RESOURCES

Understanding Your Budget
Understanding Your Budget 1500 1000 k—da

The Hard Truth About Soft Costs

Understanding Your Design Budget

When building or renovating a luxury townhouse or high-end apartment, there is a multitude of design elements to consider, from finishes to fixtures and appliances. It can be overwhelming to know where to start, but one of the most important questions you will be asked is your budget.

Just like when shopping for a bottle of wine, your Architect needs to understand your budget in order to provide you with the best value for your money. Your architect’s job is to maximize the value of your investment, and they can only do that if they understand your financial constraints.

When it comes to budgeting for a luxury townhouse or high-end apartment, it’s important to understand the difference between hard costs and soft costs. Hard costs refer to the actual building costs, such as materials and labor, while soft costs include all other associated fees and hidden costs. These include everything from design fees, filing and inspection fees, and consultant fees, and they can add up quickly, especially in New York City.

As a general rule, soft costs typically make up between 15%-25% of the total cost of the project. They can be even higher if there are any complex requirements, such as gaining approval from the Landmark Preservation Commission.

When approaching an architect with a potential project, it’s important to be clear about whether your budget number is for construction only or if it includes soft costs as well. If you are looking to spend $2,000,000 inclusive of everything, for example, your architect will need to establish the soft costs in order to understand how much will be left for the actual construction.

So in this example, if we estimate the soft costs will be around 25% of construction, then we would have a construction budget of $1,600,000 ($2,000,000/1.25), and a soft cost budget of $400,000.

A good architect will help you set expectations on what the total project cost will be, including their own fees. At k—da, for example, we always provide a comprehensive list of associated costs with our proposals so that our prospective clients get a full understanding of the total soft cost before starting the project. This allows us to get a better sense of the true budget and get things started off on the right foot.

If you’re looking for a luxury townhouse or high-end apartment, and you’re interested in working with an experienced and knowledgeable architect who can help you maximize your investment, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at k—da. We look forward to hearing from you!

CONTACT US

The Power of Light
The Power of Light 1200 1498 k—da

Architecture and Light

The psychological effect that your surroundings have on your mood is absolutely fascinating. Many researchers and psychologists have spent quite a lot of time on researching the effects of different designs, structures, lighting styles and colors on your mind and mood. During many years of research, these professionals found that colors and lighting styles are greatly linked to your mood and can even result in mental conditions such as depression.

Modern architects have also started studying up on the effect of lighting and colors and have started reinventing their designs to enhance your mood. Here is how modern architecture uses lighting styles to put you in a great mood.

Natural light to enhance your mood and promote social interaction
Architect Lyn Grossman greatly focuses his library designs on natural lighting. The natural light creates a more comfortable study environment for those that spend time inside the library and enhances comfort throughout the day. Those that enjoy the library also stay connected to the outside world because they can still see what is going on outside and observe other people. Those on the outside get a good glimpse of what is happening inside and they can see students in their element. This method of using natural light is great for keeping people connected while giving you the comforts of isolation at the very same time.

Natural light promotes healing
An AIA spokesman Scott Frank also demonstrated that architects promote healing. Natural light in hospitals boost the recovery rates of patients and the light is great for boosting the school performance of students that are hospitalized. This is because the natural light is great for promoting melatonin hormone production which improves your body’s natural ability to tell the time easily so you get enough sleep during the night and feel boosted during the day.

The right lighting style promotes productivity
With natural light in a building during the day, you can focus a lot better because the sunlight directly affects your body’s ability to tell the difference between day and night so you can perform much better during the day. The right type of lighting inside a building also enhances your mind’s ability to stay focused when you have to study or work at night time since the light enhances your mood and energy levels and keeps you alert and awake by simulating sunlight or daytime light.

The right use of light colors
While it is important to have the right lighting style inside a building, it is also important to use the right colors on the inside of the building. Darker colors tend to make rooms look a whole lot darker and promote feelings of depression and sadness. If you choose lighter colors for the interior of the building the light is reflected a lot more and the entire room becomes lighter. This in return makes you feel a lot more energized and alert. Different colors can also affect your mood in different ways. Yellow shades, for example, make you feel a lot happier. Blue shades create a more professional and goal oriented mood.

