Connecticut Cottages & Gardens 2011 Innovation in Design Awards

Steven Mueller Architects, LLC and Deane Inc. are proud to announce that they won an award for second place in the category of "Kitchen Design" in the Connecticut Cottages & Gardens2011 Innovation in Design Awards.

This was the fifth annual IDA Awards competition sponsored by Connecticut Cottages & Gardens and Westchester Cottages and Gardens for design excellence in the categories of Landscape, Kitchen, Interior Design, Bath and Architecture. This competition recognizes the very best in architecture and design throughout Connecticut and Westchester.

The winners were chosen by a stellar panel of design professionals: Adam Hopfner from the Yale School of Architecture; Mathew Patrick Smyth, the well-known interior designer; Anthony Baratta from the design team of Diamond & Baratta; Lou Marotta, the contributing editor and interior designer and antiques expert; Philip Gorrivan, the Country Life columnist and interior designer; and Frances Palmer, a noted potter and gardener. Each brought a keen eye and specialty to the judging

With over two hundred applicants, the finalists were recognized at an awards reception and dinner on May 24, 2011 held in the Garden Pavilion at the Hilton Stamford Hotel.

The award winning projects were featured in the July/August edition of Connecticut Cottages & Gardens and the summer issue of Westchester Cottages and Gardens.

The Architectural Process: A Four Part Series

Part 4: Permitting, Construction Administration, and Construction Observation

The Architectural Process continues into the Permitting and Construction Administration/ Observation Phase. Once the documents are completed, bids have been received, and a contractor is selected, the permitting process begins. An application is submitted by the project owner, or by the owner’s representative, to the town or municipal building department. A fee, based on the projected cost of construction, is normally required in order to have the plans reviewed for compliance with town requlations and all related building codes.

Separate permits are sometimes required for electrical, plumbing and HVAC components. After the permit is issued, the owner has legal permission to begin construction. During the course of construction, code officials inspect the project at various phases to insure that all work conforms to the terms of the permit and all code specifications.

Then, during construction, the architect provides construction administration and observation. This normally consists of weekly site meetings between the architect and the builder to answer questions and review progress. The architect provides responses to requests for information, reviews change orders, and approves requests for payment submitted to the owner by the contractor.

Other tasks performed by the architect include review of samples and materials, and checking of detailed shop drawings supplied by the builder. Shop drawings might be submitted for such items as steel and concrete fabrication, windows and doors, and cabinetry.

The architect also observes construction to assure that the design intentions of the project as conceived are realized in the built structure. Further coordination with project consultants such as civil or structural engineers, landscape architects, or interior designers may be needed as questions arise during construction. Toward the end of the process, a punchlist is developed so that all parties are aware of final items to be finished, and the project is then completed.

In the end, the goals of the architectural process are achieved when the client takes possession of a well-designed, well-built project.

This concludes our four-part series on the Architectural Process.