Retail

Martinkovic Milford Architects will re-design your store to be a natural extension of your brand, capitalize on foot traffic, and excite your customer - maximizing your store's performance and increasing the bottom line. From a technical standpoint, we evaluate your space for size and fit, code compliance, adequacy of infrastructure, and ease of operation. With our knowledge of architecture, interior design, permitting and construction, Martinkovic Milford Architects can insure professional, capable execution of your project, no matter what the scope of the build out or the challenges of the space.

Costs vary by market, and also depend on your needs and parameters. In San Francisco and the Bay Area, the build-out costs for a shell retail space downtown start at $50 to $70 per square foot...provided that the design is elegantly simple. Stores requiring more elaborate design can cost well over $100 per square foot. Markets outside of the Bay Area and other urban centers typically cost a bit less. Give us a call if you'd like to discuss costs in your particular market.

The overall schedule will depend on the size and complexity of the project. Creating a store from scratch usually takes 8 to 14 weeks to design, 2 to 4 weeks of permitting and contractor bidding, and another 6 to 14 weeks to construct. If your primary goal is to get the store open as quickly as possible, we can work to accelerate the project schedule, while keeping in mind that compressing the time frame often translates into an increase in costs. With more specifics about your project, we can help you plan your schedule.

For a retail rollout, Martinkovic Milford Architects will establish design standards for a prototypical store, determining your space requirements and getting the look and feel just right. Based on the prototype, we will prepare construction documents for each location, and will coordinate necessary permits. Additionally, we can help streamline the design, bid, permit and construction process, and we can drive down the per-store costs by leveraging economies of scale.

It's up to you! We are happy to include green building materials and energy-efficient fixtures into any design-these kinds of initiatives are part of our basic fee and will not substantially increase construction costs. A more ambitious approach, such as aiming for LEED certification, will require additional architectural fees and construction costs. When contemplating the costs and benefits of eco-friendly design, remember that sustainable restaurant design will ultimately save you significant utility costs and will greatly enhance the experience of your building.

There are four sequential phases of design. In pre-design, we define the project's scope and gather all relevant information. Schematic design is when we tackle the overall layout of the office space, and in design development we focus on the details, including the finishes and fixtures. The final product is the construction documents, which is essentially the instruction book for building your store. It also contains the documentation necessary for acquiring the building permits, and describes any another special instructions to the contractor.

Assess your strengths: What makes your product or merchandise unique? How might these qualities translate into store design?

Check out the competition: What do they do well? What opportunities have they missed? How can good design set you apart?

Contingency, contingency, contingency. Plan for surprises, they always occur. Keep a healthy construction contingency - we typically recommend about 10% of your construction budget. Also maintain a schedule contingency - 10% and at least 2 weeks.

It's simple - give us a call. We're eager to hear about your project. We can discuss design, fees, budget and schedule. If it seems as though Martinkovic Milford Architects is a good fit for you, we will then submit a formal proposal for the work.