Project Management
Complete coordination from feasibility to permits through construction completion, ensuring your project stays organized, on schedule, and within budget
a trusted partner to brands since 1995.
Heitler Houstoun Architects provides project management services for many clients who need a single accountable partner managing every aspect of their project.
What We Focus On
At Heitler Houstoun Architects, project management is approached as an extension of design leadership, not simply administration. While many clients come to us for design services, what they are ultimately getting is a structured decision-making framework, a proactive risk manager, and an experienced team leader guiding the project from concept through construction.
The success of a project is rarely determined by the strength of the initial idea alone. It depends on how that idea is executed, how decisions are made, how risks are anticipated, and how the many moving parts are coordinated over time. Great design fails without great process. Great process protects great design.
Most clients don’t fully see the scope of what architects manage beyond drawings. Across project types, we lead contractor bidding, permitting, stakeholder approvals, project schedules, budget tracking, and on-site oversight. Our role is to bring structure to complexity by reducing stress, maintaining alignment, and ensuring the project is delivered as intended.
years of expertise.
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brands supported.
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states worked in.
Common problems we solve
Scope of Architectural Services
Clients often think architects only draw plans. We manage permitting, contractor coordination, construction oversight, and quality control throughout the project.
Contractor Selection & Bidding
Choosing contractors without proper vetting or competitive bidding leads to cost overruns and quality issues. We coordinate bidding and evaluate proposals.
Construction Delays & Coordination Gaps
Projects stall when contractors, consultants, and building management aren’t coordinated. We maintain schedules and resolve issues before they cause delays.
Budget & Change Orders
Costs escalate without proper tracking and decision management. We forecast budgets, review change orders, and keep spending aligned with expectations.
Permitting & Board Approval
Projects require navigating a range of approvals, permits, and inspections that vary by jurisdiction and project type. We prepare and coordinate all required documentation, manage submissions, and guide the process through agency and stakeholder review in coordination with expeditors where appropriate.
How we work with you
01
Contractor Selection & Bidding
We prepare bid packages, solicit proposals from qualified contractors, review submissions, and help evaluate options based on cost, schedule, and qualifications.
02
Permitting & Approvals Coordination
We manage all co-op board submissions, permit applications, planning and historic commission reviews, and jurisdictional approvals to ensure a clear and efficient path to approval before construction begins.
03
Project Schedule Development
We establish a comprehensive project timeline that extends beyond construction, mapping key phases from early planning and approvals through procurement, construction, and closeout. This includes identifying critical milestones, sequencing decisions, and aligning stakeholder inputs to create a clear roadmap for the entire project.
04
Ongoing Construction Oversight
We conduct regular site visits, review work in progress, address field conditions, and ensure construction matches approved drawings.
Why clients choose Heitler Houstoun Architects
Most clients underestimate project management complexity until construction begins. At HHA, we provide complete project management architecture services that address contractor coordination, schedule management, budget tracking, permitting, and construction oversight.
Our clients value having a single point of contact who manages every aspect of their project with organized execution and proactive communication. Our approach reduces stress, prevents costly mistakes, and ensures projects stay on track from permit approval through final completion.
Contractor Coordination & Bidding
Contractor coordination begins during bidding when we prepare comprehensive bid packages, distribute them to qualified general contractors, facilitate site visits, respond to bidding questions, and assist in evaluating proposals.
Once a contractor is engaged, we serve as a central point of coordination by facilitating communication between the general contractor, consultants, and project stakeholders. We review submittals, help clarify design intent, and work collaboratively to address issues and maintain alignment throughout construction. This process often involves weekly construction meetings, submittal and RFI reviews, Application for Payment oversight, and reviewing Change Orders.
Schedule Management & Critical Path Oversight
Schedule management begins with developing a comprehensive project timeline that extends beyond construction, aligning key phases such as planning, approvals, procurement, and construction into a clear, coordinated roadmap. We establish realistic milestones, track progress against them, and identify potential risks early to support informed decision-making.
Our focus is on maintaining alignment across the project, highlighting critical path activities, flagging impacts to overall timing, and working with the broader team to keep the project progressing as intended.
Budget Forecasting & Management
We establish and continuously refine the project budget as the design evolves, aligning scope, material selections, and project complexity with anticipated costs at each phase. Rather than managing construction finances, our role is to provide clear, up-to-date cost frameworks that support decision-making.
At key milestones, we update the budget to reflect design progress, market conditions, and input from contractors and consultants. This allows clients to understand cost implications in real time, evaluate trade-offs, and maintain alignment between design intent and overall project investment.
Ongoing Construction Oversight & On-site Support
Construction oversight includes periodic site visits to observe progress, review general conformance with the design intent, and help address field conditions that require clarification or design decisions. We coordinate with the contractor and project team to maintain alignment with the approved drawings.
On-site support is provided through scheduled visits and structured communication, with responses to contractor inquiries and project questions to support ongoing progress.
Permitting Support, Jurisdictional Approvals & Inspections
Permitting support reflects our role as Architect of Record during the approvals phase, where we lead the preparation of documents, coordinate submissions, respond to review comments, and guide the project through regulatory requirements to secure approvals.
During construction, our role shifts to supporting compliance with those approvals. We are assisting the project team in interpreting permitted documents, responding to questions, and helping address comments or findings from authorities having jurisdiction as they arise.
Co-op & Condo Board Approvals
Co-op and condo board approvals require a coordinated package of architectural drawings and supporting documentation that align with building requirements and alteration agreements.
As the architect, we prepare and organize the design and technical documentation, coordinate with ownership and the project team to assemble required materials, and support the submission process. We respond to board and management comments as they relate to the design and scope of work, and help maintain alignment between approved documents and construction as the project moves forward.
Featured Project Management Projects
Questions we often get
What’s the difference between an architect and a project manager?
At Heitler Houstoun Architects, project management is embedded within our role as architects. It goes beyond schedules, budgets, and coordination. We approach it as the structuring of the entire project journey: aligning stakeholders, clarifying expectations, and making complex decisions legible and manageable.
Rather than acting only as administrators, we operate as strategic partners providing leadership that carries the project from design through construction completion as a single, integrated process with clear communication the entire way.
Do we need project management if we already have a contractor?
Yes. Contractors focus on building – managing means and methods, sequencing, and managing trades. Our role is different and complementary.
We provide oversight at the project level, maintaining alignment between the design intent, the approved documents, and the broader project objectives. This includes contractor and consultant coordination, tracking progress against the project schedule, and updating the project budget as the design and construction evolve. We work to anticipate points of decision in advance so the process is clear and organized.
We flag risks early and ensure clear communication across all stakeholders. Our role is not to directly manage how the work is built on site, but to ensure the project is delivered as intended, protecting the design, setting a clear process, and managing the overall outcome.
How often do you visit construction sites?
Our typical cadence is weekly site visits, aligned with the pace of construction and key milestones. The level and frequency of our involvement can adjust based on project complexity, phase, and specific needs – ranging from more frequent engagement during critical periods to less frequent visits during slower phases. We stay involved with virtual meetings between physical site visits.
What happens if construction costs exceed estimates?
During design, we continuously update the project budget and contingency to reflect evolving scope, material selections, and current market conditions to provide clear visibility into cost implications as decisions are made.
During construction, our role shifts to administering the Owner-Contractor agreement. We review contractor payment applications to confirm they align with the terms of the contract and the work completed, and we evaluate change order requests, providing recommendations so clients can make informed decisions. Ultimately, any adjustments to the contract value are subject to client approval or rejection before the work is completed.
