Our Services

We guide our clients through the creation of a program, or “wish list”, to determine the design requirements. We then undertake an analysis of the building site looking at sunlight, wind, views and other physical features of the site. Finally, we provide preliminary sketches of the proposed residence and present these for discussion.

The next stage is to fully develop the floor plans and elevations with consideration to both interior and exterior design elements. We also discuss building options such as structural and mechanical systems, and sustainable technologies to help guide our clients through the decision making process.

Construction documents, or “working drawings”, are prepared for accurate pricing by your contractor, and for building permit application and approval.

This phase includes kitchen and bathroom design, interior millwork, lighting layouts, interior plumbing and lighting fixture selection, as well as material and colour selection.

There are literally thousands of decisions to make during the design process and we help guide our clients through these one step at a time.

We make applications for development and building approvals on behalf of our client. We review all relevant planning documentation prior to conceptual design to ensure permit applications are managed efficiently. We conduct site inspections during the construction phase to ensure conformance to the construction documents.

McDowell & Associates Inc. has helped to create some of the finest communities in Calgary. We had aided in the visioning and conceptual development of architectural guidelines for communities such as Heritage Pointe, Morgan’s Rise, Grandview Park, and Stonepine. We have also assisted in the administration of the architectural controls for Elbow Valley and Elbow Valley West.