ABOUT
When most people think of an Architect, they probably think of someone who is an artist; a dreamer and creative, sketching out elaborate ideas on napkins when the moment strikes. While all of that is still true, we pride ourselves on designing with practicality.
We find impressive design solutions alongside cumbersome codes and build great relationships with contractors and other design professionals through a deep knowledge and appreciation for their trade.
Our mission is twofold. First, we want to get to know you and your lifestyle. Is your family growing? Do you work from home? Do you love to cook? Do you feel priced out of the Seattle market? We take your programmatical needs and budget seriously. Second, we want to earn your trust and be not only your architect, but your consultant throughout the process. We will collaborate to meet a united goal: a beautiful home.
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Whether you are looking to build a new home, add an addition to an existing home, do a full-gut remodel, we will be able to assist you from concept to completion.
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SERVICES
Our services are for homeowners, investors, developers, and real estate professionals.
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ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN
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INTERIOR DESIGN
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FEASIBILITY
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CODE RESEARCH
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REAL ESTATE ANALYSIS
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AS-BUILTS
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SPECIFICATIONS
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PERMITTING
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CONTRACTOR SELECTION
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CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
PROJECT TYPES
We have designed and permitted for over 100 projects (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana) since 2017.
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SINGLE FAMILY
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DADU/ADU
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MULTI-FAMILY
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TOWNHOUSE / ROWHOUSE
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TENANT IMPROVEMENT
TEAM
CHAD KOONTZ, AIA
ARCHITECT
Chad was born and raised in Spokane and moved to Seattle in 2010. He is a licensed architect in the state of Washington and holds both a Bachelor of Architecture degree and Master of Architecture degree from Washington State University.
Prior to founding his own architecture practice in 2017, Chad worked for several firms in the Seattle area. Some project highlights include: A 270-unit, luxury apartment complex in South Lake Union; over 30 Starbucks across the nation; 10 custom residential homes in the Kirkland/Bellevue area; and a 20-unit multi-family, townhouse development project in Factoria, WA.
Chad has 13 years of professional practice in both commercial and residential Architecture. In addition to his expertise in design and permitting, Chad is extremely well-versed in construction and engineering. He has acted as both the architect and general contractor for his own home remodels as well as for clients in the Seattle area—the most recent being a 1913 Dutch Colonial that was in desperate need of renovation.
When not practicing architecture, you can find Chad either painting, playing the guitar and drums, or tackling a new project on his own home.
LICENSE: 11240
EDUCATION: Washington State University, Penn State University in Rome, Italy, Denmark’s Copenhagen University, Rhode Island School of Design
LINDSAY KOONTZ
PROJECT COORDINATOR
Lindsay was born and raised in Sacramento and moved to Seattle in 2009. Leaving the suburbs of California, she quickly fell for the charm of the Pacific Northwest, especially the unique and quirky architecture of old Victorian, craftsman, and colonial homes.
Lindsay’s background is in graphic design and digital marketing for boutique and luxury companies. At Koontz Architecture, Lindsay wears many hats, including design, project management, and business operations. Her passion is building strong relationships with clients, contractors, and building department officials to ensure successful and smooth projects. She is also a licensed real estate agent in the state of Washington and loves to help clients analyze the financial impacts of selling, buying, building, or remodeling their home.
In her free time, Lindsay owns and operates a guest suite on Airbnb and enjoys hanging out with her long-haired mini dachshund or finding a new restaurant to try.
LICENSE: Washington Real Estate Broker, with Kelly Right Real Estate
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PROCESS
FEASIBILITY
Analyzing your property is a very important first step in the architectural process. In a basic feasibility study, we review permit history and take a look at zoning, land use, and environmental concerns specific to your property. This will provide a preliminary assessment of what can or cannot be done on a specific parcel and explore the additional professional trades (engineers, arborist, etc.) that may need to get involved.
With most residential projects, we can perform a basic feasibility study without ever coming to your site.
PRE-DESIGN
While a basic feasibility is definitely an asset as we begin your project, we will be analyzing the code compliance requirements throughout the design process, doing the bulk of our research after we establish the existing conditions of your home. We get in direct communication with the city so our design intent aligns with the rules and regulations of your local jurisdiction.
For projects that are not new construction, we will document the existing conditions. We will use 3D software to scan your home, taking measurements of all walls, doors, and windows in order to draft as-built drawings, which allow us to gain a better understanding of your home and are required for permitting. A project may also require a site plan at this time. For new homes, we get to skip the as-built process; however, a land survey or geotechnical analysis may be required before we start design.
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The pre-design phase is a great time to nail down a working budget. It is important to be honest about this number with us. It is our goal to design within your budget and we will let you know if we feel your budget doesn't align with your building or remodel desired scope.
SCHEMATIC DESIGN
This is typically the most exciting part of the process for clients as they get to see their project come to life. We provide our first schematic design for you to review, which will include a rough floor plan and exterior elevation (if applicable). We will then provide iterations based on your feedback until we reach a selected schematic design.
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In schematic design, we will determine the overall layout and size of the home (number of rooms and their functions, placement of windows, doors, etc.). We also consider site and zoning requirements as well as your budget and aesthetic preferences. Schematic design can be seen as a bubble diagram or flow chart. It will be used as a visual representation of the organization and flow of spaces within a structure to provide a starting point for further design development.
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DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Once we have a selected schematic design, we will continue to refine the design concepts. We further develop the drawings with additional details, interior elevations, broad material selection/specification, lighting and switching plans, etc. If your project requires additional professional trades/consultants (i.e., structural engineer, etc.), we will begin engaging with them.
At this point, you will have seen drawings that address the design intent, flow, and capture the space. But, there are still more details needed! We continue developing the drawings and coordinate our set with other professional consultants (i.e., structural engineer, geotechnical engineer, etc.). These additional drawings include calculations, schedules, sections, and more standard construction details, all to provide the precise instructions for how your home will be built.
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CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION
At this point, we know what your home will look like, but we need to provide instructions for how it will be built.
For example: We have vaulted the ceilings in the living room and know they will be 15' high, cladded in wood, and meet all code requirements. However, we need to create drawings that are essentially the instructions to your builder for exactly how the vaulted ceilings will be constructed.
We will finalize a fully developed plan set with the following information: standard construction details, schedules, sections, calculations, etc. We will also coordinate our set with other professional trade/consultant drawings. These are not only required for permit submittal, but also necessary to obtain an accurate construction bid.
PERMIT SUBMITTAL
We prepare all required applications and submit your project for permit. Once the permit set has been accepted for intake by the city, each department in the jurisdiction will review. Review times vary per jurisdiction and permit type.
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If you don't already have a builder you want to work with, we will introduce you to our preferred contractors. We have designed and permitted over nearly 100 projects since 2017 and can provide recommendations of trusted partners.
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
Our drawings are building instructions for your builder. The information on the plans are very technical and need to be understood and followed with accuracy and compliance to the code. During construction, your selected builder may need clarifications from us and request updates to the drawing set; this is standard practice. We will also visit the site for verifications at key construction milestones to ensure accurate execution of design intent and assist with providing solutions to unforeseen site-conditions or limitations.