Coordinating and Documenting Design – The Construction Documents Phase
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
2y ago
As described in previous articles, architectural services are broken into five phases. The fourth phase, and most time intensive, is the construction documents (CD) phase. This is when the architect, structural engineer, interior designer, landscape architect, and specialty consultants design and draw the building in detail, producing a set of drawings and specifications that the contractor can build from. The construction documents advance the design from an architectural and aesthetic standpoint, while providing the necessary information to coordinate building systems and ensure constructabi ..read more
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Refining Design – The Design Development Phase
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
2y ago
  As described in previous articles, architectural services are broken into five phases. After the schematic design phase has been completed and a viable project budget has been developed, it is time to design the building’s structural system, layer in mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, and refine the design of functional spaces. The Design Development Phase can include iteration on the design of both interior and exterior materials. These sketches allowed for exploration of the relationship between various materials and masses on the houses’ façade. The design development pha ..read more
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Schematic Design - Developing a Project Budget
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
2y ago
When starting a remodel or new construction project, an important early step is developing your budget to set realistic expectations and avoid surprises midway through the design process. This basic overview will help you understand the cost components of a residential construction project. Of course, each project is unique and complex sites or functional requirements can add additional costs to these elements. The project budget can be seen as the sum of hard costs, soft costs, other costs, and a contingency. The hard cost of construction is typically the cost for construction of the buildin ..read more
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The Schematic Design Phase
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
2y ago
When working with an architect to design a custom home, the second phase of the design process is called Schematic Design. This is when the building starts to take shape through a series of design exercises that test out the goals and requirements established during the pre-design programming phase. Schematic Design is iterative. The architect will typically start by showing a single, or several, options for a floor plan or overall configuration for the lot and for the house. The owners and architect will meet and review the design progress and direction, discussing which elements work well f ..read more
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How Does Programming Impact Design?
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
3y ago
A thoughtful pre-design programming phase can set the foundation for design by not only quantitatively and qualitatively gathering an owner’s needs and goals, but also by creating an understanding of how the functional spaces of the home relate to the site. This case study of a Hill Country residence illustrates how developing an early understanding of the opportunities of the site in relationship to the lifestyle of the owners led to the final design of the home. Pre-design: Goals & Site Discovery After years of weekend visits and time spent getting to intimately know their site, the own ..read more
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Programming: The Foundation of Design
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
3y ago
  What is programming? After making the decision to build a new home or remodel an existing one, the first step in the process, before starting the design (Pre-Design) is to build an architectural program. This programming phase is the foundation of the design and includes the goals of the project and the Owners’ wants and needs. It is both quantitative, determining the desired square footage, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and other specific requirements of the finished home, as well as qualitative, vocalizing how these spaces would ideally look, feel, and be experienced. The program wi ..read more
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Outdoor Living Spaces : Slim House Case Study
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
3y ago
With thoughtful design, yards, porches, and patios can expand a home’s living space and offer enjoyable spaces to spend time with friends and family year round.  Below, we’ll explore a case study of our Slim House backyard remodel and addition to give you some ideas to make the most of your outdoor spaces, whether you are making changes large or small. Start by determining the goals of your project. The setting for our Slim House project was the underutilized backyard of a 1933 house in Tarrytown where outdoor spaces were disconnected from one another and lacked a relationship to the ho ..read more
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Live/Work Spaces
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
3y ago
The global pandemic has given new meaning to the term live-work space for many of us. Now more than ever our domestic lives are intertwined with our work lives in both physical space and time. While the pandemic has certainly sped up this trend, we have been seeing a larger shift toward blended living and working spaces in both homes and commercial offices that create diverse environments which better weave human factors of comfort, light, quiet, collaboration, and community into spaces that enable productivity. Many residential clients ask us to provide the unique spaces within their home fo ..read more
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How to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
3y ago
“Whatever the reason, having an indoor/outdoor space that gives you the best of both worlds is a delicious luxury that is bound to enhance your life.” (Design Milk). We couldn’t agree more! As architects and designers, we let each site inform our design and are big fans of making useful and comfortable outdoor areas that expand the living space of homes and facilitate the specific lifestyles of our clients. Here are five examples of MF Architecture houses around Austin that have used different design moves to create a better indoor-outdoor life. The pool court becomes part of the living spa ..read more
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Insights: New Build vs Remodel
Matt Fajkus Architecture - Sustainable Residential and Commercial Architects in Austin, TX
by Matt Fajkus
3y ago
  Did you know that it may actually cost more to remodel an existing house than to build from scratch? Though it might be worth it to pay more for a remodel in some circumstances, it’s clearly best for an owner to make that choice as a conscious and informed decision. Two situations where it may be worth it to endure an extensive and expensive remodel include if the house has historical character, or sentimental/heirloom value. However, when buying an outdated existing house without knowing what to expect, the required upgrades may be far more than just superficial, including the struct ..read more
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