Croix Design & Drafting offers architectural design and drafting services for new homes, remodeling, additions, and any residential projects. For more than 22 years, we have worked with home owners, builders, architects and contractors bringing their concepts to reality.
Although the majority of our designs are for projects in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Iowa, we have designed projects throughout the United States, Mexico, and Caicos Islands in the British West Indies.
We design home plans with a variety of materials and techniques including concrete, steel, masonry block, insulated concrete forms (ICF’s), precast plank, wood, net zero methods, and other home construction products. Our typical plan set includes all floor plans, all exterior elevations, foundation plan, basement finishing plans, cross sections, bird’s eye roof plan, and specific details as needed or requested. Although not included, we do offer electrical plans, cabinet layout/design, cabinet elevations and interior elevations if needed.
Design/Build Process
We use the following design/build process to ensure we deliver the best possible services to you on a consistent basis.
Step 1: Introductory Meeting
Whether on the phone, through e-mail, or in person, the first step is to paint a broad picture of what you are looking for! During the introductory meeting, we gather as much information as possible in order to eliminate the need for multiple meetings. This includes the major ideas, such as size and style of the home, the number of bedrooms you would like to have, and more. The first step is to identify your major needs, so we can start work together on getting the right house drawn for you! We can start with a plan we have, a plan you have, sketches on a cocktail napkin, or even just your imagination. Our designers will work with just about anything to get the ball rolling in the right direction! This includes a written proposal, as well as a cost estimate to help eliminate any surprises and guesswork, letting you know the approximate bill up front.
Step 2: Preliminary Design Process
After the rough ideas have been established, we start the preliminary design process. At this point we work with you to bring all of the ideas to life on paper. These drawings are simplified concepts to get sizes and layouts right. Want to upgrade to a walk-in pantry, we can add it in! Deciding that the bonus room isn’t in your budget? We can handle that as well. This step is to narrow down all the original inspiration in a more focused direction. Ideas and moods change, and Croix will work with you to ensure the plan is a reflection of you.
Step 3: Exterior Elevations
With the floor plan shaping up, we can begin to draw the front of your new home! While the inside is where you will spend much of your time, the exterior of the home is a chance to showcase your ideas and personality to the world. We will work with you to design the roofline of your dreams, as well as create the precise facade you are looking for. Feel free to provide photos of interesting ideas you may have, or if you see the perfect window set, let us know! This is an exciting step of the process, and the more information you have to offer, the better!
Step 4: Final Plan Documents
With the final changes ironed out, and the outside coming to life, we begin putting the finishing touches on everything. This is where we polish everything up, and prepare the construction documents for your new home! At this stage most everything is taken care of, but a small change here or there is still welcome if circumstances change. This final set includes everything you need to obtain bids from builders, or, if you already have one in mind, go right to the city to apply for a building permit!
Step 5: Final Modifications, Finishing the Project
After the documents are complete and into your hands, we move into the billing phase of the project. This calls back the initial proposal, and our estimated cost for design and drafting. Sometimes things go slightly awry, or unforeseen circumstances rear their head. In this case we are always available to make final adjustments to ensure the project works out. This may also come with a small price change, though we will inform you throughout each step if the bid will be raising at all. On the other hand, there are many cases where everything goes brilliantly from start to finish, and the final bill comes in under the initial estimate! We never want to leave you with anything less than the utmost satisfaction, and will adjust our price reflective on the work we have performed.
After moving through each of the 5 steps, you should be well on your way to the home of your dreams! We always love to hear from our clients, and if you have any feedback throughout the process, feel free to let us know. The best feeling we have here at Croix is knowing that we have been able to provide a pristine product with excellent customer service. If you want to love your new home, give us a call today at (763) 757-5997, and get started designing your dreams.