questions & Answers

What process will you use to gather information?
As the first step toward understanding the full scope of your needs, we ask that you complete a questionnaire which we will go over at a programming meeting. We talk through all of the ideas you may have for improvements, images collected on websites like Houzz or Pinterest, or magazine clippings, personal photos, and other notes, sketches, or images you have for your project. We discuss your overall goals and specific functional and aesthetic issues. We coordinate which technical information will be provided by the architect and which will be your responsibility - clients typically provide plot plans or surveys, septic plans, and other relevant existing building and site information.

How do you approach most projects?
We often approach a project as a site planning as well as an architectural design project.  Issues of solar and wind orientations, the front-drive, entrance, and relationship of decks and terraces to the house and yard, are important site and landscaping problems that often need to be addressed globally, before delving into specifics of new construction. We recommend a review of your overall master planning and future design goals, to ensure that the designs we suggest will not preclude any future additions or upgrades to the house or grounds. For example, a client who may be considering adding a pool in the future, we should keep that in mind with the location of terraces, decks, wells, and septic systems as well as any future architectural expansions.

How will you establish priorities and make decisions?
The priorities for the project are based directly on your own needs and preferences and are established at the outset to ensure the compatibility of our mutual goals. We set specific objectives at the beginning of the project and then reassess them as we progress through the work. Our decisions are based on what we understand your needs to be, and our professional expertise on certain technical and aesthetic issues. No final decision on design, budget, or schedule is made without your review and approval.

Will we be dealing with the same person from your firm for the entire project? And what is that person’s name?
Shannon Scarlett will be providing both design and management services for the entirety of your project. Timothy Scarlett is available to assist back in the office with occasional design and technical issues, to help analyze any unusual or complex situations which may arise, or as needed to meet deadlines, but otherwise, you will be dealing directly with Shannon.

What type of project do you personally enjoy most?
Our design strength is in creating architecture that is regionally appropriate, yet contemporary in style. We are less concerned with project scale than design potential. We enjoy renovations and additions where the client is looking to customize a house to better meet their contemporary tastes and family needs, without creating a building that is jarringly out of context with the existing house or its neighbors. What we enjoy the most about new construction is the ability to totally customize it to meet a client’s aesthetic and efficiency requirements.

How busy are you currently, and over the next 12 months?
The workload in the office is always changing, so the addition of new projects will depend on how full our schedule is. We generally have at least a couple of projects in the design phase at any one time, and a couple more at varying stages of completion/ construction. Because every project has client design review periods and other timing delays (zoning/historic/wetlands commission processes…), we use those down times to alternate between projects. When there is the occasional schedule conflict, we just have to work extra hours as needed to get it all done. In determining how your project will fit into our upcoming workload, the specifics of the project, and flexibility in your schedule, will be factored into if and how we can take on the additional work. We are careful to plan ahead so that no project or client is underserved because a workload is heavier than the office can reasonably handle. Even if we are currently busy we can often take on new work if your schedule has some flexibility. So please email or give us a call to find out if we can help you!

What makes you different from other architects?
We feel that our design talents extend beyond the making of beautiful spaces, to an ability to innovate under constraints and translate seemingly conflicting client needs into an efficient, functioning plan. Unfortunately, it seems to be the exception among architects to find one who truly listens to the client’s specific ideas for the project, and to the more subtle inferences of how they actually live in their home. Unlike some other architects and designers who prefer their clients ‘stay at an arm’s length’ from their artistic creation, we welcome client involvement. We enjoy—and seem to be best at—design challenges that bring different issues and ideas into a clear and comprehensive whole.

What is your fee structure, and what is it based on?
Because each client and project is unique, we customize the fees for each project. We adjust the scope of our services to meet budget restraints and to accommodate the level of personal service desired by the particular client. Both industry standards and our past experience have shown standard full-service fees for renovation/ addition projects can range broadly, but tend to fall between 10 to 15% of the construction cost. New construction is generally closer to 8 to 12%. (Costs are often higher for renovations because new projects are typically less complex, which is particularly true for the construction phase as well.) The design complexity, and level of detail required, determine where in the range your project costs might fall.

Our position as a small firm with lower overhead expenses allows us to offer more reasonable fees than some of the larger design firms. While we strive to keep our fees low, we feel it is important to provide our clients a sound and attentive service and require a minimum fee to effectively provide a thorough job.

Specifically, how will you determine the fee for our project?
There are basically three ways that we work with clients.

First, the most common service option we offer is the traditional full architectural services, including the design of an overall concept, refinement of details, contract documents (blueprints and specs), and on-site administration of the construction.

Second, in certain circumstances, we can break out specific phases of a project and charge for those on a scope of work basis—occasionally design only, or design and construction drawings phase where the owner supervises building process, with minimal architect involvement during construction. (The partial service option is applied in a case-by-case situation, as it is less than ideal for many projects.)

Third, we can work hourly, which is the best alternative for short-term consultation, master planning, defining complex projects to determine the scope of work, zoning board or historic commission applications, design reviews, etc.    

