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Why choose
Hickory Knoll Architects?

We Listen    

Sarah and Alex will always meet with you one-on-one.  Our personalized, custom approach to design ensures that your needs, wants, and vision will be forefront in the home design process.

We are Professional  

We have provided hundreds of unique homes during a combined experience of over thirty years in residential design and construction.  Sarah is licensed to practice architecture in Virginia, Maryland, and DC.

We Love What We Do    

We are excited to come to work everyday!  Past clients have mentioned that our excitement and energy help make the design process easy and fun.  We'd love to share our passion for architecture with you.

Our Process

We develop your vision and prepare it for reality.

Hickory Knoll Architects makes designing your perfect home efficient and enjoyable.  We've developed a simple path to create custom homes that fit any personality, style, and budget.  Read below for some insight into our design process and how we'll appreciate your dreams and help create a masterpiece for your family.

01

Define Your Goals

We'll meet at a scheduled consultation to begin discussions about your project and your needs.  Our goal will be to understand your vision as clearly as possible.  Some clients are just starting their journey and need help finding a property.  Others are excited to have found their dream site and are ready to dive into their home design.  At whatever stage you're in, we'd be thrilled to talk and help shape your project.
 

  • Send us a message or give us a call to start a conversation and schedule a time to meet.

  • ​It's wonderful if you can bring inspiration to help define your vision through layouts, photos, or a written description of your needs.

  • Next-level discussions would include a site plan or topography for a site.

  • If not already chosen, we'll start discussing builder selection along with setting a target start date and budget for construction

02

Create a Conceptual Design of Your Home

Sit back, relax, and let the architects impress you.  With a solid understanding of your goals in mind, Sarah and Alex will develop a house design through layouts and high-definition renderings that fit your vision.  We'll also prepare an an analysis of how much the project would cost to complete.  Once complete, we schedule a virtual presentation to share our designs and thoughts.  With luck, our initial design is well received and we can move forward to the next steps.  No worries if changes are needed.  We'll revise the designs until all of your questions have solutions.
 

  • We'll develop a design that meets your vision.​

  • In two or three weeks, we'll schedule a time to present our custom vision for your home.

  • Our presentation will provide layouts, 3D renderings, and an analysis of how much the project will cost to complete.

  • Revisions are carried out to ensure your design fits your goals.

  • Timeframe for conceptual design work is likely a month or so.

03

Drafting, Development, and Bidding

We are now excited to have the framework of your new house in place.  Our next task is to develop our awesome concept into a buildable house.  We'll start by drafting a set of construction drawings that will also be used of permitting.  We'll also want to start our selection process for exterior and interior finishes.  From there, we'll send the drawings and selections to your preferred builder for their questions and bids.  Once the budget is developed, we'll all meet together to resolve any questions and ensure the design fits your goals.
 

  • We'll prepare a set of drawings for use in construction and permitting.

  • Meanwhile, we'll start selecting finishes for the outside and inside of the house.

  • Once complete, we'll send the information to your favorite builder for bids.

  • With bids in hand, our team can all meet to iron-out details and finalize designs. 

  • Drafting and bidding will take two months or more to complete.

04

Permits & Construction

Look at you go!  Your custom house has been designed, your builder is selected, and your budget is finalized!  We've checked all of the boxes and now we need permission from your local jurisdiction to build your home.  We'll apply for your building permit with our set of drawings and any other documentation required.  With good communication and fingers crossed, we'll have your permits ready in no time and release your builder to begin construction.
 

  • Our final step before construction is permitting.

  • We'll apply for your permits with your local jurisdiction and prepare any revisions that they request.  Once comments are completed, we'll let you know the permits are ready.

  • The permit process typically takes a month or longer.

  • A quick construction process can take as little as eight months, but be prepared for a more typical twelve month timeframe.

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