Remodeling Projects – Professional Services in Florida
Architectural renovations require the unique qualities of the existing building and the new required features to be thoroughly assessed. The process is started by researching the background of the building along with its structural components and the site constraints and limitations that are presented. Once this is done, the portions of the existing building that limit finding a greater purpose for the building are removed.
Miklos Architecture will add and build new features and spaces that thoughtfully create a new piece of architecture that is respectful of the building’s past and celebrates its future. We join the old and new to a seamless composition that will meet with the client’s needs.
Residential RENOVATION, REMODELING, AND ADDITION—What clients should know
Architectural renovations require the unique qualities of the existing building and the new required features to be thoroughly assessed. The process is started by researching the background of the building along with its structural components and the site constraints and limitations that are presented. Once this is done, the portions of the existing building that limit finding a greater purpose for the building are removed.
Miklos Architecture will add and build new features and spaces that thoughtfully create a new piece of architecture that is not only respectful of the building’s past, but also celebrates its future. We join the old and new to a seamless composition that will meet with the client’s needs.
Terminology
Here are some categories that a typical architectural home improvement fall under:
RENOVATION: Restoring and repairing to “like new” condition.
REMODELING: Modernizing, updating, or making changes to the existing structure. Reconfiguring and finding more complex design solutions so that you see your once familiar space in a whole new light.
(example: A client with a well-maintained home would like to redesign the kitchen/family room space. The client wishes to build a gourmet kitchen with rich cabinetry, intriguing design features, and abundant natural light. The client wants the kitchen to open up to a new family room with soaring ceilings and dramatic water views.)
ADDITION: Adding a new portion to an existing structure.
TEAR DOWN: Determining, after careful analysis, that building an entirely new structure would be more beneficial from an economic and design perspective.
Documentation
Documentation of the existing structure is key to understanding the existing conditions that are being considered for remodeling. The more information the architect has on hand to ascertain the project from the outset, the better and more efficient the design approach to the remodel or renovation will be.
Some of these items include:
•survey
•site plan
•floor plan
•permit archives from the local jurisdiction
Establishing a working budget in the early stages
This is one of the most common and difficult questions to answer. Unlike new construction, a price per square foot cannot be used because of the many nuisances of a remodeling/renovation project. In new construction, an architect can offer a “best estimate” based on the level of complexity of the design and structural systems, the clients’ input, and quality of finish desired. However, in most cases with a remodeling or renovation project, key components that affect pricing are not yet known, are concealed, or are only partially documented.
Our approach is to determine the project scope of work to the best of our ability via meetings with the clients in which we examine the “wish list,” analysis of the existing conditions (i.e. What can be re-used? What needs to be replaced or rehabilitated? Can the existing structure be classified as “poor,” “good,” or “excellent?”
Once these questions are answered, a determination of the value of the existing structure can be made.
Don’t worry…you’re in good hands!
It takes a great deal of experience to become recognized as a custom residential architect. You need to have project vision and an intimate understanding of construction. When it comes to remodeling and renovating custom homes, your level of competency needs to be that much higher. You must be skilled in reverse engineering. You must understand how things were constructed in bygone eras. You must be able to anticipate and recognize the limitations of an existing structure, but also see its potential. You must have the gift of reinterpreting an existing space to extract the amazing.
The opportunity to give rise to great and meaningful architecture, raising it from the ordinary to the extraordinary, is what we thrive on. Taking an existing home and revealing the unforeseen, making it spectacular by adding or re-creating spaces, provoking a new experience and bringing an enhanced aesthetic—this is all a part of what we do.