For Developers
Most design and construction risk is visible before it costs you anything.
If you know where to look.
By the time a problem shows up on a project — in the drawings, at the building department, in the field — it's already expensive. The coordination gap that becomes an RFI. The regulatory constraint nobody caught during due diligence. The scope that drifted between schematic design and construction documents without anyone flagging it. These aren't surprises. They're findable.
What I do — and why it matters for your pipeline.
Who I am
I'm Samantha Grace, a licensed architect based in Boston. Before I started this practice I spent years on the other side of the table — embedded in development and pre-construction teams for national residential and commercial developers and asset management companies. I've evaluated acquisitions, run pre-construction, and coordinated design and construction management from the owner's side.
That background is why developers hire me. I'm not reviewing your drawings as an outside architect trying to understand your project. I'm reviewing them the way someone who has built projects and lived with the outcomes does. I know what gets missed and what it costs when nobody catches it.
Design is not just aesthetic. It is strategy.
Services
Pre-Construction Risk Audit
Systematic review of project drawings and documents to identify coordination gaps, constructability issues, regulatory exposure, and scope risk before construction begins. Written report with prioritized findings.
Feasibility & Due Diligence
Architectural assessment of an acquisition or development opportunity. What can this site support? What does the regulatory path look like? What are the real constraints? Delivered before you close.
Third-Party Plan Review
Independent review of drawings produced by another design team. I'm not the designer of record. I'm the second set of eyes that catches what the first set missed.
Pre-Design Advisory Report
For properties earlier in the development process: site analysis, regulatory assessment, massing and program testing, and a clear-eyed picture of what the project can realistically become.
Embedded Advisory / Retainer
For developers with a consistent pipeline, ongoing advisory engagement is the model that delivers the most value. Available as needed — for acquisitions, pre-construction, design review, and field questions — without the overhead of a full-time hire.
How we work together.
Project by project or ongoing
Most consulting engagements are fixed-fee, scoped in advance, and fast to revenue. The retainer model is available for developers who want consistent access without scoping each engagement individually.
No conflicts
When I'm in an advisory role on your project, I'm not also the architect of record. My job is to give you an honest read, not protect a design fee.
I've been on your side of the table
I know what a development team actually needs from an architect in an advisory capacity. I don't over-engineer the deliverable. I tell you what you need to know.
Let's talk about your pipeline.
If you're evaluating an acquisition, approaching pre-construction, or looking for a consistent advisory relationship, I'd like to hear what you're working on.
Get in touch