Why use a design build firm like Dakota Dawn Delineation? There are many, many solid reasons.

• Guaranteed Construction Cost - You know what the job will cost when the design is complete.
• Innovative Materials Use - Because we, as a General Contractor, are consumers, we are constantly updated on products by the sales representatives that visit us regularly. We know what is new. More importantly, though, we know how to analyze the products for factors such as total installed costs, serviceability and operating costs.
  These are factors that an architect would never have to consider. An independent architect would not normally know that a verde marble may require an epoxy setting bed thus radically increasing the total cost. Likewise, he would not get the call when the limestone counter top is stained by nail polish. And he would not hear about the incredible electric bill for air-conditioning because he is rarely involved in the discussions about efficiency ratings, payback and potential utility cost savings.
  At Dakota Dawn, we know that questions that can arise and we ask them as we put the design together.
• Value Based Design - An architect rarely considers the cost of assembly. With a few bold strokes of the pencil (or a few bold key strokes on the computer) he can create vast spaces that can inspire, but that can also devastate the wallet of a client. We tend to look at the cost of all that excitement.
  That is not to say that we, at Dakota Dawn never go out on a creative limb. We have designs that feature 40 foot high atriums, cantilevers with decks suspended nearly 50 feet in the air and window walls nearly 30 feet high. We can be daring, but we do so within the budget and in consultation with the client. Based on our constant interaction with workers in the field, we know what materials, design details, techniques, etc. create extra costs or, alternately, are cost effective in producing a desired result. There are often several ways to create a look or design element. We know how to do it the most cost effective way.
  Several years ago, we were asked to bid on a project designed by an independent architect. We were the low bidders, but at $450,000, we were well above the desired budget. We took over the design and managed to bring the cost down to $300,000 with only a modest reduction in size and with no concessions to quality.
• One-Stop Responsibility - "Your architect didn't show anything, so I did what I thought was best." "Your builder didn't check with me on that." These are common exchanges when the architect and contractor are separate. That is not to say that an independent architect, providing you with the full range of services as defined in the standard AIA Architect-Client contract form, cannot insure that that does not happen. But I have yet to find a circumstance where that type of service is offered for what a client is willing to spend. With Design/Build, we are responsible for everything.

And a few more... just to be sure.

• Details - Our drawings and specifications are the most detailed you can find. This means that nearly every piece of the work is addressed and nothing is left to chance. We are not perfect, but we provide a lot of information to avoid problems. Our typical project will require ten to fifteen sheets of drawings and thirty to fifty pages of specifications.
• Consultation - Most of every residential design needs to be discussed with the client. We are pleased to be practicing in an area where so many clients have individual taste and requirements. That means that we have to research those needs with each new contact.
  In the final analysis, our clients are satisfied because they receive what they want for what they want to pay. When we do construction work based on the drawings of independent architects (rare, but occasionally) we hear comments like "But I didn't ask for that!" from clients. We are forced to point to the drawings and note that the architect called for it. With Dakota Dawn, such incidents are extremely rare. We do not waste our clients' money on things they do not care about.
• Continuous Budgeting - I would be nearly impossible for an independent architect to give you continuous feedback through the design process about the cost of individual elements and the factors to consider in making a decision. Windows, for instance, are made from a number of different materials. They may be paint grade or clad. They can have inserts between the glass panes. The glass can be Argon filled, Low-E, tempered, etc. The panes can be formed with removable mutins or the windows can be true divided lite. Some windows have special features for cleaning. What are the direct costs of these features? What are the indirect costs? (Painting costs go up for true divided lite windows.) What are the continuing maintenance costs?
• Specifying the best vs. the correct option - For many architects, the simple solution to issues of quality is to specify the best, biggest, most expensive stuff. The theory is that they cannot be faulted for that. But sometimes it makes no sense to pay for the best. We typically specify Air-Conditioning compressors with an SEER (efficiency) rating in the range of 12 to 14. More efficient equipment is made. Our research to date indicates, however, that the expected useful life of that better equipment will not allow the operational savings to pay for the upgrade before it breaks down and must be replaced.
• Design - You have seen much of my work. I would be happy to show you more. My work has been published and is applauded by the most important audience there is... the people who use it. I design for them. And I bring to the table thirty years of field experience and a degree from the best architectural school in the country, Cornell.
• Satisfaction
• Industry reputation - We have done projects for the owner of one of the largest Carpet dealerships in the area and one of the largest plumbing retailers. Both these people deal with many, many architects and contractors. They chose Dakota Dawn.

