We're glad you are interested in working with Hertzler & George. Let me give you a brief overview of how we begin a project.

THE FIRST MEETING
Your first meeting with us will be at our office. This gives you a chance to see our operation from the inside out and to meet the members of the team, including our landscape architect, Phillip Merritt. I will walk you through our approach to a design/build project, review other projects we have done that are similar to yours, and discuss the design fees involved. The goal of this initial meeting is to arrive at an Agreement for Preliminary Design and Budgeting. With this agreement in place we can begin working on your project.

The meeting will take about 45 minutes. Please call our office at (757) 229-9668 to set-up a mutually agreeable.

You’re just getting started, so keep reading to find out about the homework you have to do before you arrive....

HOMEWORK FOR THE FIRST MEETING
We require that you bring some “homework” with you to the initial meeting.

HOMEWORK #1 - All Decision Makers Present
In order to get things off to a good start, all the decision makers must be at this first meeting. You’ll find that we will work very closely with you throughout a design/build engagement. Our goal is to understand what you want from your project and why. We strive to see the property through your eyes and to design solutions that are not only aesthetically pleasing but infinitely practical. We can only do so if everyone who has a role to play in the project is present and involved. 

HOMEWORK #2 - Survey, Architectural Renderings and Property Information
The idea here is to document what exists today. Bring a plat of your property and any drawings or renderings you have. The best way to think of this is to ask yourself: What information do I have that will help me explain the existing conditions to Hertzler & George? These items will give us an overview of the property and help to organize the discussion at the meeting. Furthermore, once we begin our design work we will need this property information, so it makes sense for you to get it in place now. If you have any questions about the materials you have and what you will need to bring please ask us.

HOMEWORK #3 - Idea Folder
This bit of homework is intended to be fun, but the more time you spend on it the better. The point of this exercise is to assemble tools that will help you convey the concept to us. You've heard the phrase "A picture is worth a thousand words." I can't begin to tell you how true that statement is when it comes to design, so now is your chance to put it to the test. Look for pictures that appeal to you and that you would like to include in your project. Look through books and magazines. Take snap-shots around town. Make sketches, no matter how rough they may be. Stuff them all in a folder and bring it with you. Don’t worry about whether or not the images you find are pratical...just look for things that make your heart sing. The goal of this exercise is for you to capture the essence of what you are hoping to build inorder to communicate those ideas to us. We will get to the "practical" part in due time, so for now have fun. 

The “homework” I’ve outlined here is not meant to be an exhaustive (exhausting?) exercise. Have fun with it! We will get to the specifics during the design process, but the better prepared you are, the more you will get out of our first meeting.

We look forward to giving you a greater understanding of who we are and what we are capable of doing for you.