Concept Design Services

You dream of possibilities and potential but lack the expertise to capture those ideas and turn them into a cohesive design. We’ll work with you to turn your vision, needs, and challenges into a great design concept that’s uniquely suited to you now and into the future. Then, we’ll package everything up in an easy-to-understand way so you can confidently move forward with your project knowing your design concept stays intact.

It’s an affordable way to get a custom modern design AND work with a design expert when it matters most because getting the design right early on in the formidable stage of your project is the most important part of the design process.

We work with you to create that all-important concept design that you can easily hand off to someone else to finalize construction drawings and start building.

 

Let’s Collaborate!

 

CONCEPT DESIGN PROCESS

In working with you for Concept Design Services, we’ll do these things together:

  1. Explore what you’re seeking to achieve for your modern home (your needs and wants) so that we can create a successful project. It’s also a deep dive into your project goals, site characteristics, budget, project constraints, and opportunities, and then balancing and optimizing all those puzzle pieces.
  2. Understand what your modern home can be and strategize about how to design it so that you’ll enjoy living in it and for years to come.
  3. Optimize every opportunity for your home, get your design right now when it counts most, and uncover strategies to save time and money in the process.
  4. Document the process, our observations and motivations, and the modern home design into a comprehensive Concept Design Package.

We’ll do this in an efficient, detailed way making sure we explore various scenarios and finding out what will work best for you, your site, your budget, and your life.

 

Here’s a in-depth look at our 8-week process:

The Concept Design Process consists of two phases: Pre-Design and Design.

1 ENGAGE

Our initial engagement is a chance to gather information about you, your project, what you’re seeking, and whether we would be a good fit for each other. Together we’ll define our scope of services and fee, including any additional services. Signing a Design Agreement and submitting a down payment kicks off the start of our Concept Design Services.

2 SYNTHESIZE

Using your responses to a Pre-Design questionnaire, we synthesize your answers and ideas into a cohesive Project Brief & Program document that gets to the heart of what you aim to create and summarizes your overarching goals, intentions, and motivations for the project.

3 ANALYZE

We analyze components of the project as they relate to the project requirements. This includes analysis of the site, program, budget, and massing. We strategize about the location, size, relationship, and configuration of spaces in various organizational schemes to better understand what’s possible.

4 DESIGN

We use all the information learned in the Pre-Design phase and create a design that begins to conceptualize the project to meet your project goals. We create variations to learn what you like and dislike and incorporate this input into the design.

5 REFINE

We refine the design based on your feedback and develop a concept design that is cohesive, thoughtful, and specific to you. We prepare 2D and 3D design drawings that help convey the design intent and allow you to visualize the concept and sign off on the design.

6 DOCUMENT

The process concludes with a Concept Design Package. We summarize and organize all the information, ideas, and resources we’ve discovered together into a comprehensive document that describes your project inside and out to your designer, drafter, or builder.

 

CONCEPT DESIGN PACKAGE

The Concept Design Package spells out everything needed for someone to understand the design concept for your project. It’s packaged in a thoughtful and cohesive way that leaves no room for second-guessing and that you can easily hand off to a designer/drafter or talk to a builder with to obtain cost estimates before you start full documentation and before signing on any dotted lines!

Here’s what’s included:

  • Concept Design Drawings – Drawings include a site plan, floor plans, building elevations, and building sections, as well as a few 3D views to show the concept. (Additional drawings may be provided depending on project specifics and requested additional services.)
  • Next Steps & Resources – A summary of your next steps and additional references/resources for your project such as links to vendors/manufacturers, a suggested material palette, and other useful information specific to your project
  • Project Analysis & Exploration Documents (for reference) – A summary of our design motivations, observations, and challenges, a site analysis, early concept schemes, and reference projects (for inspiration)
  • Project Background Information (for reference) – A summary of our process together and your project brief

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working with Yvonne and her team was wonderful! In just a matter of one questionnaire and an early conceptual meeting, they totally captured the escape/work space I have been dreaming of and planning for years! I didn’t know how we would incorporate modern with my artsy vision, but they did it.

