Operating Model
A structured, innovative approach to delivering exceptional architectural and engineering design solutions with precision, efficiency, and client-centric focus.
How We Partner With You
Emkay Design Solutions is not a staffing agency, and we are not a transactional drafting shop. We are a structured production partner built specifically for architecture and engineering firms that demand North American accountability, technical depth, and predictable output.
Our operating model gives principals and project leads the flexibility to choose exactly how they want to engage — whether that means a fixed scope for a specific phase, dedicated hours across multiple projects, or a fully integrated studio that becomes an extension of their internal team. Every model is supported by the same foundational infrastructure: a North American project manager, a QA/QC process, and a production team trained and overseen by North American architects and engineers.
Emkayds PMO ensures quality and timely delivery through set processes and standards.
ePlan helps Emkayds monitor and record project progress for short and long-term projects.
ePlan fosters project planning and estimation by storing information internally.
ePlan tracks project status and progress. It records estimates, scope, schedule and daily timesheets to monitor time and schedule.
SKETS strives to improve its business processes constantly, which helps to find strengths and improvement opportunities.
Helps set uniform standards for clients and across the organization. Checklists are maintained within ePlan to ensure adherence to standards.
Quality Management:
Quality at Emkayds is a way of life. Emkayds strives towards attaining the highest quality standards in all its work and it has become its distinguishing attribute. For the Team, quality is not just about executing a method or working towards a set standard rather it is an attitude and a part of its culture. Emkayds follows a robust and well-defined Quality Management System, to ensure complete client satisfaction. Emkayds is ISO 9001:2011 certified for Quality Management System.
01. ePLAN
ePlan helps the team in generating project specific quality & performance metrics. The team also utilizes client specified tools for project collaboration, seamlessly integrating into the client's existing environment.
02. Training
Emkayds provides specialized training to its employees on standards, tools, processes and soft skills at regular intervals.
03. Knowledge Management
Emkayds has created a central repository of guidelines, checklists, process documents, training materials, best practices, etc., to provide assistance to the project teams at every stage.
04. Focus
Emkayds focuses on continuous improvement and strives to deliver more than its client’s expectation.
Execution Models
Fixed Fees — Scope Based
For firms that want certainty, scope-based fixed fees provide exactly that. You define the
deliverable. We price it, staff it, and own it through completion. There are no surprises, no
scope creep, and no ambiguity about what lands on your desk.
a. Permit & Tendering Documentation
Take your project from Design Development to 100% Permit and Tender-ready.
This is the most comprehensive scope-based engagement we offer. Emkay Design Solution takes your DD-level drawings and models and drives them forward to a complete, coordinated permit and tender set ; ready for municipal submission and contractor pricing.
This is not a handoff. We work alongside your team, absorbing as much or as little of the production load as your staffing situation requires. We discuss your standards and project requirements with you throughout the way. We let you make all the design decisions whether it be about the wall composition or the mechanical air flow calculation, while we focus on the BIM Modeling and documentation part.
Think of it as having ten additional, fully capable team members at your disposal – available immediately, no onboarding ramp-up, no HR overhead.
What is included under this scope:
- Fully developed permit and tender documents for architects and engineers
- Envelope and assembly detailing aligned with OBC, IBC, and IEBC requirements
- Coordination of Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing consultant drawings for major clashes/issues
- Permit submission packages (sheet organization, general notes, legend coordination)
- Daily progress updates and query discussions
- Daily/weekly meetings as preferred by the client
- Every project goes through our Two-Stage QA/QC process
Who this is for: Architecture and Engineering firms carrying more projects than their current team can absorb, firms looking to strengthen their balance sheets and finding efficiency in current project team or firms looking to protect senior staff from production overload during a critical submission phase.
b. BIM Modeling Only
Intelligent modeling for new designs, additions, renovations, and existing buildings.
Intelligent modeling for new designs, additions, renovations, and existing buildings. When your team needs clean, coordinated BIM models without the full documentation scope, this engagement delivers exactly that. We build Revit models to your specified Level of Development (LOD), following your templates, families, and naming conventions.
