It’s still February and we still have a couple months left of whatever this peculiar winter has to deliver, but if you have a construction project in mind, now may well be the time to start the planning process to ensure that your dream house, addition, office, or landscaping is completed by the time you need it and within your budget.
Reggie Konet, residential architect and principal of Konet Architecture, based in Glens Falls since 2005, points to the importance of both a set of construction documents, created with great specificity, and a lot of time spent with her client. She needs to be certain that what she has drawn, in terms of the design, scale, texture, and materials, is, in fact, what her client has expressed and that the project is affordable.
While a client may have a particular contractor in mind, Konet strongly recommends putting each project up for bid. This can help to clarify cost expectations in addition to providing some choices.
She said that new 3-D computer software called AutoDesk Revit is of great assistance in helping all parties involved in a building project see just how a project will look and work. Not only does the client get to see how design and material preferences will affect the overall appearance of the project, but because many engineers and others in the building trades also use this software, they can link remotely with Konet’s drawing to see if there any obstacles, such as a beam in the way of planned ductwork. Thus, issues can be rectified in advance, before real materials are involved, preventing glitches that could unnecessarily use up both time and dollars. Engineers and contractors can more accurately estimate just what materials and labor will cost.
The client should reasonably expect that the architect for the project will not only provide the initial design, but will act as the construction administrator, as well, including the client in every decision. The architect must be aware of any permits required in the course of the project and of any municipal board consultations needed in order to obtain those permits. Konet often accompanies clients to board meetings or attends without the client, if that party is unable to attend. The maze of local codes and ordinances is the architect’s to navigate with or for the client. Konet typically creates a weekly field report based on observations at the construction site, and delivers a progress report to her client and other project participants, such as engineers, kitchen designers, and other subcontractors.
Much of Konet’s work involves residential renovations, and she has discovered that many contractors will charge less if they are not obliged to complete their work while the occupants are in residence. Because there is no need to put away all tools and materials and render the site child-and pet-safe every night, the contractor and his crew can work with fewer interruptions, saving time and money. This solution may not work for everyone, but it may be worth considering. For renovations of seasonal residences, this may be less of an issue, though seasonal residents also need to consider that, given fickle Adirondack winters, there may be some delays on when a contractor can begin to tackle an outdoor project or possibly even gain access to vacation homes in more remote locations.
Konet Architecture can be reached at 409-6129. The website address is www.konetarchitecture.com.
Tony DeFranco is a licensed professional engineer, specializing in civil and environmental engineering. He has worked in private consulting, on public buildings such as hospitals and state university buildings and various civil infrastructure projects. Fort Ticonderoga and The Sagamore Resort have been DeFranco project sites, and he had oversight of a paper mill shutdown project, as well. He has also had experience on extremely large scale projects, including the $800 million Northeast Corridor Electrification Project.
He returned to his roots in Hague to manage his parents’ landscaping business, DeFranco Landscaping,Inc., and to establish his own civil engineering firm. In 2010, he was awarded the Frank Leonbruno Lake Stewardship Award from the Lake George Watershed Coalition, for his work in low-impact development (LID), maximizing quality of life while limiting impacts on the surrounding environment in numerous Lake George shoreline projects.
In establishing an initial cost estimate for a project, DeFranco notes the importance of considering both the client’s expressed budget and a contingency for unforeseen expenses that cannot be determined until the project is started. Should glitches arise, having a contingency fund budgeted avoids situations where, “expensive machinery and equipment are idling or waiting for decisions and delays to be resolved,” said DeFranco. “The old adage of time is money” is true, he observed.
DeFranco further pointed out that a recent survey of the construction site will clearly establish property lines and note whether there are any easements to consider regarding project location in order to avoid costly misplacement of construction.