With the right architectural design, your building can be a lot more energy efficient and those that use the building are a lot more productive and their moods are greatly stimulated while social interaction is also promoted. Using a good quality architect is definitely worth your investment so your buildings will suit the occupants needs perfectly.

9 Questions You Should Ask Your Architect
9 Questions You Should Ask Your Architect 1335 1000 k—da

The 9 questions you should ask at the start of a project.

There are 1000s of things to do when starting a new project. This is why having right professionals on your side is essential. There several questions you are going to need to ask your architect and several more you are going to need to ask yourself before you move forward.

QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOUR ARCHITECT:

1) Have you worked on projects like this before?
It is good to get a sense of the experience level of who you are hiring. An architect who specializes in big box stores might not be the best suited for high-end historic residential restorations. That said, if the answer is no, that should not be an instant disqualification. Sometimes excellent and creative ideas can come from designers who are thinking about your problem from a unique perspective.

2) What challenges can I expect?
A good architect will love this questions. It can be hard in the early stages of a project for your professionals to outline some of the hardships that your project may represent for fear of coming off pessimistic or a naysayer. Giving the architect permission layout some of their concerns is an excellent way to set expectations.

3) How are your fees structured?
It is good to get an early sense of how the architect likes to structure their contracts. At KDA we work with several different fee structures, but other designers and architects have rigorous standards about how they charge for their services. Whether it be hourly, fixed, or percentage of construction – it is best for everybody to understand early how the compensation is going to be structured. If you want to learn more about architectural fees, click here.

4)What other professionals will I need to retain?
It is likely that the architect is not the only professional that will need to be hired. It would be good to get the architect’s opinion on who else might need to be brought on and how they will be retained (either through direct contact with you, or a pass-through contract with the architect.)

5)Will you be able to recommend some builders/contractors for this project?
It would be good to see if your perspective architect has preferred builders that they have a working relationship with. Depending on the complexity of your project, this relationship can save time and money as errors can be avoided through the fact that workflows have already been established.

6) Can you help me allocate a budget?
This can be a tricky – chicken and egg – issue. The architect is both equipt to design around your budget, as well as guide you in what the budget for your expectations should be. Be specific in what you need help here; there is often confusion that architectural and professional fees (soft-costs) are included in construction (hard) costs. They are not – so if you are confused about what a number included – ask!

QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK YOURSELF:

1)What problem am I trying to solve?
Architects approach projects as design problems, and it would be good to put this question to yourself as it will help in the communication of your goals with your architect.

2) How much am I willing to spend?
If you know you are going to have a hard budget, you should try your best to figure out what that is and communicate it to your architect sooner than later. The faster everybody is on the same page about money – the better your architect will be at delivering the best value for your dollar.

3) Could I survive a road trip with this person?
You should have a good feeling and good relationship with your architect. The truth is there are likely several talented people who would be able to complete your project, but the best outcomes emerge from respectful and collaborative relationships. Building a new home is a little like taking a road trip. It is fun and exciting, but it can also be extended and harrowing. You want whoever is going to be on this journey with you to be somebody that you can talk to honestly, enjoy their company, disagree (fight) with knowing that you will be able to come out the other side with a mutually acceptable understanding.

WANT TO ASK US A QUESTION?

What is LEED and Do I Want One?
What is LEED and Do I Want One? 1024 661 k—da

What Is LEED?

LEED stands for Leadership in Energy Efficient Design and is a rating system and agency that certifies buildings are sustainable according to their rating system. LEED, unlike PassiveHouse, takes many factors beyond energy usage into account when certifying a project. Indoor air quality, material sourcing, recycled content, and construction techniques are among the many different ways a design can get points toward certification.

Deciding to attempt to build a LEED project is a big decision. While the cost of construction is likely to be a bit higher, there are significant increases associated with the administrative costs to properly document the design and construction to received certification.

Tom Klaber is a LEED Accreditated Professional, and KDA would be happy to discuss LEED and other sustainable design strategies for your next project. Here are some quick and useful videos to explain Green Building and the LEED System:

WHAT IS LEED?

WHAT IS GREEN BUILDING?

The Sustainable Strategies Every Project Should Employ
The Sustainable Strategies Every Project Should Employ 1080 1586 k—da

Sustainable Design Strategies

Green design is an idea that most people have heard of, but few understand what it means from on a practical level. Most people when they think of a Green Building think of solar panels, but in reality, there is much more to it.

While onsite renewable energy generation like solar panels and internet connected thermostats should be part of sustainable design, there are less sexy and cost-effective sustainable design strategies that every home should employ. A genuinely sustainable design employs many strategies to achieve their goals.

Orientation

The very first thing any good architect should consider is building orientation. Unfortunately, this is not possible for all projects, especially those in New York City, where the orientation is a feature that merely comes with the site. In situations where there is an opportunity to chose the orientation, you can employ the natural changing angles of the sun to heat the building in the winter and keep it cool in the summer. Also, site-specific features microclimates can be employed to take advantage of prevailing breezes, and natural shading.

Natural Daylighting

The sun is one heck of source of light. On top of being free, sunlight is the most pleasant light and elevates moods. Great architecture employs sunlight in creative ways to fill your house with an abundance of controllable natural light.

Ventilation

Developing passive ventilation strategies keeps energy use down by lowering the need for mechanically assisted ventilation. Strategically placed openings bring fresh air through spaces, meaning that pleasant days outside requires less use of the buildings mechanical systems – lowering your power consumption and electric bill.

Insulation

This is by far and away the most cost-effective sustainable design strategy for both new homes and renovations. There are many good options, depending on the situation from cotton batt insulation made from old blue jeans to high-tech expanding spray foam insulations. The better the insulation, the more you keep your heat in during the winter and out during the summer. Proper insulation can cut energy usage and bills by as much as 50%.

Water Usage

It is straightforward, and code mandated in many jurisdictions, to install water efficient fixtures. These fixtures can cut water usage by upwards of 30% compared to unregulated fixtures with almost no perceivable difference. Recent events on the west coast have shown us how this resource is more scarce that we once thought and that taking necessary measures to cut our water usage is a vital part of any sustainable design.

Generation

There are several energy generating strategies a home can use from solar panels to wind turbines, to geothermal systems. Some jurisdictions, such as counties in California, now require that a certain percentage of the roof be dedicated to solar panels. (CHECK OUT THESE SOLAR ROOF PANELS) This is the most expensive, and therefore likely the last, strategy a sustainable project should look to employ.

It is essential to understand that there is no real definition of ‘Green’ – and many companies, designers, and marketers use that term liberally. When starting a new project, it is crucial to set up sustainability goals to test the project design against those goals. If you are serious about creating a sustainable project, we suggest you learn more about LEED and PassiveHouse.

KDA is dedicated to being responsible designers and stewards of the built world and would be excited to work with you on your next GREEN project!

What is CRI… and why to do I care?
What is CRI… and why to do I care? 1498 1000 k—da

What is the Color Rendering Index (CRI) and why should I care?

Why investing in high quality light can make a difference.

Understanding the Color Rendering Index (CRI) is crucial in interior design, particularly when it comes to lighting your space. CRI measures how accurately a light source reveals the true colors of objects it illuminates. To delve deeper, color is our brain’s interpretation of different light wave frequencies. When light strikes an object, specific frequencies are absorbed while others are reflected. For instance, a red apple absorbs all frequencies except red, which is reflected to our eyes. However, to reflect these frequencies, they must be present in the light source in the first place.

The Science Behind CRI

The quality of light, especially artificial light, varies in its ability to ‘render’ or showcase true color. This variation is due to the spectrum of light that the source emits. Light sources with a broader and more complete spectrum can render colors more accurately. In essence, the CRI is a quantitative measure of a light source’s ability to reproduce the colors of various objects faithfully compared to a natural light source.

