Expertise in every area.
Accessibility Standards
A rock-solid accessibility story is key to ensuring that a building works for all residents. We take accessibility very seriously, and are experts in the field - practicing and teaching others how to accomplish a perfectly executed project. The planning phase of each project includes a meticulous evaluation and interpretation of the Fair Housing Act, ADA Accessibility Guidelines, ANSI A117.1, and local accessibility codes to determine the most stringent accessibility requirements that could be applied to each project. This enables us to ensure that our design is not only compliant, but exceeds the requirements. For us it’s a matter of pride in what we do and we make sure that we get it right the first time, every time.
Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Process
Our firm works almost exclusively on LIHTC projects, and through that experience we have developed capabilities few others can match. We are deeply familiar with the regulations and requirements of tax credit projects, and we know how to expedite a project without cutting corners - or causing hidden problems that will create costs later on. Our projects are designed from the ground up for easy, compliant management. In fact, we constantly get feedback from the people who manage the properties we design, and maintain a close working relationship with their teams. Knowledge from property managers is a direct input into our design process, ensuring that facilities are designed the way they need in order to manage a property at the highest level of efficiency and compliance.
Finance Agency Requirements
Our process for working with state housing finance agencies is finely-crafted from years of experience. We do not "wing it". We take the time to know each individual housing agency at a personal level - understanding their goals and priorities. Knowing the foundation first gives us the most complete working knowledge of the Qualified Allocation Plans and Design Standards for every state we work in. To ensure project success each of our project managers has become a specialist in their dedicated region, and has an expert understanding of the regulations for those specific agencies. This enables us to ensure that there are no surprises, delivering meticulous tax credit application responses and making sure after credit award that all relevant regulatory information is carried through construction documentation, and then built exactly to those specifications.
Modern Construction
Anyone who can call themselves an architect understands building codes, but not all architects understand how much a project’s climatic and regulatory context can change over time. The success of any multifamily project depends critically on building technology systems that can respond to these factors without causing runaway costs. We do this better than anyone else we know, and the amazing energy consultants and engineers we collaborate with say the same thing. We have extensive experience with Enterprise Green Communities, LEED, and other green certifications. Above all, we are building-science geeks, and take pride in our ability to use technology to make our buildings less expensive to manage, and serve their residents better.
“We view BDCL as an industry leader in affordable housing architectural design and contract management ... BDCL is knowledgeable in every aspect of the architectural discipline with a thorough understanding of the entire process from preliminary design and LIHTC application requirements through final construction drawings, permitting, and overseeing the construction phase of the project.
BDCL always brings a high degree of professionalism, experience, and knowledge to the table as we work together to provide affordable housing to those who need it most.”
With affordable LIHTC housing design experience in 15 different states across the country, our team's background working with a variety of code and state finance agency regulations is extensive. This wealth of knowledge has taught us to rapidly learn and adapt to any project’s particular regulatory needs and succeed even in new states.
Our Partners
We partner with industry leading developers, engineers, energy consultants, and more to ensure every project has the expert insights it needs to succeed.
