"Good communication begins with good listening" OGB
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(1)
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Our most successful projects
usually result from a team effort amongst the major players involved –
typically the client, the architect, and the contractor. When everyone has the skill and desire to
achieve excellence then the only other necessary ingredient is clear and timely
communication.
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| (2) |
It is important that all parties
understand the spirit and qualitative intent as well as the quantitative
requirements. We do not have any one or
two ways of achieving good communication, but rather prefer to evaluate each
situation and then respond in an appropriate and efficient manner. Everyday,
simple communications are often best handled via email, fax, U.S. Mail, or
telephone calls, but complex communications are preferably accomplished face to
face, ideally at our office (1).
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| (3) |
Most projects begin with meetings,
an agreement, a written program and a site analysis (2). Many of our conceptual ideas are formulated
during visits to the site and these are typically communicated through a
combination of notes and freehand sketches.
Sketches may be in color or black and white and are refined as required
to assure client understanding (3). Sometimes
even more refined imagery is desired such as watercolor renderings or the like (4).
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| (4) |
The preliminary design phase
typically employs computer generated drawings for plans and elevations which
are often supplemented with study models to better communicate the essential
formal and spatial relationships. We
prefer to keep models (5) relatively abstract
so as
to keep the focus on the big
ideas. Secondary considerations like material, texture, color, etc. can be better
communicated in other ways.
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(5)
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Contract and construction
administration documents are virtually all computer generated, although regular
meetings, review of samples, and full size mock-ups by the contractor are important
aspects of the total communication process.
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