Blaes Architects
An initial visit at your home will be scheduled with Mike Blaes. It is important to be prepared for the meeting by having the following items:
Schedule a site visit for our field crew to measure the existing conditions affecting the project. Any existing construction documents you can provide will reduce time required on site. These may include:
We will draft plans and elevations of the existing structure as relevant to your project, including:
This phase usually takes two to three weeks depending on the complexity of your existing house.
Initial ideas are presented to generate dialogue between the Architect and Owner. Trace paper pencil sketches of multiple design options are produced for the first design meeting.
After the acceptance of Design Development drawings, additional detail is added in order to create drawings suitable for your contractor to work from:
At the completion of Construction Documents, General Contractors will utilize these drawings to complete their Bid Proposals, forming a basis of a Contract for Construction.
We recommend receiving bids from two to three contractors. This will allow you to compare price, craftsmanship, and working relationship with the contractor.
We work with a variety of General Contractors in the Metro Saint Louis area and can provide their contact information at your request.
General Contractors often know ways to reduce cost on your project. Working with a contractor during the design phases will allow changes to be made before the Construction Documents are complete. This can lead to cost savings.
Many local municipalities have Architecture Review Boards that review new buildings to maintain the character of the neighborhood.
We will complete and submit applications for your project including some or all of the following items:
Expecting a three week turnaround for Architecture Review after the construction documents are completed is realistic.
Blaes Architects specializes in creating seamless additions to your existing house. In most cases, the boards have minor suggestions to improve our designs. Once these changes, if there are any, are made, your project can be submitted for permits.
Blaes Architects will provide your contractor with the necessary calculations and drawings required for Demolition and Building Permit applications, as well as those for variances should your project require them.
Each municipality has their own permit fees based on construction cost. The contractor will pay the fee to pick up the permits but this cost will be passed on to the client.
It is the contractor's responsibility to have a current license in the municipality where the construction is occuring.
Additional Construction Administration services outside of our standard contract can be provided. These can include: