We are a worker-owned cooperative. Everything we do is a collaboration; from the initial birdseye planning, to the labor of putting up a timber frame, to our relationship with architects, builders, and homeowners - collective action is our path to a better-designed world. This invariably leads to greater success throughout the design process, the work of construction, and the broader life of the building itself.
We believe that architecture can deepen and restore connections to our environment and our community through the deft combination of low-impact, healthy construction and mechanical detailing that is based on research, direct experience and the support of a global network of designers and builders. Everything we build is a unique and beautiful reflection of our clients, the things that inspire them, and the places they inhabit.
The Integrative Design Process calls for a holistic approach that brings a collaborative team closer together, towards a common vision and goal. We have tailored this process to our unique approach: whether we are working with craftspeople we have known for years, first-time clients, or new subcontractors, we treat the magic of collaboration with the respect it deserves.
As our planet changes around us, the way we approach living and building on it is going to have to change as well. The tenets of permaculture do just what the name implies: they pave the way to a more permanent and sustainable culture by calling on us to balance care for people and Earth. At New Frameworks we have incorporated much of the permaculture ethos to better serve our clients and our planet.
A building is not a box, but a system. We are designers of systems and it is when our design/build process is understood as an integrated process for developing and maintaining the ecosystem of a building that we are at our best. A wall is not just a wall, insulation not just stuffing, flooring not just boards; each of these systems is a keystone in it’s own right, a puzzle piece that must come together in collaboration with the owner’s lifestyle to unlock its benefit and beauty.
While our structures have the capacity to attain the very highest order of energy efficiency and neutrality on their own, we offer a wide array of renewable energy systems planning and design; our buildings can generate more energy than they consume.
Energy efficiency is no longer enough, we need to actively reverse the climate impact of our built environment. Through techniques both highly sophisticated and incredibly simple we incorporate systems to store not only the carbon generated by the construction of your building and the lives of its occupants but far more, turning the building into a carbon bank.
Our cohesive, integrated approach to systems design and project management provides a fully comprehensive view of your project, granting insight into how every aspect of the system is meant to work, and what to do if it doesn’t.
With many different people involved and tens of thousands of decisions to make - many of which directly affect each other - it is critical to have competent and skilled management of the process in order to allow everyone to do their job as best as they can. We offer decades of combined experience working within the collaborative design/build process, both as participants and administrators.
Project Assesment & Skills Training
Many of the services we offer are on the cutting edge of construction science and technique; it is not unusual for us to be required to train unfamiliar contractors and craftspeople, it is something we are more than happy to do.
Quality Control & Sub-Contractor Support
No matter how complex the project we maintain a birdseye view of every moving part and player. From foundation to finish our team works to coordinate our extensive network of trustworthy sub-contractors with our in-house talent.
Budget Integration
We pride ourselves on our accountability and our ability to bring projects in at budget. By integrating our more sophisticated budget systems from the start of a build we are able to streamline and tighten up the workings of each craftsperson and contractor working on a job, leading to a more successful project overall.
Budget Development & Analysis
By including building-feasibility analysis during the design process we are able to generate a budget that more closely represents the design, and a design that more closely matches the budget set for each project.
Schedule Development
In construction, time and money are tightly woven; our extensive experience within the field allow us to manage both with transparency, predictability, and accountability.
Facilitation for Success
By treating each step of the design/build process with respect we facilitate a more general ease of use. The combination of active communications management, positive conflict resolution, and eager collaboration help to bring everything together like a well-oiled machine.
Each project is a new adventure; maps need to be drawn, supplies gathered, a team assembled. If you think you have a project that’s a good candidate for collaboration with New Frameworks drop us a line, we’d love to hear what you're thinking.
