Top-Notch Home Design Process in Midcoast Maine
At Spurling Design, our home design process in Midcoast Maine is all about understanding your unique needs. We begin by exploring your vision, lifestyle, budget, and aspirations. To help define these important details, we provide an extensive questionnaire designed to guide you in identifying both your practical needs and personal desires. Whether you’re renovating, adding on, or building new, our process carefully refines each design detail to ensure your dream home is perfected before construction starts.
Our Design Process:
From Concept to Completion
Programming/Predesign
The first step is the programming or predesign phase, a crucial stage where we explore what matters most to you, how we’ll approach your chosen site, and the qualities your spaces should embody. We’ll ask critical questions such as:
- How should the spaces feel?
- How will the design flow as you move through it?
- Where do you want the light to enter, and how will it enhance the atmosphere?
This phase involves reviewing your questionnaire and conducting a site visit. It’s during this time that we’ll assess whether we are a good fit for your project. Spurling Design offers this step for a one-time fixed fee of $800.
Fee Structure
Many architects charge fees as a percentage of the anticipated construction cost. At Spurling Design, we prefer to structure our fees at an hourly rate of $150 per hour. We believe this model is more transparent, offering clients a clearer understanding of costs and potentially saving money in the long run. This approach also encourages efficiency in decision-making.
At the end of each phase, we review our progress and charges with you to ensure that everything is on track. We’ll only move forward with your approval. For projects with a well-defined scope, we may offer a sealant to our fees, which would be based on a percentage of construction costs.
Once the predesign/discovery phase is complete, and we’re aligned on your goals, we will agree on a contract.
Schematic Design
The next phase is schematic design, where Jeri, our seasoned architect, begins to shape your project’s preliminary plans. Her expertise allows her to visualize the final 3D result from the floor plans, but she understands that many clients benefit from 3D renderings to fully grasp the design.
Spurling Design uses a variety of 3D tools to create visualizations suited to each stage of the design process and the level of detail required. Quick 3D sketches are often available early in the schematic phase, thanks to our advanced software, which generates everything in 3D. More detailed options, such as painterly renderings, photo-realistic visuals, and even walk-through or fly-through videos, allow you to explore and modify your design further.
During this stage, you’ll begin to see how your decisions are shaping the project. Often, if the programming phase is thorough, we’ll finalize the basic design quickly and refine specific features. However, there may be a few rounds of revisions to ensure everything aligns with your vision. We will also provide a preliminary cost estimate based on square footage.
Design Development
After finalizing the direction of the schematic design, we move on to design development. In this phase, we begin to add real components and define essential details, such as fixtures, window sizes, and headroom. We work through technical aspects like structure, wall sections, and roof slopes, ensuring the design is practical and buildable.
During this stage, we refine the cost estimate based on actual material selections and adjust it to fit your budget. If necessary, we may suggest alternative materials or design adjustments to bring the project in line with your financial goals while maintaining the integrity of the design.
Permit or Construction Drawings
Next, we prepare the permit or construction drawings. These highly detailed plans provide the necessary information for obtaining permits and obtaining reliable bids from contractors. They will have detailed dimensions and callouts describing the design so that it may be built. Usually included in these drawings are:
- Site Plan
- Demolition Plans (For Renovations)
- Floor Plans
- Elevations
- Sections and Details
- Schedules for Doors, Windows, Finishes, and Fixtures
- Reflected Ceiling Plans
- Framing Plans
These documents guide the construction team through the build process.
Bid Administration
If you intend to send Construction Documents out to a few Contractors for obtaining competitive bids, we help you present the Construction Documents to contractors and field and record all questions submitted by contractors, sending Addenda to Construction Documents to each participating Bidder. We schedule a submission date and time for bids and assist you in evaluating and choosing the best Contractor for you.
If you have already chosen a contractor, this phase will be skipped.
Construction Administration
We recommend retaining Spurling Design through the construction administration phase. Our involvement during construction ensures that the design intent is clearly communicated to the contractor and that your vision is faithfully executed throughout the build process.
Move In!
Finally, it’s time to move in and enjoy your home—fully realized and built to support your lifestyle. Watch your vision come to life in a space designed for comfort, beauty, and lasting function.