Jauregui

As a residential architect and head of an established design/build firm, it has been challenging for me to approach this column, “Jauregui On Design”, from a design perspective only.  It’s like designing with one arm tied behind my back.  With the indulgence of the magazine’s readership, I’m going to direct this article to my fellow design/build companies. 

One of the queries we often get from prospective clients is what advantages do we offer over the traditional method of working with an architect and builder independently.  I will approach this from a perspective based on my own company’s organization and services…

Continue reading: Advantages of Design/Build

As a professional architect, I have dedicated 25 years of my career to residential design/build.  I am an absolute advocate of this delivery system and I thought to share a few insights that have become evident. 

Since architects doing only residential design are so few, it’s easy to conclude that those with design/build firms are truly an anomaly. To say the least, it’s been a hit-and-miss endeavor and creative challenge to evolve the successful delivery system which my company follows today.... 

Continue reading: Design/Build Delivery

Sustainability; energy consciousness; being kind to Mother Earth…these are concepts that have been with us for a long, long time.  We really began to see dramatic impact to our lifestyles following the 1973 oil embargo, which served to shut down our high consumption party for a period. 

Now after decades of debating global warming and finite resources, we find ourselves deep into a Middle Eastern debacle that involves fossil fuel.  The impact of energy conservationism can be seen within our industry in rising construction costs in every direction.  This affects our design clients directly as it impacts affordability, resulting in reduced square footage and limited architectural features.... 

Continue reading: Economy of Green

There is a fine line between architecture and interior design. Architects in the residential market have traditionally shied away from specifying products, relinquishing this area of material specifications to others.  As professionals, we can embrace this facet of the project so that the end product better reflects the architect’s original vision. This need not preclude working with interior designers, who may remain involved, for instance, in the selection of custom finishes, furniture and window treatments.  The architect, however, can specify fixtures, appliances, plumbing, tile and hardware, etc., as well as cabinetry since it greatly impacts the interior look and neatly fits into CAD development. 

Moving away from allowances and toward greater specificity is a very good objective for an architectural firm. In order to provide this professional expertise to the client, the architect will need to become well informed about what’s available in the marketplace. 

Continue reading: Design Specificity