Tagged: David DeQuattro

David DeQuattro of RGB Architects On the Most Common Interior Design Mistakes of First Time Homeowners

Purchasing a home can be an incredibly exciting time for individuals, as it means designing a space without the restrictions of renting. However, creating a cohesive space without an interior design background can prove quite challenging, as many first-time homeowners discover each year. David DeQuattro, partner of RGB Architects, believes that knowing the key concepts of interior design can help homeowners avoid costly redecorations and ultimately save thousands of dollars within their lifetime. Within this blog, David DeQuattro of RBG Architects will share the most common interior design mistakes first-time homeowners make and what individuals can do to avoid these mistakes when decorating their next home.

Forgetting About Scale

When it comes to interior design, the number one mistake first-time homeowners make is scale. While the concept of scale is something the majority of interior design students learn within their first year, the average American has likely never heard of the concept. Oftentimes, homeowners will put a group of small things in a room (knickknacks, collectibles, etc.) on display. Unfortunately, this can clutter a space and make it difficult for the eye to find a place to land. Other times, homeowners can place too many large bulky items in a room, making a room look overcrowded and small. Scale requires the decorate to use a mixture of shapes, heights, and sizes to create balance within a space.

Painting First

When we move into a home, the first thing many Americans reach for is their pints of paint. It is common for families to start their interior design process by picking a paint color and creating the design of a room around that color. This will inevitably limit options, however, in regards to furniture, accents, and rugs. Instead, RGB Architects encourage homeowners first to find fabrics and textures they love and choose paint once they have a developed concept of the room. This will make the space much more cohesive and likely save you money in the long run.

Failing to Create a Solid Budget

Unfortunately, few people understand how important it is to create a solid budget for a design project until halfway through the process. This often leads to people overspending on a few items and having to wait months or years to save up enough money to finish the project. Before shopping for furniture or paints, try to create a comprehensive budget that will allow you to include “must-have” items but also allow you to finish a space within your ideal time frame.

Displaying Clutter

It’s quite difficult to create a beautiful space that does not quickly fill with clutter. While this may be difficult, it is not impossible. Before moving to another home or starting a new interior design project, it is crucial to clear out unused old items to limit the clutter within a new space. Not only will this help make the home look cleaner, psychologists have also found that a home clear of clutter can help free up time for homeowners and reduce a significant amount of cleaning time.

David DeQuattro / RGB Architects

David DeQuattro of RGB Architects Discusses Initial Steps When Designing a Custom Home

According to the National Association of Home Builders, in the United States, roughly 200,000 custom homes are built each year. Although this number may seem quite large, it’s a fraction of the annual 1.3 million residential homes built by American developers. However, as the average cost of a home in the United States real estate market continues to climb, more and more Americans are looking for other ways to get their dream home. As one of the leading architectural firms in Providence, RI, RGB Architects has helped thousands of families design their custom home and possess an in-depth understanding of the custom home development process. For the many Americans now considering building a custom home, David DeQuattro of RGB Architects hopes to share initial steps that will help ensure a smooth custom home development.

Understanding the True Cost of Building a Custom Home

Creating a custom house is not a simple process, and it can be a challenge to account for all a home’s factors when calculating a total budget. Some of the variables that affect the true cost of the home the most include location, local taxes and fees, design and engineering fees, cost of construction, landscaping, and interior decorating. On average, prices for new homes can range anywhere between $80-$200 per sq foot, meaning a budget for a 2000 ft home can span anywhere between 160,000-400,000 dollars. Additionally, the length of the project can drastically affect the total cost of a custom home.

General Outline of Process

On average, it takes roughly 11 months to build a custom home from scratch, including roughly 1-4 months for an architect to draw up blueprints. However, this process can be elongated if potential homeowners are not aware of the steps that must be completed within a specific timeline. A rough outline of this process includes:

– Hiring an architect or an architecture firm

– Hiring a general contractor

– Consider hiring additional teams such as interior designers, landscapers, etc.

– Obtain different documents for the building process, including: • Insurance• Permits• Payments• Inspections

– Cleanup of building materials

– Landscaping and interior design

Carefully Research Potential Lots

When it comes to turn-key homes, oftentimes, housing developers have already researched the area and ensured all zoning, septic connections, and energy codes are up to date. However, David DeQuattro stresses that when choosing a location for a custom house, the burden of research falls on the homeowner. While a lot may look perfect, certain zoning can drastically impact the construction of your home, such as the height of the home, distance from the street, and whether or not a family can build an in-law suite.

