Design review workshop applications

If you’ve been thinking of buying a property, building a new home or doing a substantial remodel of an existing home, please use the Art Jury Workshop Application process to allow the Art Jury review the design concept early. The Art Jury does not encourage the submission of projects in near final form as a first submission. Sometimes such projects contain aspects that are inconsistent with the Protective Covenant or Design Guidelines; the Art Jury is then in the unfortunate position of having to request revisions to a design which, in the minds of the owner and architect, is virtually complete. If a project is far along in the design process, the owners have already invested substantial time, effort and money working with the architect. Owners have often developed an emotional bond with the design of their “dream house” and can’t imagine the design being any different. It is therefore in the best interests of all concerned that early contact be made with Association staff before starting on detailed and expensive plans.

To help applicants avoid substantial changes late in their design process, the Art Jury has a special Workshop Application to allow a project to be reviewed early on, when it is still in the conceptual planning stages. Any application to the Art Jury, other than a Workshop application, requires a fair amount of detail. In contrast, the Workshop application requirements are very simple. At the Workshop meeting the Art Jury, owner and architect are able to have an open discussion regarding the design concept and alternative designs to meet both the owner’s desires as well as the intent of the Protective Covenant.

Please be aware that the Workshop process can even be used by prospective property buyers as long as they have the current owner’s signature on the application (i.e. you do not have to own the property to make an application). A Workshop is a perfect opportunity for those people looking to purchase a particular property, but want to make sure the property can accommodate their development plans before the deal is closed.

Anyone who is planning to build a new home or substantially alter an existing home should remain flexible and keep an open mind regarding the ultimate design. Oftentimes, the review process results in new ideas which the owner or designer may not have originally considered. A talented architect will be able to take the feedback from a Workshop with the Art Jury and create a design that satisfies his or her clients, and one that is also consistent with the Protective Covenant, Design Guidelines and community character, thus satisfying the Art Jury as well. Through this cooperative process, the final design can often be a significant improvement over the original submission.

The importance of having a Workshop with the Art Jury cannot be overemphasized. Delays due to design revisions that occur on some projects may be avoided by taking the time to meet with the Art Jury before a final design has become cemented in the minds of the designers and owners. Getting the concept right in the early part of the design development will hasten the rest of the process.