Guiding Principles

Lasting, memorable design must be grounded in clear ideas and vision; without them, it becomes transient, forgettable, and ineffective.

The Roman Colosseum

What We Believe

At Civic Design Works, we believe architecture creates the conditions that make civic life possible, shaping how we see, relate to, and treat one another.

From the private home to the public square, and from the small monument to the great temples and cathedrals, the spaces we design and build mirror who we are. They remind us of where we came from and inspire us to become who we aspire to be.

Buildings are like us, a complex set of parts forming a whole. They also have a certain kind of energy; we can all feel it. That energy resonates best when our designs connect all the parts so they belong together through relationship, proportion, and context, being at once a whole and part of a whole

Our work is grounded in these beliefs.

Drawing on our founder's more than three decades of national and international experience, we deliver thoughtful, efficient, and sustainable design solutions with responsiveness and care.

We create buildings and spaces that elevate the human experience; spaces with balance, beauty, daylight, and a sense of wonder.

Annie Pfeiffer Chapel At Southern Florida College
Frank Lloyd Wright - Architect

Annie Pfeiffer Chapel at the Southern Florida College

Frank Lloyd Wright - Architect

Our Design
Process

Establishing The Project Roadmap

Our process starts with listening and understanding your organization's goals and values, and how your project should reflect them.

Next, we fill out a Project Roadmap document to record what we heard and share it with the team. Updates are made as needed.

Last, we use it at the end of each phase to measure results and evaluate overall alignment.

Data Gathering

Through team interviews and data analysis, we create a Project Program database to record the project's area and adjacency requirements and the desired spatial character.

A programming report is issued and used as a key design tool in the upcoming design phases.

Initial Design

During the Schematic Design & Design Development phases, we develop design options and coordinate document packages for review and cost estimating.

The project's character and form are defined during these phases. We work hard to keep the design aligned with the roadmap to avoid late changes and make an effort to make the process collaborative and fun.

Final Documents

With a clear design direction from the prior steps, we prepare a comprehensive set of documents for construction.

We have extensive experience working with contractors and CMs during pre-construction services to refine the set as needed if the project's delivery method requires it.