Before we begin design work on an existing home that's going to be part of a renovation or building addition, we'll ask our clients if they have any existing plans of their Seattle or Bellevue home. In some cases, we get lucky and the client provides a wealth of documentation to start their project. In others, we start from the beginning. In these cases, AKJ Architects will recommend that a survey be obtained and at the same time, we'll start field measuring your home to collect data that will be used to generate CAD plans and elevations of the As-Built conditions of your home. These computer drawings are called the As-Built architectural drawings.
Gathering the data takes time. And, as one might expect, if the data collected is detailed, then the design concepts that are developed for you will be quite accurate. We prefer good data. Sometimes, we'll ask to cut a hole in a particular wall or ceiling to measure existing framing in an effort to make informed decisions regarding ideas we're developing for you both architecturally and structurally. These explorations benefit the team by minimizing surprises when construction actually starts.