The Parco Studio Process™
5 Stages. 10 Steps. Our time-tested approach to designing & building your home.
Great Outcomes Are the Direct Result of an Intelligent, Creative Process.
Whatever the goal for designing and building your own new home, you can’t afford to begin the custom home design process without a solid plan, especially not with construction costs what they are today.
Our Parco Studio Process covers every step of designing and creating a home tailored to you and your lifestyle. We work to create a great, personalized experience for you—from inspiration and ideas through design and construction—and deliver a home of beauty and harmony for you and your family to enjoy.
1. Familiarize…
Listen.
Because we are designing your project, we begin by listening to your story. What we learn from your vision helps us to define the project and inspires us to develop a solution that is specially tailored to you and yours.
Walk.
Next, we walk your project site. Whether you’re building from scratch on sprawling rural acreage or taking on a major remodel within city limits, we walk the site with you. Part inspiration, part investigation, we learn about the place by being there.
An invaluable part of the process, insights gained from this step inform our design process both consciously and subconsciously. Every architectural solution we have ever developed has sprung from an intimate and insightful understanding of the place you intend to call home. In other words, context matters.
2. Synthesize…
Research.
All too often, people rush into the home design process. This can be a costly, time-consuming, and frustrating mistake.
Instead, we take on a short period of research. This way we know all the things we need to know before starting. This saves both time and money down the line and results in far better outcomes.
Define.
During this phase, we collaborate with you to clearly define the scope of your project so we have a clear road map.
Together we write a building “program,” a preliminary list of rooms with approximate size and adjacency requirements. We also set a budget to give us a clear financial target, and we formulate a preliminary schedule to keep everything on track.
3. Design…
Explore.
This is the fun part! Here we begin to explore the design ideas for your new home. Through hand sketches, scale physical models, 3D computer visualization, and basic architectural plans, you have the opportunity to review and assess the big design ideas before we’ve gone too far.
This is an efficient and cost-effective way to test a number of solutions and arrive at the best one, prior to going deep.
Refine.
In this phase, we refine the design through CAD drawings and 3D computer models. We also begin to pull in critical consultants, including: civil and structural engineers, a landscape architect, lighting designer, etc. Depending on the scale and complexity of your project, the list of consultants will vary.
This is the period in which we hone the design, coordinate with other disciplines, and lock in specifics.
Toward the end of this phase, we typically submit preliminary plans to your local planning department. This is the first step in the permitting process.
This is when we like to bring a contractor on board, to integrate their expertise. We can help to create a short list of candidates and design an interview process, to select the right builder for you and your project.
Plan.
Simply put, this is the documentation phase, when we develop a full set of coordinated building plans and specifications, and submit them for “plan check,” to your local building department. Once we’ve met all of the municipality’s requirements, they will issue a building permit.
4. Construct…
Bid.
During the bidding process, we work closely with your general contractor to help qualify and assess bids from subcontractors. This is one step among many to ensure that you get what you expect and that you pay a fair price.
Build.
With building permit in hand, we support your contractor during the entire construction process. We visit the construction site regularly, to assess progress and assist the contractor via sketches and other documentation aimed at making the process run as smooth as possible.
5. Live…
Enjoy.
You’re home! As you move into your new home, we work hand in hand with your contractor to make the transition go smoothly. We check in with you periodically, to be sure everything is working properly and that you understand how to operate all of the equipment and appliances.
Our time-tested approach is designed to deliver you the most beautiful, functional, and uplifting home in the most efficient, headache-free way possible.
It all starts by getting clarity on your home design project. Schedule a 30-minute call with architect, Ben Parco.