David DeQuattro / RGB Architects

An Overview of the Pandemic’s Impact on Home Offices

In recent months, American employers have reported difficulty hiring employees for in-office positions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly 50% of the American workforce transitioned to a work-from-home model, which offered reduced commute time, savings on food and transportation, and an overall greater work/life balance. Although many offices are re-opening thanks to the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine, US workers that were able to work through the pandemic see little benefit in returning to the office. RGB Architects, an architecture firm based in Providence, RI, has experienced a surge in the design of home office and interiors during the past 18 months and expects this trend to continue as more Americans demand remote work options from employers.

Productivity in the Home Office

For many years, employers cited productivity as their main reason for not allowing their employees to work from home. However, various studies conducted throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have proven this to be false and, in fact, have shown that working from home actually increases productivity. A study conducted by Stanford of 16,000 workers over nine months found that remote work increases productivity by 13% thanks to fewer distractions and fewer breaks. Today, many experts believe that the work-from-home boom will likely lift productivity in the US economy by 5%, thanks to savings in commuting time.

Why all Americans Should Have a Home Office

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown American employers that their workforce can continue to produce excellent work from the comfort of their homes. In upcoming years, US workers can expect the number of remote jobs to increase as more employers adopt the practices seen during the COVID-19 pandemic. While workers have proven their productivity in the home, David DeQuattro of RGB Architects recommends remote workers create a home office as opposed to working from their living room, bedroom, or kitchen table. Studies have shown that those without a designated workspace are less likely to have a good work/life balance and have been shown to be more distracted than those with a home office.

The Continuation of Work from Home

As US companies are now asking employees to return to the office, many American workers are now wondering what the future of remote work will look like. Many studies have estimated that roughly 56% of US jobs are at least partially compatible with remote work. However, before the pandemic, only 3.6% of American workers worked from home half the time or more, with one Gallup 2016 survey showing that 43% of the workforce works from home at least “some” of the time. Once the COVID-19 pandemic has fully concluded, American workers can expect a greater number of employers offering work-from-home, with many experts estimating 25-30% of the US workforce working from home multiple days a week by the end of 2021.

Design of a Home Office

Designing a home office that will be used to respond to the technical needs of videoconferencing is critical. The type of desk, its location, and the equipment and backdrop wall have a delicate integration. All of the elements needed will create not only a harmonious environment, but a productive workspace.

David DeQuattro / RGB Architects / Robinson, Green, Beretta Corp

RGB Architects Discusses How to Obtain An Architecture License

Each year, nearly 400,000 new architecture graduates join the workforce; however, of these graduates, more than half will begin working as architectural and town planning technicians, another 7% will start working as chartered architectural technologists, and just 4% will work as architects. The primary reason that only 4% of architecture graduates become architects is primarily due to the time-consuming and challenging process of obtaining an architecture license. On average, within the United States, it can take 11 years to obtain an architecture license and begin practicing. RGB Architects, a premier architectural firm based in Providence, recognizes the talent and innovation of the next generation of architects and each year welcomes several architect interns to study at their firm. Today, RGB Architects (Robinson, Green, Beretta Corp) hopes to inspire others to join this dynamic industry and discuss the process of obtaining an architecture license.

Education Requirements

The step students must complete in order to become a licensed architect is to complete their first professional degree in architecture. A “first professional degree” is an accredited program approved by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB). Most NAAB accredited degrees will include a 5-year undergraduate degree or a 3-year graduate degree.

Individuals who have an undergraduate degree in another subject can still become architects by earning a Master’s degree in Architecture. However, because they have not taken any previous architectural courses, these master’s programs will often take between three to four years to complete.

Complete an Internship

All fifty states require that architect graduates complete certain training or internship programs before obtaining their own licensure. These internships will typically last a minimum of three years and help architects gain hands-on experience at an architectural firm under the supervision of experienced and licensed architects. The majority of states use the Intern Development Program (IDP), which is administered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) and requires interns to complete 5,600 hours of state and NCARB approved work experience. The experience is categorized into elective and core hours; however, the four main areas covered by the IDP include pre-design, design, project maintenance, and practice management.

Earn Licensure & Certification

Before being able to practice, all states require architects to obtain licensure. While the requirements for obtaining licensure vary depending on the state, most only require applicants to have completed a bachelor’s degree program and an internship. All applicants who qualify are allowed to sit for the NCARB’s Architect Registration Exam, which consists of seven pass-or-fail tests covering a variety of topics ranging from building systems, site planning, and construction documents.

