We specialize in whole house remodels of Portland's historic and vintage homes.

You don’t have to phase a whole-house remodel, but if you are planning on living in the spaces while construction is happening, phasing the remodel can make it much more comfortable. Also, your budget may not allow you to do the entire project in one go. Phasing allows our clients to parcel out the project into more digestible chunks.

Our suggestion is to phase projects from the outside in and the top down.  Making sure the roofing, gutters, downspouts, siding, site grading and foliage are at their best helps prevent damaging the interior, which is frustrating when the spaces have just been newly remodeled.  In multi level homes, plumbing, electrical, and HVAC lines often run downward to utility rooms in garages or basements. If you start at the top, you avoid having to open up or work around brand new surfaces to add or access systems.  Structural changes on upper levels also trickle downward and likely affect lower levels. 

Having a conversation about what needs repairs or updates in the near future also helps with investment planning.

Arciform suggests that, at a minimum, we create a conceptual plan of all your remodeling goals.  We encourage you to dream big and then prioritize your dreams into must-dos, want-to-dos, and would-be-nice-but-not-necessaries. This helps to approach each phase holistically and helps you manage your circumstances, whether it be accommodation during the remodel, health considerations, family planning and/or finances. 

Scope creep is when little projects get added to the original scope and cause cost increases and scheduling delays.

One of the reasons Arciform encourages thorough up-front planning and research is to help reduce scope creep along the way. By considering the big picture from the beginning, we can take advantage of opportunities that will make future phases more attainable. We also present a la carte budget ranges for ideas early on, to help you manage your wish lists. This reduces the during-construction-brainstorms, which can delay construction progress, can cause domino effects that compromise overall form and function and will often mean cost increases.  

Arciform encourages you to consider first why you purchased the home and to embrace what you love about it. We consider the home part of the design team.  It has a lot to bring to the table, especially style wise.  If you can embrace some of the home’s less common characteristics and make them work for you, not only does it save money, but it adds character and individuality to your project.