MacBean&MacBean

Time Line

Your project is unique in its size, scope and complexity; each timetable is tailored to your needs. However, you can expect to get professional treatment of your personal and business schedule, to fit your work and leisure lifestyle.

Some typical time frames are given below:

Phase	Time Frame
Initial Design	1-2 Weeks, depending on complexity
Retainer Contractor/Bidding	0-3 Weeks
Construction (Depends largely on project's complexity)	Variable, but expect 1-8 weeks for most projects
Overall Project, from initial consultation	1-6 months

For many projects, the most unpredictable part of the timetable is the contractor's availability to start work. Depending on current commitments to other projects, there may be a waiting period of two to eight weeks. Although variable, overall project timelines typically take one to six months. Weather can play a significant role in scheduling, so winter projects may be delayed longer; however, contractor availability will generally be better.

HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO

Who are we?
We are committed to our clients and quality architecture. In order to make our practice more viable in saving our clients money, we have invited contractors to associate with our office when they qualify. When a contractor makes a long-term professional commitment through retainer, we negotiate to bring cost-savings for all parties, while maintaining the client/architect relationship.

Remember, landscape architects design your project, they do not build it. For construction, we recommend and introduce you to ethical landscape contractors in whom we have confidence. However, we do provide project management during the construction process to help you and the contractor see the project through to successful completion.

Ken Mark MacBean, MLArch
I provide services from a diverse, multi-faceted perspective. I am a generalist practitioner, with extensive experience in architecture, engineering and environmentally-conscious design. Most of my energy is directed toward helping clients exceed their own expectations through educating them on the potential of good design, to not only improve their immediate environment, but increase their property's worth over time. I believe that there is no substitute for good design. And I am pleased to associate myself with kindred professionals who also believe in the value of architecture to improve lives.

Anna MacBean, MLArch
Listening to the individuals who influence their environment is essential to understanding how to approach a design solution. By asking questions, I begin to learn how people interact in and with landscapes. Although keenly aware of the ecology of a site, the design must address the interface of users to benefit the long-term effectiveness of it.

Exclusive Web Pages for Referral and Retainer Clients (VIPs)

Thank you for being a referral/retainer client!

Your contractor has made this privilege available to you by the maintenance of a long-term relationship with our design organization. Their commitment to quality architecture and construction/installation has resulted in your advantage of having first-class design oversight on your project with them.

Unlike design/builds, we work for you, not the contractor, when it comes to delivering your desires and needs in the finished project. The client comes first, and we are glad to spend whatever time necessary to see your project through to completion.

Because your contractor has elected to meet our retainer requirements, we are committed to be available to his customers, and to provide design support and project management on residential, estate and small civil projects, in which your contractor and you may be involved. This design collaboration with us and your contractor will save you money, produce better solutions with less associated costs, due to simplified construction document preparation and the elimination of the typical bidding process.

In addition, this relationship between us and your contractor gives your builder/installer the responsibility they deserve for ensuring that your design, developed through consultation with us, is realized without the additional costs associated with designer's supervision of the project. Although we work closely with your contractor during the construction phase, their track record has allowed them great success in the timely and professional completion of quality work.

Therefore, you and your contractor own the project; we advise and assist you in communicating your desires and wishes in such a way that it can be translated into a built project by your quality contractor. Our project management approach will help inform the process and contribute to greater probability of satisfaction.

Q: Why should I hire an MLA for a small private project when I am not required to?

