FAQs
- What education and/or training do you have that relates to your work?
I am registered in several states and have to keep up with the continuing ed requirements of each of them. As a sustainable designer, this is an exciting time as there are also four or five new ideas in this arena every month being offered by manufacturers and experts. A personal bit of research I do is also in "currently unloved (and therefore inexpensive) building materials. Almost any material has proper usage where it can be designed to be exciting and attractive, so it is good to know what is out there as many of clients want a lot of project for a little bit of budget.
- Describe a recent project you are fond of. How long did it take?
I am happy to speak at length about any of my projects - we are a small firm and take care of our small stable of projects and become intimately attached to them all - and good friends with out clients. So we are particularly proud of every one. There are stories that might be more unique. Recently we talked a client out of needing a good chunk of our services - her house had such major issues with her patchy roof that we knew a contractor was more appropriate to get into it and deliver the alternative approaches she might have. Recently we had a client whose contractor was so conscientious that we had very little to do in observing construction, so we refunded a portion of our fee. Recently we took on a project with an impossibly short schedule for less fee because the client was so decisive about what they wanted and were willing to do lots of research on client selection items. We hit the schedule right on the mark. Recently we were also asked to create a house on a shoe-string budget. We agreed, but at a higher fee because it takes more planning and back-and-forth to get agreement about the use of alternative materials (which can keep the budget) and stripped-down (modern) detailing. The client, in the end, was thrilled with a little less space than they first thought they needed since the place was so beautifully well-proportioned and designed.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
Get what you deserve. A project is a mini-marriage for a number of months or years - make sure you will enjoy being "married" to the people involved.