Atlantis Architects

How We Work

Atlantis Architects began in 1989 to create hand crafted houses using local materials and earth friendly strategies for owners who cared deeply about their surroundings. Every effort is made to get to know the clients, the site and their needs before any drawing begins. As early as possible in the project, we work to assemble a team of owners, builders and consultants all pulling in the same direction. The team works together during all phases of the design process to create a home which will meet the owners' needs, wishes and budget.

The design process in our office has four phases.

Schematic design is the first phase where we flush out many ideas, often disparate and fanciful, in order to settle upon a single scheme to pursue in greater detail. The second phase is design development where the agreed upon scheme is enhanced, refined and defined. Often this is a good opportunity to gather cost information and interview critical trades and bidders.

When the project meets the owners' scope / budget and the feed back is positive, the project moves to the next phase, construction documents, where major elements of the project are dimensioned detailed, and specified. Drawings, schedules and specifications are part of the contract document package put together for every project. Consultants added to the team at this phase often include structural engineers, lighting consultant, landscapers and interior designers. Finally the project moves into the final phase, construction observation. During this phase, we are intimately involved with the job site and its progress. Most, misinterpretations (and subsequent tensions / costs) can be avoided by a site meeting. Often new opportunities are discovered as the project goes from paper to actual materials.

Our fee for this work typically ranges between six and twelve percent of the final construction cost of the home with a tendency toward the lower end. Clear design direction and a well-assembled team are key to keeping the fees in-line. We invoice once monthly and all billing is base on the number of staff hours spent each month. Consultant fees are in addition to these rates. Direct expenses such as travel costs, printing and supplies are added to each invoice at cost. No time is charged to the client for out-of-town travel time so that the owners' costs are very similar to hiring a local architect. We like to work in different parts of the country and try to make that feasible for all involved.