How We Work

Pre-Design services are helpful for a client who is trying to determine how and when to proceed with a specific project. Project activities vary greatly during this phase but might include:

• Master Planning: For clients that own property capable of accommodating multiple projects, SOA guides them through the process of Master Planning to determine an overall long range plan and identify ways to incrementally implement it. Campuses, parks, and larger commercial developments benefit from this level of service.
• Site Assessments: A client who is considering multiple properties or whether a particular property is appropriate for their intended use may turn to SOA to formally assess whether the site is suitable for their development, offers sufficient space, is properly zoned and offers the required infrastructure. Many other factors may be considered during site assessment.
• Needs Assessments: Clients who own existing property often seek assistance in assessing their facilities to determine what level of renovation or remodel may be required to meet their current needs and future goals. In addition to reorganization of the space to better align work flow and organizational structure, in most cases, we assess the facility to identify code and accessibility deficiencies, as well as deferred maintenance issues that have the potential to substantially impact the scope and budget of a project.
• Feasibility Studies: Since financial risks and rewards drive most projects, clients bring ideas to SOA for us to develop to a level that allows us to identify an appropriate construction budget and assist them in creating an overall project budget. In some cases, the outcome of a feasibility study is a reduction in scope to meet maximum funds available; while in other cases, a client may accept a higher budget in order to meet their original vision, needs, and goals.

Schematic Design (SD) is the first phase of “Basic Services” and the initiation of the project in terms of broad goals and large concepts. Client involvement is very high as many ideas will be brought up, discussed, reviewed, and refined. Throughout the SD phase, the needs and goals of the client will be re-evaluated in connection with how they will best develop into real spaces. As the project is visualized through sketches, models, and inspiration images, clients can quickly get an idea of how their project will start to look.

Schematic Design work takes place in four basic realms:

• Spatial Relationships: SOA utilizes the client’s Program and begins to give it shape by experimenting with space layouts and volumetric relationships. Multiple options are prepared for a client to review until a basic building floorplan is reached. To communicate design ideas, SOA uses a variety of tools ranging from loose hand sketches to a BIM (Building Information Model) that allows us to produce more realistic 3D images for consideration.
• Level of Sustainability: SOA educates the client on possible sustainable approaches, allows them to decide how ‘green’ to go and begins to integrate sustainable features into the design.
• Aesthetic Vision: SOA gathers images of other projects that align with a client’s aesthetic preferences and develops a “Vision Tour.” In this exercise the architect, interior designer, and client review a variety of images and create a visual vocabulary to help inspire and guide the look and feel of both interior and exterior building spaces.
• Cost Estimating: By using unit-cost data, SOA prepares a rough cost estimate to determine whether or not the design direction aligns with the client’s budget. While some schematic designs may indicate a change in scope is necessary, it is always important to refer back to the original Program to ensure the project stays within the guidelines of needs, goals, and budget requirements.

At conclusion of Schematic Design, the client formally approves the general look and feel of the design, the floor plan, and the construction budget, allowing SOA to proceed with the next phase: Design Development.

During the second phase of Basic Services, Design Development (DD), SOA hones the conceptual ideas from Schematic Design into realistic and tangible possibilities. Client involvement continues to be high as DD often unearths a myriad of considerations that must be prioritized in order to make selections and keep the project on track. During this part of the process all building components are evaluated for their practicality and execution, requiring extensive product research, and logistics evaluation. Materials for the exterior and interior are assessed for their aesthetic qualities, durability, and price. SOA involves our engineering consultants to begin integrating their systems into the design and the BIM (Building Information Model). Depending on the project scope, the following potential consultants may be part of the project team:

• Civil Engineer
• Landscape Architect
• Structural Engineer
• Mechanical / Electrical / Plumbing / Fire Protection Engineer
• Acoustical Engineer
• Building Envelope Consultant
• Elevator Consultant

As the entire team collaborates, the BIM adjusts and evolves to accommodate the necessary systems and conforms to building codes and municipality regulations. At the end of this phase, the client will formally approve the results of the integrated design allowing the SOA team to proceed with the next phase, Construction Documents.

Once the design is set and the engineering systems are confirmed, SOA’s team proceeds into Construction Documents (CD). This third phase of “Basic Services” involves the creation of multiple technical documents that show the final decisions made from the previous phases of Programming, Schematic Design, and Design Development. SOA continues to develop the BIM, focusing on integrating the more technical aspects of engineering and architectural design. At this time the client’s involvement tapers off.

Construction Documents includes creation of both graphic illustrations (drawings) and technically composed writings (specifications) to serve multiple purposes:

• A contractor’s technical guide to meet the client’s design intentions
• The basis for contractor bids
• The centerpiece of the contract for construction and the authority on all future matters that arise during construction
• The project’s code and regulation conformance to obtain a building permit

At conclusion of Construction Documents, the client’s approval of the completed drawings and specifications allows submission to the permitting authority as well as distribution to contractors interested in bidding on the project.

The fourth phase of “Basic Services,” Bidding & Negotiations (BN), is a short but crucial step in the project process as the result pairs a client with a construction company to get the design from concept to reality.

BN is initiated by the reproduction and disbursement of the Construction Documents to qualified construction companies who review the set of documents and submit their qualifications and price to build the project. Contractors compete against one another to balance quality, service, and price and they rely on the design team to assist them in interpreting the documents to make sure that they understand the design intent. If a change needs to be made to the documents during this phase, the design team issues an addendum to the Construction Documents.

Once the bids are received, the architect assists the client in analyzing the bids. Because of SOA’s 30 years of experience in communities throughout mid-Missouri, we can help clients assess a contractor’s qualifications and ability to deliver the project, but ultimately, the client will form a contract directly with the construction company of choice.

Once the contract for construction is finalized through Bidding & Negotiations, construction commences and the fifth and final “Basic Services” phase of Construction Administration (CA) begins. Although the contractual relationship for construction is between the client and contractor, SOA serves as the client’s representative and ‘overseer’ of the project to continually confirm that it is built according to the design documents. SOA provides a variety of services to make sure that the building project meets the expectations established in the Construction Documents. In other words, we make sure the client gets what they are paying for, by:

• Attending progress meetings and answering contractor questions
• Reviewing Submittals and Shop Drawings to verify the contractor is procuring the materials as outlined in the specifications
• Reviewing the contractor’s requests for payment to verify that the amount requested aligns with actual on-site construction progress
• Evaluating construction mock-ups for quality
• Issuing formal documentation for changes (change orders) which become part of the contract and project records
• Monitoring changes to the contract
• Conducting a final walk through and making a “punchlist” of items to be completed before the contractor receives final payment