Design with intention...
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The Process
The Process
Initial Discussion: We define priorities and goals that will shape the overall design direction.
Site Analysis / Site Visit: Identify opportunities and constraints that inform design potential. We begin to understand the project site, together.
Programming: This is where we begin to define the vision and develop a clear program based on inspiration, space needs, sustainability goals, and budget.
Schematic Design: Create initial plans, diagrams, and 3D studies to test spatial and architectural ideas. We also begin rough cost estimates.
Design Development: The final design begins to take shape, while coordination with the full project team, including consultants and contractors, irons out the details.
Construction Documents: The actual blueprints and specifications for the project are created, ensuring clarity, buildability, and code compliance.
Construction: The project gets built! Behind the scenes, bidding and permitting occurs, shop drawings are reviewed, and the quality work of the contractors is confirmed.
Douglas Kahl, AIA
Douglas Kahl, AIA
With more than 15 years of experience in the built environment, my career has centered on renovation, reinvention, and practical problem-solving.
I spent my early years working with the University of Wisconsin system and then spent more than a decade in Minnesota’s K–12 sector, as a project manager for much of that time. My past projects have ranged from one-room office renovations to multi-million-dollar renovations/additions, as well as new buildings. For a sampling of my past projects and experiences, see PROJECTS LIST.
Renovation work — whether schools, homes, or commercial spaces — has always been my preference and ambition. Adaptive reuse projects, though, are especially rewarding. Transforming an existing building to serve an entirely new purpose, while preserving its original character, is the kind of work I find most meaningful.
I currently reside in Saint Paul with my shiba inu, Buck, and we look forward to meeting you!
Where'd the name "Four Seven" come from?
Where'd the name "Four Seven" come from?
The short answer: Star Trek.
My first inkling that I wanted to be an architect was after seeing the Enterprise in one of the original-cast movies, when I was in fifth grade. After drawing plans for my own versions of other starships, I later concluded that I needed to focus my design efforts on more earthly endeavors.
I continued to watch virtually every episode from every Star Trek series. Years later, though, I would be made aware of a continued reference/joke from the shows' writers, where they included the number "47" in the dialogue of numerous episodes.
I have immense respect and admiration for a long-running repeating reference like this... from a franchise I adore. "Four Seven" is my little nod to the catalyst that led me to become an architect.
Check out this Fandom link: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/47
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