There is a common misconception that an independent architect will look out for your interest more than a Design/Builder. The fact is, bids from contractors of the same relative competence on a well-documented (drawings & specifications) job will vary only about ten percent. Contractors have little to say about the final cost.

The architect, however, has a great deal to say about the cost in the way he puts the design together. We can introduce you to clients for whom we redesigned a project after we were the low bidder on drawings by an independent architect. While we were the low bidder, they could not afford the work. The new design both satisfied them more and saved them 40% off our previously low bid.

All that said, you can still opt for competitive bidding to check our price.

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SATISFACTION... GUARANTEED?

In a simple business with a simple product, it is easy to make a guarantee. But even a simple cup of coffee can be too hot, too cold, too strong, too bitter...

At DAKOTA DAWN, we make no irrational claims that imply that, no matter what, we will make you happy.

Construction is complicated. Client satisfaction is the result of a process that involves participation and interaction. We can promise that we will work tirelessly to find out what our clients want and to provide it. We take the time with our clients not only to listen to their needs, but to explain the process and to explain the methods and materials involved in their projects. Once we have a complete understanding, we seem to be able to make them happy.

And that is what we can definitely assert. We can guarantee that a substantial, and constantly growing, number of people for whom we have done work are very, very satisfied.

They are so satisfied, in fact, that those who have considered additional work have brought us back. In a business that sees very, very few opportunities for repeat business, we have been asked back to do a second project for five clients and we are in the planning stages for another. One customer moved and has us doing a third project at their new home. These clients represents nearly five percent of our total client base over the last fourteen years. We doubt that four percent of Americans who have had a construction project done over that period have even considered a second project. (Maybe ours are inventing work just to get us back.)

This is a tremendous complement in a society in which contractors are held to an intense level of scrutiny. It speaks to the effort and focus that is put into seeking out our clients' most important needs and insuring that they are met.

THOSE WHO KNOW USE DDD

"I have invested in 7 different significant home renovations, so I have a reasonable base of knowledge ... all the staff and subs of Dakota Dawn were knowledgeable, friendly, showed up on time, kept their work areas clean and performed quality work.

There is no question that the value of my home has increased well in excess of the cost of the work, because I am convinced of the value of your services"
I.C. -- Wynnewood, PA

"I love my home. You made it everything I wanted and more."
M.N. - Gulph Mills, PA

New clients... return clients. Dakota Dawn excels at the one key issue in residential construction... client satisfaction. Contact us for a list of happy people who have used us to make their lives more exciting .

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Innovative Design

In the design process, who we are is important. You want to work with someone with the right skills to get the job done.

But WHO YOU ARE is critical.

What your home becomes should be all about who you are and how you want to live. Our design process focuses on uncovering your needs and how to focus the work on your highest priorities.

We have one goal that is foremost in our work. We want satisfied clients.

For nearly twenty years, DDD has prospered based on satisfied clients telling friends and business associates about us. No glitzy advertising, just happy clients.

And we have a system for this. It is a simple one. There is no big mystery. It just takes time, and we are willing to put in as much as it takes.

Our secrets. . . . . ? We listen (link to "Listening"), we work with the clients budget (link to "Budget" and, oh yes, we DESIGN.

