The first thing we do is to establish the “Scope of Work” for the project. This includes your goals, such as a certain square footage required, or the types of rooms, spaces, or functions that need to be accommodated. The more detail you can provide, the better job your architect can do to satisfy your needs. We often find that descriptions like “large” can be too subjective, so we delve deeper to understand what “large” means to you. Sometimes, clients share inspiration images to convey their goals and tastes. Each person thinks and communicates differently, and we work with you the best

Each project is different. Sometimes, we need to do work before we can begin design. For example, we may need you to provide us with a site survey, to locate property lines and topographical information. Sometimes, we may need to measure and draw as-built plans before we can start a remodeling project.

You’re not alone. The first step is just a conversation, to hear about what is currently working for you, and what isn’t. At Sato Architects, we specialize in analyzing existing buildings and sites, prioritizing needs, and maximizing impact for budget. We approach each project with a listening mentality, making sure we start each project with a full understanding of our clients’ and stakeholders’ needs. We have conversations about potential constraints (such as code restrictions, budgetary concerns, or constructability) and trades-offs to define our clients’ priorities, and then offer our expertise to interpret these goals into functional and elegant designs with longevity in mind.

Sometimes, an initial conversation is enough for us to set the project goals. Other times, an in-depth Feasibility Study is required in order to determine the best path forward. The purpose of the Feasibility Study is to understand possibilities in order to make an informed decision about moving forward. During this process, we present you with multiple design options, and work with a contractor or estimator to provide rough ballpark pricing for each option. Sometimes we also make a plan to phase work, if a client’s budget does not allow for doing everything at once.

At Sato Architects, Inc., we approach design as an iterative, collaborative, and joyful process. We welcome ideas and feedback from our clients and understand that great design inherently comes from a deep care and respect for others. Our collaborative process ensures that your opinions are heard, and we use our expertise to interpret your feedback into the design.

Additionally, our team-oriented approach is meant to bring out the strengths of each project member, to collectively produce the best project result. We introduce you to trusted contractors and consultants early in the process, in order to empower our clients to make informed decisions that include realistic information about budgets and schedules.

If you’ve been interviewing a few different architects or designers, you’ll find that there is a lot of variety in the way we work and charge for our services. Fees commonly range from fixed fees, to hourly rates, to percentage of construction cost.

For most of our projects, we provide our services under a mix of fixed fees and hourly rates. These fixed fees are based on how much time we think it will take for us to deliver your project, based on in-house data for similar projects. For portions of the project where there are too many variables to fairly predict our fees, we bill hourly. For example, our time required during permitting widely varies depending on the project complexity and government agencies reviewing our plans.

For interior design services, we bill hourly for our time and allow our clients to pay directly for products and materials using our trade pricing.

Yes! We deal with construction on a daily basis, and have seen the range in capabilities of contractors. We are absolutely delighted to recommend contractors with whom we have had successful, pleasant experiences. In fact, the success of our projects depends upon having well qualified builders as part of the project team. After all, it doesn’t matter if we have great plans if nobody follows them.

Our process is somewhat unique because we like to bring in a trusted contractor early on in design to provide ballpark pricing. This allows our clients to make informed decisions, and ensures that we don’t get too far along in visioning without a reality check. We are not a Design-Build company, but relying on our contractors’ expertise allows us to provide some of the benefits that a Design-Build firm can offer.

You can rest assured that when you hire our small team, you know exactly who is working on your project. We are a small boutique firm, and Audrey Sato, the principal architect, oversees every phase of every project. We don’t outsource our work, and your project won’t be simply passed along to junior staff.

We sometimes operate with a wait list for new clients. In order to keep our firm size small and provide high quality work, we intentionally do not take on more work than we can handle. Please reach out about current timelines.

A typical project is broken down into the following phases: Pre-Design, Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Bidding/Negotiations, Permit Expediting, and Construction.

In Pre-Design, we understand the client’s and stakeholder’s needs through conversations and observation of how existing spaces are being utilized. We also identify any constraints that will impact the project, such as zoning codes, budget, or site limitations.

Design is an iterative, collaborative, and joyful process for us. During this phase, we deliver the design on a more schematic level, and work on revisions with our clients. We also solicit input on ballpark pricing from general contractors or cost estimators, so that are clients are making informed decisions.

After the overall design is pinned down, Design Development begins. This is where we start working on details of the design, such as lighting and electrical plans and design of built-in elements. We also start on-boarding our consultant team.

Our Construction Documents are developed with clarity in mind, especially for how the contractor and trades will view the drawings. Unique features are identified and detailed with special attention paid to critical components like key architectural elements, material transitions, waterproofing, accessibility, acoustical, or other code-related requirements for the project.

Bidding/Negotiations are done with contractor(s) once we have enough information to get detailed pricing. We assist you through this process by introducing you to contractors, creating bid documents, and helping you analyze bids.

Permit Expediting typically is done in-house. We obtain required approvals from governmental agencies and coordinate this process with the project team.

Construction is the time for the contractor to shine. Our role is mainly to look at whether the construction conforms to the construction documents. We also assist the team by answering questions, reviewing contractor submittals, and visiting the site.