It was a delight to truly feel engaged in the creative process; it was as if we were true design partners – they took my ideas and feedback, incorporating them into each iteration of the design, as they developed their own understanding of the concept.

The concept package was just the thing I needed to begin actualizing my project – it provided a concrete vision to discuss in order to begin bringing on my team of helpers throughout the building process. I brought it out for every discussion in the early stages! I was also glad I purchased the raw CAD files, as having them allowed my drafter to start where Yvonne and her team left off and begin filling in the details of the design – accelerating the next phases of the project.

The concept package was absolutely the catalyst I didn’t know I needed!

Eve B., Client
Having never worked with an architect before, we had no idea what to expect when we first engaged Yvonne.  While we appreciate the impact that great design can have on our living space and home – we had no idea where to start.

Yvonne’s concept design was the perfect way to start strategically planning, visualizing, and understanding cost estimates with contractors.  After thoroughly understanding the outcomes we were trying to achieve, our aesthetic style, and the everyday challenges we faced, she quickly produced several design concepts that fit our criteria in ways we had never even imagined.

Throughout the process, we were impressed by Yvonne’s attention to detail, listening ability, and desire to collaborate.  Her sense of style, interpretation of design principals, and follow-through were also key reasons why we extended our concept design into a full design project for our addition.  We couldn’t be happier with the process and look forward to the finished project.

Peter & Shannon J., Client

 

 

RECENT PROJECTS

2021-10-30T17:08:55-04:00
Ontario Off-Grid home concept design

Ontario Off-Grid

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Live Work Barn Conversion 3D Perspective

Live Work

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Howard Addition 3D Exterior View

Howard

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Open House Feature Image

OPEN house

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Concept Design Services are right for you if:

  • You want a modern design or a design that includes aspects of modern design in it.
  • You want something tangible (actual drawings and documentation of a design that works) to move forward with a local designer, draftsperson or speak to builders for quoting, etc.
  • You don’t think you need/want an architect for the full duration of your project, but appreciate that great design will make a big and unique difference to how your home works and feels
  • You want to see what’s possible for your home, your land, and your budget and whether your available resources match your needs
  • You have a lot of ideas, even some of your own sketches, but can’t get the design right on your own
  • You want the confidence of knowing you have a great design that fits you now and into the future AND clarity in knowing what to do next.

YR Architecture + Design specializes in modern design. We believe modern design when done right can be cost-effective and elegant, especially when considered early in the design process. We also work hard to create simple, design solutions that leverage existing resources as much as possible because we believe that ultimately, these are the most responsible, sustainable, impactful, and appropriate to you.

Concept design services range in price depending on the complexity of the project and the scope of our services. Basic concept services start at $6,000 for small projects and can be over $10,000 for larger projects like new homes. Additional drawings and services can be provided to suit your specific needs. To get a better idea of how much your project may cost, reach out to us and give us some basic information about the project (brief summary, project type, size, address, and any additional services you may be interested in). We’ll get back to you with a rough estimate of the cost.

Our Concept Design process culminates in a comprehensive Concept Design Package that spells out exactly what you want for your project. This package can easily be handed off to another designer or drafter to turn into working drawings and construction documents. We can even provide source files (CAD files in .dwg format) for easy transfer of design intent.

If your current designer or draftsperson is not collaborative in their approach and will resent the involvement of another designer creating the concept, you may want to reconsider either 1) working with your current designer/draftsperson or 2) if this Concept Design Service is the best process given your current situation.

It’s important to select the site prior to creating the concept design for your project so that your home is harmonious with the land (optimizing it for views, solar orientation, privacy, and other site features).

That said, if you don’t have a site picked out yet, we can work with you to nail down your project requirements, define your project goals and objectives, determine your “why”, and create a project brief that will aid you in selecting the best land for your project. We can go even further by creating some massing studies and test-fit various layout options to see which will work best for which types of sites.

Interested in a Concept Design?

 

Know someone who might want a Concept Design?
Tell them about it!