We meet with our clients regularly during the design process. We use the latest CAD software to provide vivid three dimensional presentations of the proposed work. As we proceed through the process we obtain firm pricing from suppliers and subcontractors and make required adjustments to meet ALL the needs of each client.

At DAKOTA DAWN, we strive to apply this highest level of creativity to the dreams and needs of our clients. We do not just build things. We use our training and experience to guide our clients through a maze of technicalities and to create spaces that bring light and warmth and satisfaction to everyday living. Our target is the complete satisfaction of each and every client. We have developed a creative process that allows our clients to jump in and get involved. To make their dreams come true.

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YOU HAVE A BUDGET? NO PROBLEM!

We would love nothing more than to have a client tell us to "spend whatever it takes." Oh! The things we could build!

But in the real world, real clients have limits. They want to spend only so much. The neighborhood will only support an investment of a certain amount. There is simply a point where no more can be spent. A client wants to stop at that point and trust that there will be no surprises when the price comes in or, more annoyingly, during construction.

An architect, operating independent of a contractor, can make no promises about price. He has two big obstacles. First, he simply cannot afford to spend the time it takes to keep up on the ever changing cost of construction. More importantly, though, he has no means of assurance... no ability to stand behind his budget and commit to it as the price.

At DAKOTA DAWN, the price is the price. When the design is finished, the design budget that has been reviewed with the client throughout the process and used to guide the design decisions is the price of the work. Period.

And by the way, our clients can always check that price if they want. Competitive bidding is an option that we insist every client consider.

Firm prices.

Price checks.

How can you lose?

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DREAMS

When you sit down at the end of the day and have that rare moment to relax, what do you want to have around you? What do you want to be looking at?

Do you like sunsets? Do you want a chance to look at the moon from your whirlpool tub? Do you hate the feeling of cold tile in the bathroom in the morning?

Most homes present little in the way of individuality. Shopping for a home is a process of finding the closest thing you can find to your ideal and doing what you can to make it your own. "At least we can make the colors what we want."

Interestingly, most buyers have a hard time nailing down exactly what it is they want. They can only give the realtor vague ideas of bedroom counts, outside finishes and style.

At DAKOTA DAWN, we open a world of opportunity.

We specialize in you and whatever it is that makes you unique. Our design philosophy is to bring to the table the best formal architectural training in the world refined by 30 years of resolving complex issues for our clients. We have the background to service any individuals ideas. We have experience with Green Design, passive and active solar energy and geo-thermal heating and air-conditioning. From Contemporary Design to Traditional (link to Contemporary), we have to tools to turn your dreams into reality.

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INNOVATIVE DESIGN

It is often said in architecture that there is nothing more difficult than a design problem with no pre-established style constraints. If we viewed our design work from a purely business perspective, that might be the case.

Working with traditional styles can definitely be challenging. Clients often desire contemporary features and conveniences that have no basis in traditional forms. We have to consider concepts that adopt the new elements to the style or juxtapose them in a way that is harmonious and pleasing.

We truly love opportunities for contemporary statements. With no overriding style concern, we can focus entirely on the needs of the client and the opportunities presented by the site. Even with the open pallet, we look for features that suite our clients needs.

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Quality

Quality is a mindset. It begins with a clear vision for everyone involved in a project and ends with implementation.

At Dakota Dawn, the message is repeated and repeated till it is part of the fabric of the entire company. The client is given the opportunity to select the products that finish the project. Certainly he/she can make their own determination about how much they want to spend on some of the finish pieces (with DDD designers offering appropriate background information). But the process is one that targets a quality process and product from start to finish.

The Design process targets the first feature of quality, focusing the financial resources on what is of primary importance to the client. As decisions are made, each client is made aware of the factors that make each material more a less appropriate for the client's needs. What you want for what you want to spend is the target and the essence of quality.

The Construction process focuses on the follow through. Building it as promised if not better is our goal on each project. When we are finished, we want of come back for only one reason. To do another project for you.

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