Office

This proven methodology, described in this section, allows us to enjoy a high percentage of repeat patronage from our clients who have relied on RW&A for professional services over many years.

FIRM STRUCTURE

Our internal structure is organized to enable and encourage the principals and senior staff to directly participate and coordinate in all aspects of the work for the entire duration of the project. A studio structure led by a principal in charge is employed to establish continuity and to emphasize a team approach in collaborative consensus. Each team continues intact throughout the entire project to remain intimate with the conditions and to deliver to the client a professionally inclusive project.

PREDESIGN ANALYSIS

The initial step in the design process is the definition of the program requirements and the identification of the special site characteristics. RW&A works with the client in the predesign phase to identify space needs, adjacencies, cost budgets, code parameters, site contingencies and other criteria critical for the development of the program. A cardinal principal of our practice is the belief that the client should have full participation in the design process. Successful creative design demands the most complete cooperation between architect and client.

PROGRAMMING & SPACE PLANNING

Our methodology proposes a concentrated, intensive, front-end loaded design effort where programming, concept design, space planning and budget analysis are all accomplished quickly to set the overall direction of the project. Our team will schedule one-on-one user interviews with your key people to confirm space needs and affinities and to generate an optimal matrix of compatibility.

Our approach is to quickly transform the program organizational data into comparable graphic models. Alternative macro block arrangements can be evaluated and scored for optimal fit. More detailed space plan plots are achieved as personnel and equipment space requirements are micro programmed. RW&A provides experienced project leadership which is the key to gaining consensus through communication and review.

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION & OBSERVATION

Ultimately, to the client, the delivery of the project as a well budgeted, well built and tailored facility is the primary concern. This requires the depth of construction experience which we can offer. We are familiar with construction systems and technologies, materials, equipment and support systems and know how to document the construction criteria required to build your project. We cite our diversified record of buildings which indicates experience at all scales of development and types of construction.

Our experience overwhelmingly indicates that close observation, direction, and scheduling management is critical for the successful delivery of the project. We begin with a clear description of responsibilities, establish time schedules and critical paths to ensure that the project has a built in monitoring model and well defined direction towards construction completion.

Founded in 1985, Robert Ward & Associates, Inc. offers comprehensive professional services in the fields of architecture, planning, urban design, space planning and interiors. Although our practice is regionally based, we have major work to our credit throughout the United States.

Experience gleaned from our substantial body of work has led us to develop a specific methodology. This process of design and construction will be specific to the project at hand, but the methodology and philosophy of how to get the job done is based upon many similar projects. In other words, we are not experimenting.