CRI’s Impact on Spaces and Perception

We’ve all experienced how certain lighting can enhance or diminish our appearance. This principle holds true for spaces as well. A beautifully designed room can lose its allure if lit poorly or with low-quality light sources, making it appear dull and uninviting. Conversely, good lighting can elevate a space, enhancing its colors and design elements, and thereby transforming it into a vibrant and appealing area.

Practical Applications in Interior Design

When designing and lighting your home or any interior space, understanding and considering CRI is essential. Higher CRI values (closer to 100) indicate that the light source renders colors more accurately. While this is particularly important in spaces where color perception is critical, such as art studios or galleries, we believe its should be considered as a standard in order to make your material pallet live up to its full potential. 

Incorporating high-CRI lighting can make a significant difference in how colors and textures are perceived, thereby influencing a space’s overall ambiance and mood. Whether it’s for residential or commercial interiors, choosing the right lighting with a suitable CRI can greatly enhance the space’s functionality and aesthetic appeal.

In summary, the Color Rendering Index is a key factor in lighting design that directly affects how we perceive the colors and ambiance of a space. By selecting light sources with a high CRI, you can ensure that your spaces are seen in their best light, literally and figuratively. Remember, lighting is not just about brightness; it’s about bringing out the true beauty of your space through color and light.

We all know that we look better in some light than others.  That is true of our spaces as well.  A beautiful space that is poorly lit or lit with inferior light sources can suddenly appear drab and depressing.   It is important when designing and lighting your home to understand CRI and how lighting can affect your perception of space.

Light and Mood
Light and Mood 1500 1000 k—da

Light and Mood

How Architecture Uses Lighting Styles To Enhance Your Mood

The psychological effect that your surroundings have on your mood is fascinating.  Many researchers and psychologists have spent quite a lot of time on researching the effects of different designs, structures, lighting styles and colors on your mind and mood.  During many years of research, these professionals found that colors and lighting styles are greatly linked to your mood and can even result in mental conditions such as depression.

Modern architects have also started studying up on the effect of lighting and colors and have started reinventing their designs to enhance your mood.  Here is how modern architecture uses lighting styles to put you in a great mood.

Natural light to enhance your mood and promote social interaction

Architect Lyn Grossman greatly focuses his library designs on natural lighting.  The natural light creates a more comfortable study environment for those that spend time inside the library and enhances comfort throughout the day.  Those that enjoy the library also stay connected to the outside world because they can still see what is going on outside and observe other people.  Those on the outside get a good glimpse of what is happening inside and they can see students in their element.  This method of using natural light is great for keeping people connected while giving you the comforts of isolation at the very same time.

Natural light promotes healing

An AIA spokesman Scott Frank also demonstrated that architects promote healing.  Natural light in hospitals boost the recovery rates of patients and the light is great for boosting the school performance of students that are hospitalized.  This is because the natural light is great for promoting melatonin hormone production which improves your body’s natural ability to tell the time easily so you get enough sleep during the night and feel boosted during the day.

The right lighting style promotes productivity

With natural light in a building during the day, you can focus a lot better because the sunlight directly affects your body’s ability to tell the difference between day and night so you can perform much better during the day.  The right type of lighting inside a building also enhances your mind’s ability to stay focused when you have to study or work at night time since the light enhances your mood and energy levels and keeps you alert and awake by simulating sunlight or daytime light.

The right use of light colors

While it is important to have the right lighting style inside a building, it is also important to use the right colors on the inside of the building.  Darker colors tend to make rooms look a whole lot darker and promote feelings of depression and sadness.  If you choose lighter colors for the interior of the building the light is reflected a lot more and the entire room becomes lighter.  This in return makes you feel a lot more energized and alert.  Different colors can also affect your mood in different ways.  Yellow shades, for example, make you feel a lot happier.  Blue shades create a more professional and goal oriented mood.

