PRE-DESIGN
Needs Assessment
All of our clients engage us because they have needs, but some, including our govenmental and public agency clients, have a responsibility to prove the needs are real and quantifiable. To that end, Shremshock will prepare customized needs assessment reports, using empirical data to verify the need. For example, we have utilized this process to assist our criminal justice clients gain insight into the future jail bed-space needs for a specific county or municipality. Through detailed research done by our in-house criminal justice experts, comparisons with other similar localities, and interviews with local facility staff and judges, trends are revealed and analyzed. From that analysis, conclusions can be drawn and a projection of number of total beds can be provided for some period of time into the future.
Facility Assessment
As part of a building evaluation process, necessary for the sale of a property or to assist a facility manager with unique building systems evaluations, Shremshock will prepare facility assessment reports that provide a clear understanding of the current condition of an Owner’s facility, and the related costs to repair the observed deficiencies. These estimated repair costs can then be used in facility sale negotiations, maintenance budgets or to prepare work scopes that can be included in new project renovation budgets.
Existing Condition Documentation / Survey
Because a great deal of our work involves renovation, or design and documentation of new projects located within existing building structures across the country and beyond, we employ a dedicated team of survey experts who travel to project sites and gather and document information about existing conditions and local criteria. Deployment of these specialists results in timely and accurate information that is critical to our client’s decision-making and to Shremshock design team efficiency.
Facility Programming
A key step before beginning the design process is the identification of issues, needs and space requirements. Shremshock works closely with our clients to develop the most effective process to get to the heart of those matters. The required analysis will vary from situation to situation, but the result will yield a report in the form of a program of space requirements. The report will include the types and sizes of needed spaces as well as their associated relationships and adjacencies. These are elements which are important to effective design and which can be used to develop preliminary project budgets.
PLANNING
Master Planning
Effective master planning is a critical initial element in the development of design solutions, whether the project is a campus, a neighborhood or a single building that must fit within the fabric of a city or development. As we do in all phases of the architectural process, Shremshock utilizes a collaborative approach that ensures connection of the program and design to the direct needs of all constituents inside and outside of design activities. We view master planning as an essential element in almost every project because the activity itself reveals content and information early in the process which is essential to high quality design.
Urban Planning
Shremshock specializes in the planning, design, and construction of buildings that make up the core of our urban neighborhoods for projects ranging from small single-family homes on neighborhood infill sites, through large multi-story, multi-use buildings on regional redevelopment sites. In addition to analyzing the urban fabric, including transportation and wayfinding elements, we routinely guide our clients through the multiple layers of reviews and approvals required in Urban and Historic Neighborhoods such as Architectural Review Boards, Neighborhood Groups, Zoning Boards, and City Councils. Navigating these waters hand in hand with our clients helps to translate descriptive program needs into functional form and space in harmony with the existing built environment.
Medical Planning
We leverage our experienced Healthcare Studio staff as well as medical planners, doctors, nurses and real estate strategists to assist our health organization clients develop the best design strategies to meet the needs of their communities. At Shremshock, we understand that it is critically important for our clients to stay ahead of the dynamic changes and challenges faced by the industry. As we do in all aspects of our work, we employ a collaborative approach, utilizing the best and brightest talent to ensure the most effective design outcomes.
CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS
Shremshock Architects was built on the foundation of quality documents. Our rigorous document review process is a significant reason why we have had a strong reputation in the industry since Jerry Shremshock began the practice in 1976. Our most experienced staff are integrally involved in the preparation of deliverables throughout the process and we employ formal reviews by both Project Managers and Studio Vice Presidents and/or Principals at the end of each major production phase. In addition, our project reviewers are required to attend an in-house document quality assurance meeting each month to be updated on the latest code changes, document and field problems and solutions as well as the latest detailing techniques being utilized in the industry. All of this rigor helps ensure that our documents are accurate and that our project teams and document reviewers maintain a mindset of continuous improvement.
CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION
We allow our clients to help us determine the level of involvement they would like from us during the construction period, because we recognize not all projects require full services in this phase to be successful. Regardless of the level of service employed, we believe that the process leading up to the construction period is key to success in the field. We maintain continuity and consistency of staff through the contract document phase and we ensure our construction administration field representatives are integrally involved in the contract document preparation, so they will fully understand what they will be seeing when they get out into the field. We also leverage our rigorous document review process and internal quality assurance program to identify and solve issues in the contract document phase before they have a chance to become problems in the field. Once in the field, we take pride in proactively dealing with issues in a timely fashion and in working hand in hand with contractors to keep the project on track, running smoothly and on schedule.
SUSTAINABILITY
Shremshock strives to be sustainable in everything we do – from how we design a project to how we run our office. Long before LEED existed, Jerry Shremshock, principal and founder, was using green design techniques as standard practice. With the addition of Shremshock Engineering in 2006 and LEED accredited professionals, our in-house, multi-disciplinary design teams can develop synergies like never before. Natural day-lighting, thoughtful building orientation and highly efficient HVAC systems have become hallmarks of today’s sustainability movement. They have long had roots in Shremshock’s efficient building designs.
LEED SERVICES
The LEED certification process ideally begins early in a project’s design phase, and often continues well into construction and post-occupancy. While the complexities of coordinating and managing the certification process from start to finish can seem daunting, Shremshock has the knowledge and background to help our clients analyze project goals and feasibility up front. Our experienced staff, strengthened by our in-house, multidisciplinary teams (including architects, engineers, and LEED accredited professionals) carry projects through submittal documentation and final completion. We assist our clients to achieve their desired certification goal by utilizing sustainable strategies that work within the project budget and schedule.
BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING (BIM)
As our clients become more aware of its benefits, Building Information Modeling (BIM) has become an ever-growing part of our practice model. When employing the use of the Revit Architecture platform from the earliest design phase throughout the architectural process, we improve communications with our clients and the project team through better visuals, maximize efficiency and accuracy in our document production, and minimize drawing and construction field conflicts. This technology provides an increasingly more valuable bridge between the early conceptual ideas created in a virtual reality environment and the real-world environment that exists after construction has been completed.