Client Expectations
Photo credit: Sidekix Media
Every project has two clients: the homeowner and the building. Recognizing that both parties possess unspoken expectations of our Design/Build team, you may ask, “When does October 5’s focus shift from one client to the other?“
During the spring of 2020, two former Design/Build clients contacted us with new projects. One was a bay-front townhome remodel for retiring clients who purchased a smaller home in the same community. The other project was for recently married homeowners who purchased an additional single story home in their neighborhood that was in need of an addition and interior remodel.
At the schematic and design phases, we referred to the projects as “Mr. & Mrs. X’s remodel.” Halfway through the design documents (and continuing through construction documents), our focus shifted from our clients’ expectations toward the structure’s expectations. While maintaining focus on the homeowners’ wishes, we introduced, focused on, and integrated the structures’ prerequisites, asking ourselves: What does the structure want? Durable materials, alignment, perfection, symmetry and balance?
The “good enough” philosophy has never been a part of October 5’s vocabulary. Every aspect of a project, from cabinets to tile layout to plumbing and electrical installations, is customized and special. A major reason clients choose us is because they know we deliver homes and interiors you’d never describe as off-the-shelf, typical or average.
As our client discussions began putting greater attention on the buildings’ prerequisites, what began as “Mr. & Mrs. X’s remodel” turned into “4505 North Carlisle Road.” In effect, the project became the second client.
Yes, clients always have the final say, but the silent client—the building itself—requires consideration and a team that advocates for its needs. We “let the building breathe” and stress the importance of paying attention to the building’s expectations: everything from natural light, function and flow, to durability, longevity and beauty.
Only by taking in the desires of the client, listening to the needs of the building itself, and providing superior communication throughout the Design/Build process, can a project reach its full potential. With forward-thinking and imaginative designs carefully brought to life, we meet the specific needs and aesthetics of the homeowners, while also providing the attention to quality and details that make a building last a lifetime.
Before your next project, be sure you have the personalized, custom planning from a firm like October Five Fine Home Builders to help you consider how your desires and a building’s needs can complement and enhance each other to turn a building into a fine home.
Visit our past projects page to see how attention to our clients’ desires and a building’s needs can result in perfection.
