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REMODEL PORTLAND MAGAZINE |
2013 Tour of Remodeled Homes presented by Standard TV & Appliance
| www.HBApdx.org
“It’s really a team effort on a
project. You bring the remodeler
and the designer together so that
everybody is developing
the project together.”
— Louise Farrar-Wegener,
of Z3 Design Studio and chair
of the 2013 Tour of Remodeled
Homes.
By Jon Bell
osaik Design & Remodeling
and
Cooper Design Builders
execute the concept through
an in-house approach. Remodelers like
T.H.E. Remodel Group
and
Cascade
Restoration & Remodeling
do it by
teaming up with designers such as
Louise
Farrar-Wegener
of
Z3 Design Studio
and
Kathy Fuller
of
Fuller Spaces
.
Either way, they all produce better
remodeling projects faster, smoother
and with fewer surprises through a
commonsense approach to remodeling
known as design-build.
“It’s really a team effort on a project,”
says Farrar-Wegener, chair of the 2013
Tour of Remodeled Homes. “You bring the
remodeler and the designer together so
that everybody is developing the project
together.”
Simply put, design-build is a
construction project delivery system that
finds a contractor and a designer working
together from the get-go to design and
build a project.
In one approach to design-build, a
single firm comprises both the builder
and the designer. That’s the case at
Mosaik
, where co-owner
Scott Jaworski
handles the building side of the equation
and co-owner
Erin Davis
handles the
design.
“We work hand-in-hand throughout an
entire project,” says Davis. “It’s incredibly
helpful to have both perspectives right
there.”
Another approach finds a remodeling
contractor joining forces with an
independent designer at the very
beginning of a project, as
Steve
Klingerman
, president of
T.H.E.
Remodel Group
, did with Farrar-Wegener
for this year’s Tour of Remodeled Homes.
“I prefer the design-build approach,”
The design-build approach to remodeling makes for
smoother projects and happier homeowners.
Klingerman says. “I think all too often,
other approaches leave out specifics. If the
two aren’t working together, the designer
may be on a different page than the
builder, and that’s not going to be good
for the homeowner.”
With design-build, the contractor and
designer work together to produce a
project that meets the homeowner’s
desire and budget. Because of the close
collaboration, there are fewer surprises
along the way. The builder can see what
the designer has in mind and determine
not only whether it’s feasible, but how
much it will actually cost. And the
designer can tap into the builder to find
out the best way to bring the client’s
desires to fruition.
Studies have also shown that a design-
build approach results in fewer change
orders, a faster construction time, less
conflict and in some cases lower costs.
“Some people think design-build is
more expensive,” Davis says. “But by the
time you go through hiring a designer and
go through a bunch of change orders and
all kinds of headaches, it’s really not. With
design-build, we have proven processes
and the ability to cut down on mistakes.
It’s far superior.”
Some examples of design-build projects include the
basement remodel of
Home #11
in this year’s Tour of
Remodeled Homes by Mosaik Design & Remodeling
(above)
.
From last years Tour, a kitchen remodel by Larry Mock
with Deb Seely Design
(right)
, and a whole house
remodel by Cascade Restoration & Remodeling with
Fuller Spaces
(far right)
.
Hand
in
hand
M