Additionally, many architects opt to earn voluntary NCARB certification, which allows architects to obtain reciprocal licensure from other states. Architects who have been licensed and who possess documentation of ARE passage, transcripts and proof of prior experience are allowed to apply for the certification. However, some candidates might be required to complete additional testing or sit for an interview before being approved by the NCARB.

David DeQuattro / RGB Architects / Robinson, Green, Beretta Corp

Providence based Firm RGB Architects Discusses Developing Architectural Concepts

For many architectural students, developing a fully formed architectural design can seem like a daunting process. While developing architectural concepts from simple parameters may seem like an impossible task, the majority of experienced architects use several proven approaches to help fuel their creative process and create the first draft. Since their foundation, the architectural firm of Robison, Green, Beretta Corp, also known as RGB Architects, has garnered a reputation within the architectural community for their cohesive, creative vision and innovative designs. Below, RGB Architects, based in Providence, RI, will discuss different processes associated with developing architectural concepts.

Contextual

When designing a structure in a well-known or historical district, many architects will use a contextual approach for creating their architectural concept. For this type of approach, architects will often heavily draw from site analysis and explore the data gathered from outside the site, whether physical or non-physical. Although every project must use context to a certain degree, some designs may focus more on a site’s context than others meaning specific projects hould consider it as the most crucial factor in design creation.

Functional

Typically, architectural students will grapple between creating a design that is functional or one that is aesthetic. While this task is certainly challenging, combining function with aesthetics is often the defining mark of an experienced architect. A factory or hospital’s design should first and foremost meet functional requirements; however, that does not mean an experienced architect will not be able to include a visually pleasing design. However, when creating a draft for these projects, architects will often first work to create a functional design and later add in different creative elements. While every project will present its own unique set of problems, looking for the sole function of the building will help focus an architect’s design and resolve these issues.

Philosophical

When architecture students are stumped, oftentimes, professors will encourage students to consider their own design philosophy. Each architect will have their own set of values that influence their designs. Whether these values are influenced by physical spaces, nature, or the concept of ideal structures, asking architects to consider their own design philosophy while developing an architectural concept can not only help them move forward with their design but develop a structure more true to their own style.

Philosophical questions that architects can use to investigate their own design philosophy include:

Artistic vs. artificial

Consumer needs vs. wants

Individual vs. societal structures

Rational vs. irrational

Personal vs. universal

David DeQuattro / RGB Architects

David L. DeQuattro of RGB Architects Discusses Architecture Trends of 2021

It is widely accepted that 2020 changed numerous aspects of daily life and impacted almost every US industry, including architecture. An architect’s job is to build habitable spaces that can improve daily tasks and provide a comfortable living environment for both groups and individuals. In the upcoming year, members of the architecture community will likely use 2020 experiences to create new, unique spaces that solve many of the challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. David DeQuattro, AIA, NCARB, LEED AP, MCPPO at RGB Architects, believes that the architecture field will likely experience significant changes during 2021 and is excited to see architecture’s answer to the challenges of space highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Below, David L. DeQuattro of RGB Architects will discuss some of the trends expected to take place in 2021 and how COVID-19 has likely impacted the future of architecture.

Redefining Social Spaces After a Pandemic

One of the biggest concerns that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted is the lack of space in many American cities and communities. While social spaces exist in US communities, the areas are often restrictive and not built to accommodate America’s growing population. In 2021, smart city projects have grown in popularity, with many showcasing new designs for public spaces. Social distancing has created a unique problem for architects and their concept of a social meeting area.

Focus on Steel as a Material

Known for being a preferred material for its sustainability and modern style, steel has been spotted in many new landmark structure plans for 2021. While steel has long been seen as a combination material in conventional Indian architecture, it has recently been adopted by modern Western commercial and residential architects. From metal canopies to gravity-defying floating stairs, architects are finding new and unconventional ways to include steel in contemporary architecture.

Multi-Functional Homes as the New WorkPlace

One of the most widely discussed aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the struggles of living within the home 24/7. Households are primarily designed to be lived in for a portion of the day, only serving a few functions. Since the implementation of stay-at-home orders in March, the majority of American adults have found themselves working from home with their children participating in online schooling. Space, privacy, and noise pollution are now at the forefront of homeowner concerns and will likely be addressed in future architecture designs.