Residential

Method of work

When we get a mandate for a residential project, we follow a certain procedure:

1. Visit the municipality where the project is to be built and get all of the pertinent by-laws
2. Meet with the owners and get all of their requirements. For example, number of units, type of units, number of floors, etc.
3. Prepare preliminary site plans and layouts, and once this is fixed move onto exterior facades. The building is studied and designed from the inside to the outside, at this point we will make volumetric studies and renderings.
4. Sometimes we will try to have the building blend in or to be harmonious with the existing buildings. Other times we want the building to stand well from the existing environment.
5. We believe in having the building in heavy landscaped areas, with amenities for the inhabitants, such as indoor swimming pool, social halls, outside tennis courts, bar-b-q areas, large balconies, terraces either on the roof or on grades.
6. A great deal of time is spent studying different elevations, with various materials (masonry, pre-cast concrete, curtain walls, etc.)

Commercial / Office buildings

1. Visit the municipality where the project is to be built and get all of the pertinent by-laws.
2. Meet with owners and get their requirements, such as the approximate number of square feet per floor plate and the parking requirements, underground and on-site and if the building is for tenants or multi-tenant.
3. We prepare a site plan and from that point we decide on the shape of the building. Our buildings are designed from the outside to the inside.
4. We like to have the building in landscaped areas, with parking placed underground or on the side or rear of the building.
5. We will make volumetric studies with various shapes before deciding on which way we proceed.
6. We then plan our building with a great deal of glass so as to bring in the building as much light as possible. Different materials are studied before we make a final decision on how the building will look.
7. If a few building is part of the project, we will prepare a master plan and have the building as part of a business park.
8. We will also have amenities built  into the project, such as cafeterias, gyms, outside terraces, showers and change rooms for those who wish to run or train.

Industrial Buildings

1. Visit the municipality where the project is to be built and get all of the pertinent by-laws.
2. We will meet with owners and get their requirements , such as the number of square feet of storage, manufacturing, office requirements, number of loading docks and drive-in doors.
3. We will prepare various site plans according to the workflow of the company, and once a site plan is fixed, we will prepare 3 dimensional volumetric studies of the project. A great deal of time is spent analyzing different workflow patterns.
4. We like to have landscaped areas around the buildings to provide for cafeterias, outside terraces and gyms if required.
5. Once the building form is fixed, we will make studies using different materials.
6. Sometimes we use very colourful materials, so that the building will be used as an advertisement for the company and show what the building is to be used for.

Institutional

When we get a Federal or a Provincial mandate, we meet the respective government representative, so that the we can get the requirements and see the problems on the site and the working conditions. We must also get security clearance. After our preliminary drawings are accepted we provide the execution drawings, specifications and itemized cost breakdowns. Once the contracts are signed, our firm then follow up on the site. In some cases the construction is carried out by the government own forces.