The design and building industry conjures up mental images that can range from lofty corner offices with artfully placed bamboo to diesel trucks and hard hats. In our world, the images creating a divide between the design and building teams fall away and are replaced by a deeply rooted common thread–intense caring for our mutual clients.
In practical terms, this kind of caring means the architectural team works hand in hand with builders for a seamless, profitable and even fun experience for everyone. No egos–just complimentary professions working together to best meet the client’s needs.
TOP 3 BENEFITS OF A TIGHTLY KNIT PROJECT TEAM:
- Fewer surprises. We’ve found clients are rarely excited about surprises unless it’s how much money they’re saving (or cookies).
- An inclusive approach to planning and design means seeing the project through a different set of lenses. Understanding the project from every angle saves the entire project team (including the client) time and money.
- A team approach necessitates flexibility and humility. Approaching each project with a spirit of willingness yields strong relationships that continue long after the project’s completion. And that’s what it’s all about, right?
Project team at the ECLIPTIC at Sunriver
SURPRISES ARE BORN IN A VACUUM
It sounds like a science project, but unpleasant surprises result from the planning and design phase happening in a vacuum. From the early pre-planning stages to project completion–the best work results from transparency, open communication and a relationship-centered approach with the entire project team.
Our work begins by determining a project’s feasibility and providing a comprehensive cost analysis. Lenity Architecture’s in-house land use and zoning specialists determine up-front any potential system development charges and building permits. We put our pencils to work and help clients determine how a property or space will accommodate an existing program or a brilliant new idea.
By working together with the broker, contractor and developer through the early pre-planning stages, we’re demonstrating a vested interest in the project. Just like the client, we are taking on a measured element of risk at the beginning–but a shared commitment to the project yields returning clients and deep mutual trust and respect.
“Being involved early in the design process allows us to budget an idea. As a builder, there is nothing more rewarding than working side by side with the owner and architect to see a cocktail napkin sketch through to building completion. If there is a time to save money, it’s early in the design process before dollars are spent on documents. When everyone on the project team is committed to this process, we can typically make it work from a budget standpoint. We recently went through this process on a project and by working through the early pre-planning phase as a team, we were able to reduce project costs by 30% from initial budget to working budget/completed design.” –Gary North, R&H Construction
PLAN DESIGN AND BUILD TO PUT THE CLIENT FIRST
Putting the client’s needs first doesn’t always equate to a wall of design awards–but the glossiest of portfolios can’t build relationships.
From the early pre-planning phases, we work with the project team to evaluate how the project’s aesthetics impact the owner and tenant’s immediate and long-term costs. We consider usability, material lifetimes, and cost effective energy conservation measures. Exercising flexibility and humility with the contractor and developer doesn’t always mean compromise–it’s simply the ability to see the project through their eyes to arrive at the best results for the client.
Did you know the word “lenity” literally means the quality of being mild or gentle towards others? At Lenity Architecture, we strive to live up to our name and have found that a spirit of willingness, enthusiasm and respect are powerful drivers of long-term success. Decades of experience have taught us that regardless of the project size or complexity, there is great reward in seeing it through as a team.