Architects and interior designers are well aware of the various stages involved in making their designs a reality. It is also important to know where to turn when wanting to use innovative, sustainable, luxury building products – especially from foreign vendors. So, let’s take a quick look at what professionals do – and what you can do as a professional – to make each step easier and save money:

Pre-design

The first phase is about getting to know your client’s needs, beginning to do some preliminary research and developing a contract with the client. The research which needs to be conducted in the stage includes:

• obtaining existing drawings/plans/surveys of the site and its surroundings
• understanding building regulations/restrictions of the area
• visiting the building site to make an initial assessment of the conditions
• making a list of suggested contractors such as civil engineers, surveyors, etc.

After you have gathered this information and have a solid idea of the client’s project, you will need to write up a contract with your fees based on the services that you will be providing. Once your client agrees with your terms and signs the contract, you can then begin to work on preliminary designs.

Concept/schematic design

The next phase is the concept or schematic design phase. During this stage of your project, along with gathering information on the bureaucratic aspects of building codes and costs, you will begin to get an idea of the design that you are looking for and even begin a preliminary search for the products that you would like to adorn your home or restoration project. The difficulty here for anyone – even for architects and interior designers looking to use Italian products – is knowing who to turn to to find what you’re looking for in terms of quality, aesthetics, and price (to read more on this, download our free guide to finding the best of Made in Italy building products here). The good news is you won’t have to face this daunting task alone! We will work with you during this phase to find lasting, high-quality, innovative solutions which will satisfy your every need and desire. And thanks to our extensive network of specialists, we can also help you through the logistics of getting building materials to your area to make sure you don’t encounter unwanted surprises during or after the construction phase.

At this point, you will have defined your style, your budget, your preliminary design, and materials, found the necessary contractors and come to an understanding of the building regulations and cost estimates. You’ll be at a great point in your project, but, as you can well imagine, there’s still work to be done. Stay tuned for our next post in which we’ll cover the final important steps to take to make your dream project a reality!

Interested in seeing how Atlantic Link can help you import materials from Italy?

Check out our past projects and see what we are able to do for you!