Oldenburg Architecture

To whom it may concern:I returned from a 2-week vacation to find the referenced complaint, dated July 3, in the mail.? Thus the somewhat delayed response.There seem to be two issues here.? One is the nature of the discussions between my client and me and the design services performed, the other is communication.? I shall address the communications issue first.Communication:My client says in her complaint that she attempted to contact my office several times via texting.? My office number is a landline and cannot receive texts.My client has my office telephone number and my email address (they are on all of the invoices), and could have telephoned me or emailed me.? I received no phone calls or emails from her regarding this matter.? We have never texted in the past, any my client does not have my cell phone number.? My bookkeeper called her, attempting to leave a message, but the voice mail box was full.? I do not have an email address for my client? ? We sent multiple invoices over the past several months via U.SMail and never received any communication from my client in response? It seems to me that she should have realized that perhaps text messaging wasn’t working and could have tried other methods to reach me.Services:The scope of the project was larger than her complaint implies.? She hired me in early for design services to create improved living areas in the attic level of her home, including but not limited to one or two new shed dormers to make an existing non-conforming bedroom code-compliant, and a new bathroom.? The existing attic is finished and is used as bedroom areas.? The access stair to the attic is extremely narrow, steep, and, in my opinion, very dangerous.? It is definitely not code-compliant, and, as I advised in our initial meeting, any significant changes to the attic would require that the stair be brought up to code, although it is possible that the local building inspector could allow the attic to be renovated without rebuilding the stair because it is an existing condition that in and of itself is not being altered and because we would not be changing the existing use of the attic level.? Because the builder has worked with the local building inspector in the past, it was agreed that the builder would discuss the project informally with the inspector prior to our developing full architectural drawings, but with a concept design to show the scope of work and general design.? Therefore I took measurements of the existing conditions, drew existing-conditions floor plans of the attic level, and developed a floor plan and cross section to show the general design of the renovation.Also, as my client and I agreed, I developed some options for how to configure a code-compliant stair to the attic.? I attempted in our initial meetings to describe how a code-compliant stair would intrude on existing living spaces, but I said I would have to work it out on paper and computer, and perhaps other solutions would come to mind as I worked on them.? Two of the schemes were very deleterious to the layout of the house (severely compromising other rooms and/or the fireplace), and one would have been very expensive (requiring an additional roof dormer for stair headroom).? Nevertheless, this was a very valuable exercise to help my client and her family understand the pros and cons of stair reconfiguration; it could have been that my client was willing to sacrifice the quality of other spaces (or spend a lot of money) in order to be able to legitimately use the attic level.? It is a part of the design process to explore design ideas that end up not being suitable, because only by trying out alternatives can a client make informed decisions.I developed design drawings showing the proposed attic alterations (dormers, bathroom, closet reconfiguration, etc.) and stair alternatives.? My understanding was that the builder was going to present the preliminary plans to the building inspector for review and comment.? I presume that the conclusion was, as expected, that the attic renovation could not be undertaken unless the stair was brought up to code.? I did not hear from my client or the builder about any decisions or foll?" just silence.? I later learned that the builder moved to the west coast.My design services were for a much greater scope of work that just the stair.? I have not been paid for any of it.? We knew from the initial meeting that the stair would probably intrude on existing living areas, but as we agreed it was worth investigating that and to see if there was a design solution we hadn’t thought of in the initial meeting.? Our first invoice was sent June 6, 2017, for the full extent of services (approximately $1,500) between February 3, and May 31, 2017.? We sent seven additional notices of the outstanding invoice over the course of the next several months through April 4, 2018, after which we sent a certified letter, hoping for a response.? The certified letter was dated June 29, 2018, over a year after the initial invoice was sent.? Over the course of that entire year, my client made no reasonable attempt to contact me to discuss invoices, and my attempts to do so were thwarted by a full voicemail box.Conclusion:I am pleased that my client is willing to pay for at least some of my services, and to finally hear from her, albeit in a complaint.? I also presume that she is disappointed that her project cannot be constructed as she was hoping? However, I feel that I provided appropriate services that were necessary for her to make the decision on how to proceed (or to not proceed), as I was hired to do, and that I am entitled to reasonable compensation for my time and efforts.? I would be willing to compromise with her and accept $1,to conclude this matter.Let me know if there are any questions.Sincerely, [redacted] C [redacted] AIAArchitect? [redacted] C [redacted] AIA [redacted] Architecture LLC [redacted] **? [redacted] ? [redacted]

Revdex.com:
I have reviewed the response submitted by the business and have determined that the response does satisfy my issues and/or concerns in reference to complaint #***I understand that by choosing to accept the business response that my complaint will be closed as resolved.
Regards,
*** ***