Services  /  Architecture  /  Interiors  /  Feasibility Study  /  LCC  /  Site Selection

Core of who we are and what we do

Architecture services include the generation and development of all drawings, plans, specifications and schedules necessary to secure a permit,  to secure construction pricing, and to guide construction. Our style derives from our client’s living preferences, personal style, and the surrounding community. Our approach is highly personal and profoundly local. From conceptual design to finished home we make your dreams a reality.

Our six-phase design & construction process

The design process can seem opaque and confusing. Given that most people do only one major project in their lifetime, it's not familiar to most people. In reality, however, the design process is highly structured and quite predictable. ​During the design process, DLD leads you through each step in the process, collaborating on the design of your once-in-a-lifetime dream project, or a practical solution to a nagging problem.

Phase 1
​PreDesign

Oddly enough the first phase in the design process involves no design. As tempting as it is to jump right into design work, it would be premature. Before we explore what your project might look like, we first have to document what your home currently looks like, and whether your budget is aligned with your project.​ As we like to say, first we diagnosis, then we treat.

Phase 2
Schematic Design

With the project priorities established during PreDesign, various design options are now generated. Ideas are broad, first-pass iterations; they are not final ideas or fixed plans. SD layouts are meant to be conceptually evocative. They explore design possibilities, generate new ideas, and require feedback from the homeowner. At the end of this process, there will be a singular design direction determined,

Phase 3
Design Development

Design Development involves further refinement of the design direction established in SD. It is an intense period, with lots of decisions to make. It can be simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting. The enthusiasm that typically accompanies the SD phase now mixes with feelings of being overwhelmed by the breadth of decisions to be made. Hang in there, the work is worth the effort.

Phase 4
Construction Documents

Following Design Development approval, the design process moves to full project documentation. The design still continues to be refined and modified, although in a more subtle and nuanced manner. Unique features, dimensions, and critical details in the project are called out, fully developed, with drawing sheets compiled into a variety of drawing sets each with a specific purpose.
Design Package Comparison Chart
​<<  See a comparison chart summarizing the three Design Packages we offer  >>

Phase 5
Builder Selection

Construction costs are critical, but they are only part of the equation when choosing a builder partner. Builder fit is as important, if not more so, than cost. The builder’s team will be in your house for several months. A builder's ability to communicate effectively, project manage, problem solve, and address issues directly are essential skills that are often undervalued.

Phase 6
Construction Observation

During Construction Observation, DLD serves as your representative during construction. DLD may observe construction to verify that the work being performed is being done accurately, in accordance with the drawings, and is consistent with design intent. Having DLD provide Construction Observation services allows the project's design vision to be integrated into the details of the home seamlessly.​

Let's Start Something!

If you're considering a project and would like to chat about it, we'd love to hear from you. Simply fill out our Contact Form to schedule a FREE initial meeting and we'll take care of the rest