A: First you must select a contractor, right?. If you choose a friend, that’s easy. What about your project’s ultimate quality and resale value? It has been shown that architect-designed projects increase in worth over time. Moreover, if your architect becomes very successful and well-known, your project could become an established work of art, held in great esteem and value. One option in choosing an architect is to commission a landscape architect who is associated with quality contractors; in this arrangement, the architect is familiar with the contractor’s performance history, reducing the chance of problems during construction. Here, too, your project would still be considered architecture, and potentially increase in value. If economy is the most important aspect of your project, the MLA or Landscape Architect could also request bids to insure the lowest, responsible bidder, if you wish. This process requires a well-written request for proposals so that you will be able to compare apples to apples, not apples to oranges. An MLA or Landscape Architect will write the request for proposal for you just as a lawyer helped you write the deed for the property. The MLA or Landscape Architect will also help you develop your ideas of how the site, grounds, buildings and structures should function for your use and how it should look. The MLA has advance training in architecture, planning, design and engineering, while a registered LA may or may not have a masters degree; he/she would have a BLA and competency by licensure with the State Board of Professions. The MLA or landscape architect is bound by ASLA (American Society of Landscape Architects) code of ethics to work as your professional designer and agent. The code of ethics and law does not allow him or her to make any money from the sale of any materials or from any contractor hired to work on the project, unless full disclosure is made and you are in agreement.
The MLA or Landscape Architect works on the project’s exterior and interior appearance and function, adheres to local, state or national building codes for your site and type of users, and meets engineering requirements. The soil and geology upon which your project rests may need to be thoroughly investigated to see if it will support your design. There also may be a localized condition or geotechnical risk such as a landfill or other sub-surface debris. The MLA or Landscape Architect will analyze known biological, geological and engineering data and recommend an appropriate design for the project. An MLA or Landscape Architect will deal with hydrology, snow load and drifting, soil creep, earthquake load, and vehicular loading. The MLA or Landscape Architect can also design for integrated outdoor heating, air conditioning, lighting and technology systems and at the same time provide an outdoor quality conducive to the good health of the users. Your MLA or Landscape Architect will guide you through the planning process for your current project and/or master plan for many years into the future. You need a MLA or Landscape Architect to lead and select the appropriate design team if required. MLAs or Landscape Architects are experts in civil, structural, landscape, stormwater and environmental design. Engineers may be invited to work on your project by the MLA or Landscape Architect in designing the systems that support the project, power it, service and maintain it. In general, an MLA or Landscape Architect will employ engineers to help him/her engineer certain basic aspects of the construction technology or mechanical or electrical systems.

Q: How do I hire an MLA or Landscape Architect and be sure that I am getting the most value for my money?

A: Develop a list of possible MLAs or Landscape Architects for your project based on advice from a friend, a listing in the phone book, or web site; of course, we hope you will select us. Call each, explain your project (including your schedule and budget), and ask if the MLA or Landscape Architect would be interested in submitting a proposal to do the design for you. Ask for the MLA’s or Landscape Architect’s statement of qualifications. After receiving the proposals, review the qualifications. Select the MLA or Landscape Architect you feel is the best qualified and connects with you the best. Then negotiate the fee. The MLA’s or Landscape Architect’s stock in trade is time, and the fee is based on an estimate of the time needed to properly complete the project. Most MLAs or Landscape Architects will be happy to explain how the time will be spent. If you cannot negotiate a mutually agreeable fee, move on to the second best qualified MLA or Landscape Architect.

Q: What kind of fees can I expect?

A: Generally, the fee is developed based on the salaries of the individuals who will be working on your project, times a multiplier, plus out-of-pocket expenses such as mileage and reproduction costs. The two most common fee structures are hourly, where you will be charged for the time actually worked on your project, and the lump sum, where the fee is a specific dollar amount mutually agreed on at the onset of the project. Any owner or member of the public who is contemplating the design of a project, no matter that it is residential and small in size, should consider having a Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) graduate or a Registered Landscape Architect (LA) prepare their design and provide advice, project manage the engineering/construction team and act as their agent.

Q: Why is an Landscape Architect required for large projects?

A: A landscape architect or designated architect, and in some cases, professional engineers may be required, depending on the project type. However, be aware that most states license engineers without any designation of “discipline” (e.g., civil, mechanical, electrical, etc), but each licensee (Professional Engineer-P.E.) is required only to perform assignments when the registrant is qualified by “discipline and experience” in one of the above specific technical fields, so a civil engineer can only do civil engineering, etc. and is not permitted to provide any other service. “Landscape Architects” shall undertake to perform professional service only when they, together with those whom they may engage as consultants, are qualified by education, training, and experience in the specific technical areas involved. If a question arises about the competence of a licensee to perform an assignment in a specific technical field which cannot be otherwise resolved to the state board’s satisfaction, the board may require the licensee to submit to an examination in the technical field as specified by the board.

As a broad generalist profession that serves as the prime professional, a landscape Architect is required for any project that is architectural in nature and employs multiple disciplines, such as civil, geotechnical, mechanical or electrical engineering. The prime professional “LA/Architect” is charged with the responsibility of coordination of the professional design and engineering/construction team. Generally, the law requires you to hire a prime professional, licensed by the state, in order to protect the public health, safety and welfare.