Our Process
Every project is different, but the way we work stays consistent.
1. Listen First
We start by understanding how your organization works—your goals, your challenges, and the people your building needs to serve.
2. Explore Possibilities
Together we test ideas, evaluate options, and shape a design that supports your mission while respecting schedule and budget.
3. Visualize the Design
Using Revit and other 3D modeling tools, we help you see your building long before construction begins. That clarity leads to better decisions and fewer surprises.
4. Navigate the Details
From zoning ordinances and building codes to permitting and LEED® certification, we help guide projects through the technical side of architecture.
5. Bring it to Life
Through clear documentation and collaboration with contractors, we help ensure the finished building matches the vision we created together.
FAQs: Narrate Design
Q: What kinds of projects does Narrate design?
A: Narrate works with clients and organizations on projects across a wide range of sectors, including:
– Multi-family housing
– Nonprofit organizations
– Education (PreK–12 and higher education)
– Office and tenant improvement
-Retail environments
– Municipal or civic facilities
We also have extensive experience with renovation, preservation, and adaptive reuse, helping clients transform existing buildings to meet new needs.
Working across many sectors allows us to bring ideas and insights from one project type into another—often leading to creative solutions that wouldn’t emerge within a single specialty.
Q: Does Narrate specialize in a certain project type?
A: Rather than focusing on a single building type, Narrate works across a wide range of projects—including workplaces, learning environments, community and nonprofit spaces, hospitality projects, and renovations or adaptive reuse.
We see this breadth as a strength. Experience across different project types allows us to bring ideas and lessons from one sector into another. Often, the most effective solutions come from applying insights gained in completely different environments.
Q: What services does Narrate provide?
A: Our work spans architecture, interior design, and planning.
By working across these disciplines, we can think holistically about how a space functions—from the building itself to the interior experience and the broader site or campus around it. This integrated approach helps ensure the final environment supports the people who use it every day.
Q: What is Narrate’s architectural design process?
A: While every project is unique, our process typically includes:
– Programming
– Planning
– Conceptual Design
– Schematic Ddesign
– Design Development
– Construction Documentation
– Construction Administration.
Throughout each phase, we collaborate closely with clients, consultants, and contractors to ensure the design aligns with operational goals, schedule, and budget.
Q: How do you help clients visualize their building before construction?
A: We use Revit and other 3D modeling tools to create detailed digital models early in the design process.
These models allow clients to explore both the interior and exterior of their building long before construction begins. Seeing the design in three dimensions helps teams make better decisions, refine ideas earlier, and reduce surprises later in the project.
Q: How does Narrate help manage project costs?
A: Cost awareness is built into every stage of our process.
As we develop the design, we work with clients and construction partners to evaluate materials, systems, and design strategies that maintain quality while supporting the project budget. Our goal is always to preserve what matters most while identifying opportunities for efficiency.
Q: Can Narrate work with existing or historic buildings?
A: Absolutely. Many of our projects involve renovation, preservation, or adaptive reuse.
Working with existing buildings requires thoughtful planning and technical expertise—from evaluating the structure and systems to balancing historic character with modern performance. We enjoy helping organizations reimagine existing spaces while respecting what makes them meaningful.
Q: Does Narrate help with zoning, codes, and permitting?
A: Yes. Architecture projects involve navigating a variety of regulations, including zoning ordinances, building codes, accessibility requirements, and permitting processes.
Our team helps guide clients through these requirements and coordinates with local authorities and consultants to keep projects moving forward.
Q: What is construction administration, and how does Narrate stay involved during construction?
A: Construction administration is the part of the process where the building actually comes to life. While the contractor leads the construction work, our team stays involved to help ensure the project is built the way it was designed.
During construction, we review drawings and material submittals, answer contractor questions, and visit the site periodically to see how things are progressing. If challenges come up—as they often do during construction—we help the team work through them while keeping the original design intent in mind.
Our role is to support clear communication between the owner, contractor, and project team so the finished building reflects the vision we developed together.
Q: What does “people-first design” mean?
A: People-first design starts by understanding how a space will actually be used.
Before we begin designing, we spend time learning how your organization operates, how people move through your space, and what kind of experience you want to create. Those insights guide the architectural and interior design decisions that follow.
The goal is simple: buildings that support people, rather than asking people to adapt to the building.
Q: What does “Design Tells Your Story” mean?
A: Every organization has a story—how you work, what you value, and the impact you hope to make. “Design Tells Your Story” is our way of saying that architecture should reflect those things.
Rather than starting with a preconceived style, we begin by understanding your people, your mission, and how your space needs to function day to day. Those insights shape everything from the building layout and circulation to the materials, interior environments, and overall experience of the space.
When design reflects the people and purpose behind it, the result feels authentic. The building becomes more than a structure—it becomes part of how your organization expresses who you are.
Q: When should we bring an architect into a project?
A: The earlier, the better.
Involving an architect during early planning allows teams to evaluate site opportunities, test ideas, and align project goals before major decisions are made. Early collaboration often leads to better outcomes for design, schedule, and budget.
