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Design Consideration

Nicoloff and Associates, Inc. has focused on design of public sector facilities, specializing particularly on fire stations, for over twenty years. We offer the  a team recognized both for its innovation in the design of fire facilities and its ability to deliver projects on time and on budget.

Because our firm focuses on public sector clients, we have a clear understanding of their need to be publicly accountable. We have developed an in-house management system, incorporating the methodology of Value Engineering and close client/user (and when appropriate), community involvement, to support this need. Our clients have consistently commended us for our responsiveness throughout all of our projects.

This approach has resulted in 80 - 90% of our firm's work being for previous clients. This includes the City of San Diego Fire Department (four times), Murrieta Fire Protection District (three times), Banning Fire Department (two times), El Cajon Fire Department (two times), Oceanside Fire Department (four times), Riverside Fire Department (four times), Santee Fire Department (two times), Vista Fire Department (three times), Orange County Fire Authority (eleven times), and San Benardino County Fire Department (four times).

We currently have three fire stations under construction. We have just completed an HVAC analysis for Fire Station No. 3 in Newport Beach. We also just completed a programming and seismic analysis of the City of Oceanside’s old Police HQ for conversion into the new Fire Administrative HQ. We are currently providing design services for the County of San Bernardino’s Sheriff and Fire 911 Communication Facility in Rialto.

The following brief outline plan will demonstrate our approach to your project:

I. Nicoloff and Associates, Inc. begins all projects with the preparation of a project specific Project/Quality Control Manual which identifies schedules, budgets, initial project/client goals, community goals, client resources, the A/E team, and any other pertinent information including contractual requirements. This document is widely disseminated and becomes a guideline, checklist, and schedule throughout the life of the project.

II. Nicoloff and Associates, Inc., utilizes the value engineering methodology throughout the life of the project.

Much of the information gathering will be accomplished through the use of questionnaires and interviews to determine current space utilization, perceived needs, the City of Moreno Valley’s goals, Community (if required) goals, site constraints and other criteria impacting the design of the facility.

Creative sessions will be held utilizing the "brain storming" technique with teams made up of A/E team members, the end user (fire ) staff, and again, where appropriate, Community representatives. We are firm believers in using the "Function Analysis System Technique" as a tool to focus on the goals of the program. Concepts developed during the creative sessions will then be evaluated against perceived needs. From the results, program statements will be developed. This information will then be presented as a matrix of information:

When the information is "boiled down", clear architectural problems emerge - problems that are often not apparent at the outset. These problem statements are concisely written and become the interface between the programming phase and the design phase.

III. The next phase of work is Schematic Design. Nicoloff and Associates, Inc. traditionally tries to conduct initial schematic design efforts on site with City and Fire staff as participants and when appropriate, in and with the community where the facility is to be located. The result of this effort will be a series of design/construction alternatives. These will be measured against the program matrix.

At the end of this phase, when a fairly definitive design has been selected, we have our first interface with the appropriate reviewing agencies (ie. Building Department). We have found, by having a face to face preliminary meeting with the appropriate individuals, concerns which may impact both the design and the approval process, particularly as relates to the requirements of essential facilities, can be surfaced. This allows all reviewing entities to participate in establishing and buying off on the direction the solution to the project is headed. This can mean the difference between having a project go or not, as well as reduce the length of the scheduled approval time.

IV. The Design Development phase is next. In this phase much of the detail design is defined. At this point our quality control process begins to noticeably assert itself. In addition to the assignment of a project architect to each project, we also assign a project quality control architect.

This is a project architect not associated with the day to day activity of the project, who will be conducting progress checks throughout the life of the project. This includes insuring that all members of the A/E team are at the same level of development, that cost goals are being maintained, and that errors and coordination problems do not creep in to the project.

When appropriate, we conclude the Design Development phase with a second visit with all reviewing agencies. This allows us the opportunity to confirm with the them that the project has evolved in accordance with earlier discussions. It also allows the A/E team to make mid course corrections if required to meet Building Department requirements.

V. During the Construction Document phase both the project architect and quality control architect continuously monitor the progress of the job, measuring it against the program requirements and the project quality control manual. Nicoloff and Associates, Inc. produces all of its projects on computer, enhancing both quality and coordination.

Not mentioned earlier, but certainly a part of our process throughout the life of the project, is the use of office automation to enhance both timeliness and accuracy of our work. During this phase of work these tools are at their most important. They include the use of the latest version of AUTOCAD, our computer aided drafting system, and our integrated cost estimating and specifications package. Additionally, all of our consultants have modems access allowing our team to quickly transmit project data and enhancing our team's ability to meet your schedule requirements.

VI. Nicoloff and Associates, Inc. will provide the traditional support required of the Bid phase of the project.

VII. The Construction Administration phase of projects often are the poorest managed by architectural firms. We are firm believers in the continued involvement of the project architect during this crucial phase. Our project architect will be assigned this responsibility, backed up by both the quality control architect and a principal of the firm.

Additionally we promote the concept of partnering. The elimination of the traditional adversarial roles of owners, architects, and contractors during construction through partnering is a remarkable change.

We direct your attention to comments received from our past clients contained within the Past and Present Projects and Experience Related to Government Work or Fire Station Projects section in this Statement of Qualifications.