Inside/Outside: From the Basics to the Practice of Design, Second Edition

Design Commissions

Work on a new job begins when we receive an invitation to submit a proposal. The invitation usually gives a reasonably full account of the design problem that we must address.

We begin proposals with a description of the project as we see it, and we follow with a list of phases that we think will lead to a satisfying conclusion.

I am making this process seem bloodless, a perfunctory routine that leads to quick agreement with the client. Reality, of course, is sharply different. We live in a competitive world. Other designers or architects may be contending for the same job. So as you read the steps we take, please imagine a studio galvanized to win the day. There is tension, spirit, and determination in these efforts to close ...