With the right architectural design, your building can be a lot more energy efficient and those that use the building are a lot more productive and their moods are greatly stimulated while social interaction is also promoted.  Using a good quality architect is definitely worth your investment so your buildings will suit the occupants needs perfectly.

What is the LPC…And Why Should I Care?
What is the LPC…And Why Should I Care? 960 960 k—da

WHAT IS THE LPC – AND WHY SHOULD I CARE?

HOW TO DESIGN IN A PROTECTED DISTRICT

The LPC, or Landmarks Preservation Commission, is a city organization charged with protecting various historic districts and buildings. If your project falls within a historic district or is an individually landmarked building, you are required to gain approval from the LPC before any work can be done.

This can be an arduous process. If your building is in a landmarked district, depending on your proposed scope of work, gaining LPC approval can add 2-4 months to the permitting process. If your building is individually landmarked, it can take even longer than that.

Individual landmarks are heavily protected, and the process of restoring, renovating, or modifying them is specific. For this conversation, we will assume that we are only speaking of a building that falls within a protected district, rather than a building that is individually landmarked.

If the proposed work does not include any exterior component, such as a kitchen renovation, then you need only apply for a Certificate of No Effect. This is issued by LPC staff when the proposed work will not be seen from any public way. This type of permit is relatively simple to procure if the scope of work allows.

If the proposed work includes exterior scope such as replacing windows, doors, refinishing exterior brick, or adding bulk such as a roof addition, then you will need a Certificate of Appropriateness.

There are two paths to a Certificate of Appropriateness. If the work is merely replacing existing objects in kind, or adding work that can not be seen from a public way, such as a setback addition, then it is possible to get your Certificate of Appropriateness at the staff level. This means you can work with a LPC staffer to make sure the design meets their criteria. This takes time and requires the submittal of extra documentation and presentations to the commission staff, but typically does not add more than a month to the permitting schedule.

If your project is proposing to add bulk, excavate, or change multiple things on visible facades, it is likely you will need to present your project to the full board during an LPC hearing. This typically adds an extra 2-4 months to the permitting schedule. It requires you to work with LPC staff on the design, then presents your design to the governing community board LPC subcommittee, then wait for the community board full board hearing to vote on their resolution, all before you are allowed to present your design to the commission. If the commission requests that you modify your design, which is very common, it can take an additional month after that to amend and resubmit all the required drawings before you will gain your Certificate of Appropriateness.

During a project, it can be very frustrating to be held up by this process, but the LPC and Community Boards play a vital role in protecting the character of historic neighborhoods. KDA has decades of experience and a proven track record for navigating this process and working with these agencies. If you have a question about your landmarked building, please do not hesitate to reach out!

Other Helpful Articles

Previous
Next

Do I Need To File?

 Do I Need To File? 1080 810 k—da

Designing Physical Distance

 Designing Physical Distance 1112 1197 k—da

Interior Design Vs Decorating

 Interior Design Vs Decorating 1068 1600 k—da

Where does marble come from?

 Where does marble come from? 720 479 k—da

The Power of Light

 The Power of Light 1200 1498 k—da

Don’t Skip the Design

 Don’t Skip the Design 1920 2560 k—da

Proportion, Scale, Light
Proportion, Scale, Light 1334 1000 k—da

Louis Kahn + The Salk Institute

During a recent trip to San Diego, we were lucky enough to take a quick detour to the Salk Institute, a research facility about an hour outside of downtown. It was built in 1965 and designed by Louis Kahn – one of the world’s greatest architects.

What is startling about this building is how perfectly scaled it is. Elements are impressive without being overwhelming. It is effortless to occupy. You are surrounded by these angled concrete structures, which could feel oppressive and heavy – but instead, they feel warm and welcoming.

Kahn was a master of light – and there might not be a more beautiful building in the world at sunset. The center court is bifurcated by a small water feature – which reflects the sun – and spreads a pink glow to the surrounding buildings.

