Arguably the greatest problem we see today afflicting the architectural design profession is the destructive disconnect between the architect and the builder.  The value of good design is often reduced to nothing when an owner hires a builder and gives him/her the challenge and leadership of value engineering a piece of architecture to reduce budgets.  Builders are often structured to deliver built product quickly, efficiently, within budget, and with as little risk as possible to themselves.  Quality design and anything ‘outside of the box’ are often considered frivolous and risky, and have a tendency to be discarded once budgets start being realized.

However, owners and builders are not entirely to blame.  Low architectural budgets, impractical design timelines, and enormous deliverable requirements often lead architects to design architecture without fully understanding it, the cost of building it, and just how to construct it.  Once in construction, these deficiencies are quickly detected and the architect looses their credibility to direct the design implementation.  The architectural product generally suffers.

Hunter has taken a different route.  In San Diego, he worked with Sebastian Mariscal Studio, adopting the philosophy that the one who designs it, builds it.  The two custom modern houses, Wabi and Vista were his introduction into the profession of design/build.

As a designer/builder, every design and drawing that Hunter creates is directed towards the goal of building it.  Analysis of cost and constructability begins at the onset of design with feasibility studies, cost budgeting, material selections with regard to takeoffs, sourcing, and lead times, and preliminary communication and feedback from subcontractors.  Designs are manipulated and refined to compliment the project parameters long before breaking ground.  Value engineering is an integral part of the design process, rather than a destructive, yet necessary stage after the fact.

Once in construction, acting as owner’s representative, general contractor, and/or construction manager, Hunter has the capacity to effectively progress or modify designs based upon priorities to better the architecture while staying within budget.  On-site problem solving and constructability decisions are nearly instantaneous, lending greater efficiency to the jobsite and reducing schedules.

Through the synthesis of design and build, Hunter has been able to effectively control the process of producing successful architecture.

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Hunter Leggitt Construction is a collaborative construction and fabrication shop with experience in a diverse array of project typologies, scopes, and scales.  We like to consider ourselves Jacks of all trades.

Please email Hunter directly for more information on how we can suit your needs, whether it be a creative remodel, a new custom house, a massive festival installation, or anything else.

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