Builder in a hard hat reviewing construction drawings on a wood deck

July 27, 2026

CONCEPT FIELD NOTE

Jonathan Elmore, founder of Design Intelligence, in a black shirt against a mustard backdrop

Written by:

Jonathan Elmore

The Basics Delivered

Basics is the drawing set for people who already have a builder they trust: fully dimensioned floor plans, exterior elevations and a material direction, enough for pricing and framing, and for permits where the jurisdiction allows it. It is not a full construction document set, and that is the point. If your scope is a straightforward house or addition and your contractor is good, this is usually the right buy. What is included, and who it is not for:

What’s included:

Full Floor Plans — A completely dimensioned layout of every level, showing wall locations, room dimensions, furniture placement, mechanical equipment, plumbing fixtures, and electrical locations. Your builder won’t have to guess where anything goes.

Simple Elevations — Exterior views of each face of the building showing window and door placement, wall heights, and overall building form. Essential for framing, exterior finishes, and getting the proportions right from the outside.

Generic Material Palettes — A curated inspiration board for finishes — flooring, exterior cladding, countertops, accent materials — to give your project a cohesive design direction and give you a starting point for conversations with your contractor about selections.

Who is this package for?

Homeowners in Fort Smith, Greenwood, Barling, or Van Buren who already have a trusted builder and just need professional drawings to move forward. People who know what they want and don’t need extensive design hand-holding. Anyone looking for a cost-effective option that still produces something your contractor can actually build from.

If your scope is more complex — intricate details, multiple design phases, engineering coordination, or a client representation need — our Full Service package is probably the better fit. But if the basics, delivered well, are what you need, that’s exactly what this is built for.


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We’re an architecture studio in Fort Smith, Arkansas, working with clients throughout the United States through a remote-first process and on site across the Arkansas River Valley, Northwest Arkansas and Oklahoma. Services: design consultations, 3D visualization, construction drawing sets and community-focused design.

Builders, developers and other architects: this is how we collaborate on your projects.

If this is the kind of home you are planning, start with how we work on custom residential design.