What is your design process?
Our design process, like most architects, typically involves five phases - 

1)  Programming: This involves sitting down for a couple of hours going over the exact details of what you want the project to achieve, and how you prefer to live in your house. This is also when we sort through magazine clippings, books, etc.—yours and ours—to feel out a desired character for the building 

2)  Schematic/ Preliminary Design: From the programming session, we take everything back to the office and begin to brainstorm ideas. We then meet to review two or three different schematic design options that explore a range of possible solutions for the project. We then either select a basic scheme and begin to refine it, or we combine elements of the various schemes into a composite scheme.

3)  Design Development: The refinements to the preliminary design are worked out— the materials selected, dimensions, and details are finalized.

4)  Contract Documents: Working drawings, specifications, and details are reviewed for a final time and drawn up as a set of final construction documents. These documents are then submitted to the contractor for bids or contract negotiation. They are also the permit set.

5) Construction Administration: Weekly, or as needed, site visits provide the architect an opportunity to review the building construction and answer questions the builder might have, hopefully before problems arise or develop.

How do you organize the process?
We tailor each plan to both meet the specific requirements of the individual project and cover the major issues relevant to all projects. We can set up a project notebook for the project if you need help keeping all important documents together and easily accessible.  We also believe that clear and continuous communication between the various project members is essential to the smooth handling of the project—from planning through construction.

What will we be expected to provide in the process?
You will be responsible for providing information on a variety of topics—from outlining program/ listing space needs requirements, to supplying surveys, plot plans, and other documents you might have, or can get from Town Hall,  defining budget and schedule constraints, and contracting with a builder. You will also be responsible for making decisions, within a reasonable time frame, and asking questions as they arise throughout the design process, confirming that the final design will meet all of your needs.

What is your design philosophy?
Creativity in design is a process of searching for answers- some solutions are immediately apparent, other times it requires an evolution of ideas before finding the answer. Revelations might come from arduous exploration at the drafting board, a phone conversation with a client, an afternoon walk, a dream, or even a child’s observation.  We believe that the best architectural designs emerge from the specific issues and constraints of the individual project: They are expressive of their time without being trendy, and they offer multiple uses and meanings for many different people.

What has been your experience/ track record with cost estimating?
Architects as a rule are not strong at cost estimating. Because costs are affected by so many outside factors, we prefer to leave detailed estimating to a professional. We strongly recommend an early review of the project (end of master plan or schematic design phase) with a local builder, who can estimate price ranges before the project gets too far along. They cannot fix a precise number to your project until a specific scope of work has been outlined, however, we can begin to feel out a ballpark estimate in the schematic design phase. We can also work with your builder early in the process as a way of pinpointing what they see as high-cost items or design alternatives that might reduce costs.

What will you use to communicate the design to us during the project?
Typically, we communicate each element of the design of the project through loose plan and elevation sketches, and perspective views, with the intent of keeping you fully aware of exactly what the design looks like as it develops. We have developed a very quick way of generating multiple detailed interior sketches, with furniture, which most clients have found very helpful. Colored renderings, perspectives, computer-rendered walk-throughs, and detailed models may be more instrumental in getting certain design ideas across. While these are not part of our basic services, they may be requested as an additional service if you feel they would better clarify a complex design before moving to construction documents.

If there are changes to the scope during the project, will there be additional fees? How will you communicate these scope changes to us, and justify any additional fees?
Scope changes on a project can vary widely, from a minimal change to bring a project on budget, to extensive redesigning to accommodate a client’s changing priorities. For small changes, there is generally no additional fee. There are instances where additional fees would be requested: changes which affect fees are generally an expansion of the project by the client (i.e. “while were spending money we might as well remodel the bathroom, replace the cabinets, or add new lighting…”), or unforeseen conditions which require alternate design solutions. Both parties review the need for the additional work, then an appropriate fee for the work is assessed - generally on an hourly basis. Any changes in fee would be agreed upon in advance of the performance of services.

What services will you provide during the construction phase of the project?
Traditional services for the construction phase of the project which we would provide include:         

Bidding/ negotiation: including review of potential bidders, issuing of documents, answering contractor’s questions/ providing clarification, and an add alternate package, if needed, to bring the project in on budget.    

Construction administration: including site visits during ongoing construction, shop drawing reviews, as needed, progress reports, review of payment requisitions, and a punch list inspection.

How long does it take to complete each phase of a project for both design and construction?
Project schedules can range from 3 weeks to over a year, depending on the type of project and your desired time frame for completing the work. To address the issue of schedule it is important to understand that all projects are based on three factors; quality, cost, and schedule, each one directly affecting another. For any two of the factors to meet all of your requirements, the third must be compromised. If the schedule is based on a critical date or event, then either the cost of the project will increase, or the overall precision of the design will have to be adjusted.

If there is flexibility in the schedule, then design quality and price can be more easily established. As with any project, it is preferable to establish the major goals and have a big picture before delving into the specifics of the project. If you are considering a compressed schedule to meet a specific bid date, keep in mind that what will be compressed is your review time in exploring your design options to the fullest. Construction scheduling is dependent on several factors which we are unable to control. The actual construction timetables are typically established after the total scope of work is defined, and may be based on the work schedule of your preferred contractor.

What is your educational background, and what professional designations you have earned?

Shannon Scarlett and Timothy Scarlett both received Bachelor of Architecture degrees from the University of Oregon. We are both registered in Massachusetts and were active members of the BSA, the Boston chapter of the AIA.  We have received several design awards for national and local competitions. Shannon has been a juror on competitions and a critic for architectural design studios.