Q+ Process

Pre-Design

Ideally, we begin each project with a Programming phase to help our clients define the scope and goals for their project. It is all about being proactive – seeking out potential challenges and opportunities that go beyond the basic needs of a project. This exploration process is done in collaboration with an owner's team representing a variety of views and values. At the end of Pre-Design, there is a shared understanding of the project objectives in terms of function and image, and the impact on costs (both short-term and life-cycle).

Design

Design is the foundation for everything we do. In support of this, we value a process that is inclusive and comprehensive, addressing the needs and desires identified by our clients. We explore alternatives using the latest 3D modeling techniques. We identify and research case studies to understand precedent and preferences. We offer clear distinctions between functional and image concerns. Plus, the entire Quackenbush Architects + Planners design team has input. We accomplish this via rigorous, in-office charrettes where any and all ideas are up for discussion.

Construction Documents

Want an earful? Then ask a contractor about the quality of a typical set of contract documents. Coordination, consistency and completeness vary dramatically from one set to the next. This has serious implications on the quality of the final project.

Quackenbush Architects + Planners takes pride in the construction documents we produce. Over the years, we have relied on input from review agencies and contractors to refine our documentation process. It is not uncommon for a contractor to remark on the quality of our documents and how they facilitate better bids on bid day.

Construction Administration

The original project team is not done when the design is finalized. The members of that team simply – and seamlessly – move on to assume key oversight and consulting roles during the construction phase. We monitor implementation of the pre-set construction sequence. We provide on-site observation. We step up with nimble solutions when needed. In short, we are there to help ensure the construction of a project is completed on schedule and as intended.

Interior Design

We know imaginative interiors can stimulate, soothe, amuse, and polish an image. We also know well-planned space is imperative for optimum operational efficiency. The first quality is based on emotive, aesthetic decisions like scale, colors and types of material. The latter is clearly based on logic. It is the successful fusion of creativity and logic that equals Intelligent Design, an approach Quackenbush Architects + Planners has implemented for a wide range of projects – both new construction and adaptive reuse/renovation.

The fusion of creativity and logic= Intelligent Design. Quackenbush Architects + Planners' team offers a broad range of project experience, including learning, work, and casual interraction spaces - projects with a variety of requirements for function, longevity, image and budget.

Master Planning

Our master plans build consensus about a sense of place and create tools that allow this vision to become reality. Whether partnering with a developer or public institution, we like to begin with community participation and focus groups. Findings from these sessions help identify and refine key goals and issues and, in turn, become a decision-making filter as the process moves forward. It is a major element of our guiding principle of Master Planning, which is to avoid the temptation to think of buildings as standalone objects.

Our process optimizes the opportunities between traditional "planning" and architecture. On one hand, addressing issues of market analysis, growth models, traffic analysis, etc. that are represented in a conceptual plan. On the other, creating specific models based on architectural prototyping and site planning.

Summary

Quackenbush Architects + Planners has the creativity, experience and insight to design exceptional buildings and places. We deliver projects on time and in budget. We work from a perspective of clarity and innovation. We always strive to develop elegant designs with uncompromised aesthetics and functionality.

Showcase Project

SCVRD Lyman Center

As the first new Center to be built for the South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department in over twenty years, the Lyman Center reflects the current mission and philosophy of the Department, providing counseling, rehabilitation, and work production services. The new 35,000sf structure, to be constructed in two phases, is subdivided into three major program components: an area office, a 10,000sf production/training floor, and a special services unit for occupational and physical therapy. Designed for an organization that values its relationships within the business community, the facility appeals to corporate and technological aesthetics while also blending with its organic, wooded site on the Middle Tyger River.

Northeast Engineering / Science Classroom Facility Construction

This 68,000 sq. ft. classroom building addition at the Northeast Technology Campus will become the new home of the Engineering and Science departments of the College. The program features teaching labs and classrooms focusing on clean energy technology, biotechnology, and advanced manufacturing, supporting the mission of the College’s regional research partners. The design features strategies to provide student centered “casual” spaces that encourage social interaction and collaboration. The facility will showcase flexible spaces and planning strategies to respond to changes in mission and technology.

School Designs Change with the Times

If back-to-school brings visions of the proverbial little red schoolhouse, better think again. Today’s schools are more a combination of brain research, educational advancements, sustainability and technology, bringing new challenges for school architects and designers. This amphitheater was built into the design of the Center for Knowledge as another area of learning. (Photo/Courtesty Quackenbush Architects & Planners) “It’s really like the chicken and the egg,” said architect Doug Quackenbush, as educators and architects collaborate on designing new schools using resources and ideas from both fields. “We give school districts good advice on a fully performing 21st century school while they inform us of new teaching techniques and educational trends.”