Andrew V. Giambertone & Associates Architects

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Let’s Get Started

It starts with a conversation. I always like to meet a prospective client in person, at my office, in a relaxed environment. We chat for a while, and get to know each other a bit, and how they came upon our firm.

Then we embark upon a discussion about why they are here. What are they looking to achieve? We discuss the general programmatic requirements of any project initially with our clients. We review the property and examine the Municipal Zoning code restrictions. We try to understand how they envision their project taking shape on the property. We then discuss their budget, and what their immediate, as well as long term goals are with respect to their budget. We try to understand their time-frame for the ex*****on of their project, what encumbrances there might be in the way of municipal approvals, and if their time-frame (in our eyes) is realistic and achievable, and describe how we see the project coming together in terms of time frame. We spend more time chatting, getting to know each other and understand a bit about their family (or in the case of a Commercial venture, their business). We also try to get a feel for what unique opportunities and challenges a potential project might offer our firm.

Then we discuss whether we are the right firm for their project, which is the most important decision. And this is critical to the success of any project, as we are collectively about to embark on a new relationship. Who might the other members of our team be? Is there a Contractor they have in mind, or a Designer or Landscape Architect they have worked with in the past that might make up part of the team? In this new relationship, our clients are going to entrust in our firm their time, energy and money. We want to make sure, regardless of the potential financial implications, that we are the right “fit” for each other, to ensure their investment reaps the best possible outcome.

Once retained, my colleagues and I visit the project site to study it in terms of Solar orientation, Potential views, Topography, Mature or significant plantings or trees, Context of the neighboring homes, as well as a review of how the zoning implications might impact the development of the site. With a firm understanding of the Site, we reconvene with a client to begin to develop what I like to call a “visual vocabulary”, which will inform the basis of our design. We all use words like “Traditional”, “Modern”, “French” or “Italian”, yet to each of us, those words conjure up an image unique to that individual. I’m not interested in whether your understanding of what makes a home “Classical” is in fact accurate, I’m interested in what image that word portrays in your mind. We look to develop a library of images, marking on each one what it means to our clients, as this will become the “Dictionary” for our collective use throughout our project.

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