Any project undergoes multiple revisions as you proceed through the design, permitting, bidding, and construction process. The key is to reduce the number of revisions at each stage.
As you may have noticed, we started this project with very large single pane’s of glazing. The next phase divided the windows and the design became steel rather than wood. As we’ve started really pricing the project and dialing in our budget, the windows once again are being revised. It’s beginning to look as though we may be returning to wood or even moving to fiberglass windows. As with any type of product, each has its own unique positives and its own unique challenges. What really matters is that the windows stay the same overall size, that any mullions do not occur between 56″-65″ (the average eye height of most North Americans as they stand or sit), and that the windows meet code requirements for both egress and energy. This gives us a lot of leeway in our design and allows us to really control costs.
The other main item we have been working on is site design. What will our landscape look like? How does it feel as we move from street level down to the ground floor? What is the experience walking from street level to the front door? How can we respect our neighborhood aesthetic yet still achieve the more contemporary design we prefer?
As we ourselves wade through the process of finding and interviewing contractors and requesting, receiving and reviewing bids, I’m sure we will be looking at other aspects of the project and determining what work we will ultimately perform ourselves, and what work may just have to be put off until we can save more money. Who needs a couch anyway?! Just kidding – we have a couch already…
Studio Point253 
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