David R. Carter and Associates

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BACKGROUND

G HISTORY

Company founded in 1997 by David R. Carter as sole proprietor. Mr. Carter graduated from the Clemson University College of Architecture in 1983.

G PERSONNEL

Company is solely operated by David R. Carter, registered architect. When necessary, an association is created with other architects having commitments to quality and detail similar to Mr. Carter’s.

G LOCATION

< Located in Bellevue, on the west side of Nashville, Tennessee, the company is close to three interstate highways, many governmental agencies, consultants and business services.

< Office is thirty minutes from Nashville International Airport (BNA). Southwest Airlines economically serves Nashville.

G NCARB CERTIFICATION

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) has certified David R. Carter allowing him to obtain licenses in other states.

G CONTINUING EDUCATION

Education is an important ongoing process. Learning about new technologies, green building concepts, remaining cognizant of professional principles and ethics, and expanding awareness of professional responsibilities toward the health, safety and welfare of a building’s occupants are the focus of Mr. Carter’s continuing education.

G TECHNOLOGY AND RESOURCES

< Mr. Carter has been proficient with computer drafting since 1985 and is capable of expedient production of drawings utilizing his software customizations.

< AutoCad 2006 computer drafting, MasterSpec specifications, and Microsoft XP Office suite software are utilized to produce professional documents. QuickBooks software is utilized for accounting. Dell Xeon computers, Hewlett-Packard laser fax/scan/copy/print, Hewlett-Packard large format plotter and a Panasonic 8.1 megapixel digital camera all provide hardware reliability. Computers are protected by Norton Antivirus and backed up daily to remote hard drives.

< Company library contains building codes and manufacturer’s product literature. Archives of completed projects are organized and retained for seven years.

SERVICE

G QUALITY

David R. Carter has the integrity, discipline and commitment required to achieve quality appreciated by his clients. Mr. Carter spends time to successfully execute each project as if it were his own. Each project is produced to be better than the last.

G TIME

Delivering information on time provides a competitive edge. Computer aided design and drafting achieves completion earlier. Many firms are set-up with designers and managers who do not know how to efficiently operate computer drawing software. They sketch and note by hand and rely upon draftspersons to create computer drawings, which leads to errors. Mr. Carter designs on computer to seamlessly produce quality documents in less time.

G VALUE

Superior value is achieved by delivering quality services on time at a reasonable price. If our price is substantially different than another architect’s proposal, please be sure you are comparing the same scope of work and professional quality. Mr. Carter will gladly discuss the reasoning behind his proposal.

G DILIGENT PROFESSIONALISM

< Professionalism is rooted in research and communications, providing a solid foundation of information required to make correct decisions.

< Diligent code research, building product research; communications with you, your other consultants and contractor, building officials, governmental agencies and utility companies all help to properly integrate your desires into a viable and aesthetically built environment.

G TEAM SERVICE

Quality, promptness, value and diligent professionalism are backed up with the desire to help you and your contractor through the myriad of necessary decisions, communications, and actions required for a successful project that reflects well upon all those involved.

VALUES

G QUALITY PROGRAM

Careful code research, well-written notes and instructions, and attention to detail are utmost in importance. Mr. Carter carefully reviews the plans and specifications for completeness, consistency, and constructability to verify that the intent of construction documents are clearly communicated.

G PRIDE

Each and every project is approached with the goal that all parties will be proud of the completed facility. Special attention to function and aesthetics helps to ensure that the users of the facility will be pleased.

G VALUE ENGINEERING

All projects are designed to provide good quality systems. Occasionally, economic realities require “value engineering” decisions to reduce costs. Mr. Carter will work with you and your contractor to develop cost-saving alternatives that maintain suitable aesthetics, function and practicality.

G WASTE CONTROL

< Mr. Carter is very concerned about your budget and will shop for value in reimbursable expenses incurred on behalf of your project. He strives for efficient design to lower construction costs.

< Paper, cardboard, toner cassettes and ink cartridges are recycled to help lessen our burden on the earth.

G COMMITMENT

We are here to serve you with:

< Design responding to your needs.

< Meeting your financial and time objectives.

< Availability and quick response.

< Continual communications.

< Quality and accuracy.

< Fairness, honesty and respect.

We are here to serve the community with:

< Professional ethics and responsibility.

< Sensitivity to special needs of disabled persons.

< Stewardship of resources and environment.

TEN COMMON PROBLEMS... AND OUR SOLUTION

< There are some pitfalls you should be aware of when selecting your architect. David R. Carter provides solutions that are advantageous to you.

< If you have experienced other problems and want to avoid them, Mr. Carter will gladly discuss his solution with you.

Problem	Symptom of Problem	Our Solution
Architect markets and wins job, but assigns daily management to lower echelon personnel.	You do not receive the value of experience and decision-making you pay for.	David R. Carter is involved in all aspects of service from start to finish.
Architect promises fast completion or low fee, then does not fully detail plans or carefully write specifications.	Construction costs are higher due to confusing and incomplete instructions resulting in change orders.	We provide thorough, quality-checked construction documents.
Architect does not respond to questions from owner, contractor or others promptly.	Confusion, delay and disrespect.	We are available by phone to answer questions immediately or within hours if possible.
Architect takes on all work possible and overburdens existing personnel.	Personnel suffers from information overload and cannot keep track of the multitude of details or respond in a timely manner.	We select clients to keep workload balanced and quality high. We respond to you with timely decisions.
Architect provides low fee by doing engineering work himself. (This may even be illegal.)	Critical engineering systems designed by rule-of-thumb which then require changes or replacement.	We hire professional engineers to custom design systems and avoid problems through their expertise.
Architect provides low fee by eliminating bidding/negotiation services.	Contractor has to increase bid amount due to unresolved questions. Vague contract wording leads to disputes.	We provide services to answer bidder's questions and to review your construction contract.
Architect provides low fee by eliminating construction administration services. (This may even be illegal.)	Contractor may take advantage of opportunity to substitute cheap materials and poor workmanship.	We provide shop-drawing review and on-site observation of construction to help avoid problems.
Architect copies prototypical drawings prepared by others.	Plans and specifications may not be suitable for your project conditions, resulting in increased costs or unwanted products.	We use information from prototypes when necessary, but never assume that a design has been sufficiently thought through by others.
Architectural company focused on bottom-line.	Personnel is rewarded for providing less service and attention, resulting in unnecessary problems for you.	We focus on avoiding problems and resolving issues during consistent service-oriented management.
Architect does not maintain professional liability insurance.	Should legal issue arise, personnel can become distracted or company go out of business.	We maintain professional liability insurance coverage.