Here at KDA, we are inspired by the purity of the materials. It can be easy in New York City to try and impress with bigness and grandeur, but buildings like this remind of how simplicity and proper proportion can create iconic spaces. If you are ever in San Diego, it is worth a trip!

Check out some of our pictures below:

Lets Talk About Money…
Lets Talk About Money… 1503 1000 k—da

What you need to know about Architectural Fees

A good architect should ask about your budget in your first interview. Do not dodge this question. While money can be difficult to talk about, you should never be uncomfortable about answering honestly. The Architect works for you, and one of the Architect’s most important responsibilities is to protect your investment. The sooner you and your Architect are on the same page; the more efficient your team will be at delivering a product with the most value.

The other not so subtle reasons an Architect wants to know your budget is to gauge how realistic your expectations are and also because it provides a rough guide to the Architect’s fee.

So how much should an Architect cost? Roughly speaking, Architectural fees range between 10%-20% of the construction cost. Smaller projects tend to be in the higher end, and more significant projects tend to be in the lower end.

There are several ways you can set up your contract with your Architect: percentage of construction, flat fee, hourly (with or without a cap), or some combination of those. Below are the pros and cons of each structure.

Percentage of Construction

This was the most popular contract structure, though we find that it is falling out of fashion as of late. With this contract there is an agreed upon percentage – say 15% – that the architect will be paid based on the construction cost. If the construction cost is $400,000, the architectural fee would be $60,000. If the cost of construction grows to $500,000, the architectural fee will grow to $75,000. Usually then billed at milestones.

The nice thing about this structure is that it allows for a change in scope. Typically in a project of some substance – the scope of the project will change from its conception – usually growing. This phenomenon is known as scope creep. With this structure, the architectural fees do not need to be re-negotiated. If the project grows – the architectural fees grow proportionally. The downside of this is that while construction cost is a good indicator of the effort the Architect will have expended – it is far from perfect. There are many ways the cost of the construction could go up – and when this happens, it can be very painful to receive an invoice from your architect altering you to back pay owed on previous invoices now that the baseline construction cost has risen.

Fixed Fee

While the percentage of construction might be used to calculate the fee, a fixed fee contract requires the architect and client to agree upon a fee at the beginning of the project. This too is usually billed in parts at the completion of milestones. This means if the price of steel goes up, you do not also owe the architect more money. This makes the soft costs of the project predictable. The downside of this is that the architect will be more protective of the agreed upon scope – so in the event of scope creep – the architect will have to claim additional services more readily than if the contract was structured to automatically account for this. This too can be frustrating to a client to be informed that a new request falls outside of the contract and will have to be billed hourly. The initial percentage the architect will use will tend to be higher in a fix fee project to protect against unknowns that would be otherwise covered in a flexible fee structure.

Hourly

This is as straightforward as it sounds. The client pays the architects hourly fee for how many hours it takes to complete the work. This can be coupled with a ‘not to exceed’ clause that caps the contract. The upside of this structure is that the client only pays for the work done, and the architect gets paid for all the work done. It allows the client to shrink, grow, or stop work at any time and only pay for what has actually been done. It does require a fair amount of trust between the client and architect where the client trusts that the architect will report the hours honestly and that the client will pay for hours worked. This type of fee is typically not suitable for an entire project, but will often be coupled with one of the fee structures above to cover a specific design, administrative, or additional service task.

Hourly rates will range inside an office depending on who is working from a low of around 75$/hour for junior staff up to $200+/hour and beyond for senior level staff. The most significant downside can be sticker shock – when a client approves an hourly task – then sees a bill – there are often questions about why it took so long. Sometimes a client will see a simple drawing and wonder how somebody took 12 hours to draw this, often forgetting the design time that went into coming up with what to draw in the first place.

Every project is different, and KDA works with all fee structures. We work with clients to find an arrangement that makes everybody comfortable. We work hard to be transparent. The more open, honest, and collaborative the relationship, the better the outcome!  Feel free to contact us to discuss design or fees for your upcoming project.

CONTACT US
Enter your
text here