Working With Behr Design

Our Design Process

Initial Design Meeting

In our initial design meeting we will first discuss the property. This is the most important part of the process. If at all possible the first design meeting should begin on the build site. Here we can discuss the orientation of the home. We can discuss certain views we would like to capture or items we would like to hide. We discuss your personalized needs, wants and desires. Your design team takes meticulous notes to make sure nothing is overlooked.

Your Custom Home Style

Next, we discuss what style of home you would like and how you want the floor plan to flow. This is where the custom plan really has its benefits. Most clients will bring in pictures or magazine photos that illustrate their personal likes and dislikes. The more we can understand how you will live in your new home the better we will be able to design the home to suit your individuality. This is where we will discuss budget and how that reflects to square footage and specification levels. Most lots and sub-divisions have Architectural Guidelines that we will have to abide by and we will discuss what they are and how this will affect your design.

Your Custom Home Style

The next time we will get together will be to present you with the initial design. We offer to a complimentary design meeting to discuss all of these aspects.

The presentation meeting will usually include:

  • The Floor Plans

  • The Site Plan

  • The Front Rendering

The Working Drawings

We will walk you through the floor plans and discuss why we feel the design will fit your lifestyle. This phase will eventually evolve into your home through discussion about likes and dislikes. Generally you should plan to go back and forth and revise this first design two or three times before it is exactly what you want. During this process if you have selected a builder we will have them involved to make sure we are staying on budget. If you do not have a builder at this time it is a good idea to get some preliminary prices from builders approved by your sub-division at this time.

Once you receive some pricing and the final design sketches have been approved we will continue to the construction documents.

The first phase will include:

  • Dimensioned Site Plan

  • Dimensioned Floor Plans

  • All Four Exterior Elevations

We will have an approval meeting at this phase and discuss the interior and exterior finishes, doors, windows, and building products.

The next phase will include structural plans including:

  • Foundation Plan and/or Basement Plans showing footings and beams

  • Framing Plans showing joist and beam location for each floor

  • Structural Detailing including building sections and material call-outs

Other features available in our working drawings will include:

  • Door and Window Schedule shown on the floor plans

  • Electrical plans for each floor showing outlets, lighting, speakers, phone, cable, etc.

  • Cabinet Designs

This is also where we can specify and detail specialty products and “Green Building” practices to include but not be limited to:

  • Elevator specifications

  • HVAC specifications

  • Building waste recycling programs

  • Solar Panel Systems

  • Concealed Crawl Space Systems

  • Foam Insulation Systems

  • Low VOC Paints and Finishes

  • Mold Resistant Products

  • Advanced Framing Options

  • The Building Phase

The Building Phase

Once the working drawings are completed you are ready to build, and our service does not end there. We will stay connected and become available for questions and or problems that will arise during the building process. Site visits and progress reports are also offered, usually for clients that live out of town and will not be able to visit the job site regularly. Other services that are useful to clients and builders is a color perspective of the project. This will help envision exactly what the home will look like either for a keepsake to display in the home or for marketing tools by the builder.

The Completed Home

Now you can enjoy your new custom designed home which will not only pay dividends by being designed just for you and your lot, but will generally hold a better resale value for you in the future.