He further recommends that builder and client pay a visit to the local zoning enforcement officer before a project begins to review local codes for the building site. Thus, before ever attending a planning board meeting, the involved parties are clear on the information necessary to include in the plan in order for the board to render a decision and avoid delay of the project’s beginning. A land-use attorney can be an important member of the project team, to attend planning board meetings with the builder and client. Depending on the client’s budget, the scale of the project, and various site conditions, a wetland specialist and/or a soils/geotechnical engineer may be valuable contributors to the project’s design team.
A project planner should begin planning at the site, in order to have truly accurate information about site conditions. Sensitive areas such as wetlands can be identified, steep slopes noted, soil type investigated, and bedrock and ground water levels established. Thus, placement of a building and the wastewater system can be established. Stormwater management is critical, not only because of an increasing number of regulations in that domain, but simply because water has the potential to impact neighboring properties or bodies of water. Sound stormwater management considerations impact the immediate project, and can potentially save a client the expense of future lawsuits from neighbors, or fines for pollution, or having to rebuild drainage systems to comply.
DeFranco strives to help clients with lakeside properties understand the reasons for the measures that he takes, both during construction and in the completed project, to minimize stormwater drainage into the lake. Snakelike mesh wattles filled with straw, along with silt fences are temporary erosion control measures used to prevent runoff from soils loosened during construction. As the project is completed, various “green infrastructure” aspects of permanent stormwater management are substituted for the temporary measures. Rain gardens, permeable paver systems, a Dura-Flo Peat Fiber Biofilter System, and shoreline buffers using native plants to create a natural wetland can all be part of the stormwater management. Using plants and trees as buffers allows their roots to absorb water and filter out potential pollutants, while adding beauty to the shoreline. Additionally, the presence of shoreline vegetation serves as a deterrent for Canada geese to land on the property because such vegetation could be providing camouflage for predators. Thus, property is enhanced for the landowner and the lake is protected for all.
DeFranco can be reached at 543-6089. The website address for DeFranco Landscaping is www.DeFrancoLandscaping.com.
Tom Albrecht, general contractor and president of Hilltop Construction (which will celebrate its 35th anniversary later this year) acknowledges that the planning of a construction project is “not a simple path.” His company has both a residential and a commercial division, and he echoes the opinions of other building professionals that communication and collaboration among clients, the architect, subcontractors and other project participants are critical elements required to establish a job cost estimate that matches the client’s budget. Understanding the customer’s time line – when a project needs to be completed, and why – contributes to a successful job. Customers with whom Hilltop has repeat business repeatedly echo the theme, “They listen to me. Tom understands what I want.”
With regard to codes and regulations, Albrecht cautions that these are always changing, and one must keep up with these changes in order to save time in the permit application process. While some may squirm at the very stringent permitting process in certain municipalities, Albrecht appreciates the clarity it affords him in knowing just what factors he needs to consider in his planning process. “You know where you stand,” he says. In estimating each project, taking into consideration the specific use of the particular building, its tenants, its parking needs, and other variables, Albrecht can reflect how, “Each building is married up to the codes.”
Much organization is required before the construction phase of a project actually starts. Once plans for heating and cooling systems, window placement, and other factors have been translated from plans to building materials, says Albrecht, “Things just don’t get changed” without interrupting the time line and affecting the cost. That said, there will be “bumps in the road,” and one needs to consider such things when laying out a construction schedule and estimating costs. Albrecht appreciates the advantages afforded by technology today, such as being able to actually see an image of the building project as another has envisioned it, in order to bring more clarity to the discussions of the planning process.
Hilltop Construction, based in Hudson Falls, can be reached at 798-0338. Their website address is www.hilltopconstructionco.com.
If you’re planning a project, begin communicating with your building professionals now. Check out those regulations and codes, get to know your zoning officer, and be clear about your time line and your budget. Make sure your team of building professionals has the technology available to allow you to see exactly what your ideas will look like as they are translated from vision to reality. Then you can go back to dealing with winter for a while more.
Photo By Harry Weinhagen