So you want to build your own home?

The IONIC Process
Building Dream Homes by Design
How To Get Started?

We begin the design process by sitting down with you to discuss your lifestyle and how you will live in your new home. For instance, do you do a lot of entertaining? Do you enjoy theater sitting for movie watching? Are the outdoor living spaces a high priority? How many bedrooms? Are you big into cooking? Exercise? All of these things help us to formulate a home....which is far more than just a house.

Once we understand what your needs are, we will begin the preliminary design process. First, IONIC will create a preliminary floor plan and site plan for your consideration and feedback. This first step represents a large portion of the creative design time to create a customized, thoughtful and functioning plan that may require as much as 8-10 weeks. We also begin the three dimensional massing of the home during this period to insure everything fits aesthetically on the outside as well. Once the preliminary plans are tweaked, based on your comments and feedback, IONIC will move on to CAD drawings and design development.

As drawings proceed, IONIC will then begin meeting with you to discuss preliminary selections and finishes for your home. Our interiors designer will prepare a comprehensive package for your review, inclusive of all selections such as hardware, plumbing, tile, appliances and lighting. We will include color photos of all selections to best convey the essence of our design direction, including vignettes of individual rooms with selections juxtaposed to help you visualize final results.

An important aspect of construction documents are the specifications, which detail the written word of the "sticks and bricks" methods of construction. A complete set of specifications, inclusive of all selections, will be prepared and presented with each design revision. These specifications are progressing to completeness as each of the design phases develop further with more detail. A significant amount of design time is dedicated to selection specificity prior to construction. Only larger scope areas of improvement, such as landscaping or audio/visual, may be reflected as allowances. Even so, our company will lead the conversation with consultants and contractors with supervised management during construction.

Together with the plans and selections and specifications, if requested, IONIC will also prepare an estimate of cost. This cost estimates will be a well studied estimate, based first on preliminary plans and specifications, and updated with each presentation of revised drawings and selections. Unless there are major changes to the overall scope of the project, we can expect that the preliminary cost that we provide at the beginning of design will be very consistent with the final cost at the completion of construction documents. This would only change if the scope changes or selection of materials and finishes become different in quality or quantity.

The entire creative process requires anywhere from 6 to 8 months, depending on how extensive the level of customization and the scope of project. Yes, that is right. It takes a long time to do a fine project. We want to be as thorough as possible because this is YOUR DREAM, and we want to do it right.

Our customers choose IONIC not only for the high level of detail and quality that is evident in our work, but also for our unique process of creating a custom home that truly sets us apart from other architects.

Where Art and Architecture Come Together
D. Eugene Thompson, AIA
Ionic DeZign Studios, Inc.

www.ionicdezigns.com

 

http://www.ionicdezigns.com/homeArama.html