About Us
Since 1970, within various professional associations, Peter de Bretteville, Architect has provided architectural and planning services to municipal governments, universities, colleges, schools, corporate developers and individuals. Completed commissions include programming and feasibility studies, urban planning, master planning and design of college campuses, housing, municipal buildings, housing, dormitories, restoration and rehabilitation and research. This firm has received awards for its work and established a reputation for excellence in planning and design.
Rather than specialize in a particular building type, we address significant projects at all scales which demand creative proposals. Our experience includes a variety of building types and planning tasks carried out on behalf of individuals, developers, government and private institutions.
The work has been published throughout the world and has been further recognized by a number of awards. All work proceeds on the basis of a thorough understanding of and commitment to the detailed requirements as agreed upon in preliminary research and programming. That includes everything necessary for the activities which the building is intended to accommodate as well as the Character and role it should have in relation to its surroundings or context. This addresses not only the physical setting but also, the economic, social and historical issues central to architecture.
Our commitment is to provide the finest, most comprehensive and personal architectural and urban design services. We believe that these services must be founded on respect for our client’s needs, on rigorous project management and on expert input from consultants. Our intent is to translate these services through innovative ideas into meaningful architectural form.
As a small firm, decisions are facilitated by immediate and direct contact. All projects are carried out by a team that executes the work from conception to construction. Continuity and development of ideas and information is assured by the primary team members who stay with the project through all phases. Personal contact and a sense of mutual accountability among all the people involved in the process of design and building is essential. At the center of our practice is an intellectual rigor and commitment to understanding at all levels that results in the full development of ideas, maturation of discovery, greater efficiency and, therefore, superior professional planning and architectural service.
Projects are carried out by a multifaceted team whose core is constant through all phases to assure continuity, efficiency and the realization of the original, primary intentions. This team is assisted by the most qualified consultants from other disciplines as required. Typically, these would include cost consultants, structural engineers, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers, acoustical engineers and other specialists to address more idiosyncratic problems. Our responsibility is to transform all of this expertise into a coherent and orderly design proposal, construction documents and a built project.
A complete understanding of the requirements as well as the limitations of the project is essential to the orderly and appropriate realization of the work. Included are not only functional and technical issues but also government regulations. This must be summarized in a program which describes these quantitative and other qualitative issues. Precise area requirements and other criteria are developed to act as guidelines throughout all phases of work.
Cost control is essential to the success of every project. Even when budgets are set at the outset our first step must be to confirm or revise the estimates to assure conformity to the original set of functional, performance and budgetary goals. This is initiated with a thorough cost analysis which relates general intentions, area requirements, design alternatives, schedule, difficulty factors and construction types to cost. Initial construction cost must also be analyzed in relation to projected life cycle or long-term cost. The budget derived from this process is the critical monitoring device to be updated as each phase of work is completed. A final update upon the completion of construction documents is a valuable tool in analyzing bids.
Communication through the regular, systematic exchange of information is essential to maintain the budget and schedule goals as well as to the realization of a functional building. Periodic prescheduled meetings and rapid, complete reporting of discussions and decisions are the essential means and process of coordinating the complex process of conception, documentation, approval and construction.
