Chris Krager, Krager & Associates Design/Build (KRDB)

Which shop work do you do yourselves and which is contracted out?

For the most part, we play the traditional role  of contractor, with most of the work on a project being subcontracted. We end up doing some miscellaneous work, dealing with more complex detail issues. We build cabinets, handrail details, and the like. We have certain elements, like this translucent poly “barn door” that we have used numerous times, that we just can’t farm out more cost effectively.

Describe the signing-off process required for nonlicensed architects in order to make the building legal.

I have an M.Arch and am in the process of getting licensed. In Texas, where we practice, you do not need a licensed architect to sign off on residential projects, or on commercial projects up to 20,000 square feet; however, we do need a structural engineer to sign and stamp structural drawings.

How does design-build benefit the client, and how does it benefit the designer?

Our work emphasizes making modern design more accessible, both economically and in the sociocultural sense. To this end we are actually a develop-design-build firm, meaning that our practice is entrepreneurial and vertically integrated, with much of our work being done on a speculative basis. As a young firm with little track record, this is a good way of getting work out into the world. It allows us to control the process creatively, economically, and logistically. This has also provided us with an invaluable feedback loop that accelerated our learning curve with respect to all aspects of practice: the design process, interaction with clients, construction expertise, and business acumen. Besides the fact that it is a one-source method for the client, the design-build process is imbued with a certain accountability often missing in the traditional architect-client relationship. Because we know that we are ultimately responsible for executing our proposals, we consider the ramifications from the first pen stroke. This is relative not only to budget, but to time, quality, and overall expectations. This doesn’t limit our creativity; rather, it has forced us to find ways to do more with less. Effectively managing a client’s expectations is the difference between a successful project and a nightmare.