Who this is for: Firms that need production modeling capacity without committing to a full documentation scope, or firms preparing models for consultants, contractors, or owners.
c. Existing Conditions Drafting from Historical Drawings
Converting legacy drawings into current, usable production files.
Many renovation and adaptive reuse projects begin with a stack of aging PDFs, blueprints, or hand-drafted drawings. We take those historical documents and convert them into clean, accurate AutoCAD or Revit files that your team can work with immediately.
Scope includes:
- PDF-to-CAD conversion with dimensioned accuracy
- Historical drawing-to-Revit model development (existing conditions)
- Verification of plan consistency across floors (stacking, structure alignment)
- Flagging of discrepancies or ambiguities in the source material for client review
Who this is for: Firms working on heritage buildings, tenant improvement projects, or retrofits where no usable digital base file exists.
d. Scan to BIM
Turning point cloud data into accurate, intelligent Revit models.
When precision matters; laser scan data is the most reliable starting point. We convert raw scan data (Autodesk Recap, RCS/RCP files) into structured Revit models that reflect as- built conditions with high spatial accuracy.
Scope includes:
- Point cloud registration and clean-up
- Architectural as-built modeling (walls, floors, ceilings, openings)
- Structural element capture (columns, beams, slabs)
- MEP as-built modeling (ductwork, piping, conduit) at requested LOD
- Deviation reporting: flagging areas where the as-built diverges significantly from original drawings
Who this is for: Firms undertaking renovation, heritage restoration, or capital planning projects where accurate existing conditions are essential.
e. Revit Template & Family Creation
Build a production standard your entire team can rely on.
A well-built Revit template is the single highest-leverage investment a firm can make in its production efficiency. We design, build, and deliver custom Revit templates and parametric families that encode your firm’s standards directly into the software.
Scope includes:
- Custom .rte template setup (view templates, filters, browser organization, annotation styles)
- Parametric loadable families (doors, windows, custom equipment, furniture)
- System families (wall types, floor assemblies, roof builds with correct thermal layers)
- Sheet and titleblock setup aligned with your brand and submittal requirements
- Revit standards documentation for internal training use
Who this is for: Firms rebuilding their BIM infrastructure, scaling a new office, or standardizing output across multiple studio locations.
f. Rendering & Animation Only
Visual assets created from your models, no redesign required.
If your team already has the model, you don’t need a full visualization engagement. We take your existing Revit, Rhino, or CAD files and produce high-quality still renderings, animated walkthroughs, and VR panoramas tuned for your specific audience
Scope includes:
- Photorealistic exterior and interior still renderings
- 4K cinematic walkthroughs and flyovers
- 360-degree VR panoramas (Oculus/browser-compatible)
- 3D marketing floor plans
- Construction phasing animations (4D)
- Conceptual and presentation diagrams
Who this is for: Firms in proposals, competition submissions, or pre-sales phases that need polished visual assets without tying up internal design staff.
Permit & Tendering Documentation
Take your project from Design Development to 100% Permit and Tender-ready.
This is the most comprehensive scope-based engagement we offer. Emkay Design Solution takes your DD-level drawings and models and drives them forward to a complete, coordinated permit and tender set; ready for municipal submission and contractor pricing.
This is not a handoff. We work alongside your team, absorbing as much or as little of the production load as your staffing situation requires. We discuss your standards and project requirements with you throughout the way. We let you make all the design decisions whether it be about the wall composition or the mechanical air flow calculation, while we focus on the BIM Modeling and documentation part.
Think of it as having ten additional, fully capable team members at your disposal – available immediately, no onboarding ramp-up, no HR overhead.
What is included under this scope:
- Fully developed permit and tender documents for architects and engineers
- Envelope and assembly detailing aligned with OBC, IBC, and IEBC requirements
- Coordination of Structural, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing consultant drawings for major clashes/issues
- Permit submission packages (sheet organization, general notes, legend coordination)
- Daily progress updates and query discussions
- Daily/weekly meetings as preferred by the client
- Every project goes through our Two-Stage QA/QC process
Who this is for: Architecture and Engineering firms carrying more projects than their current team can absorb, firms looking to strengthen their balance sheets and finding efficiency in current project team or firms looking to protect senior staff from production overload during a critical submission phase.
BIM Modeling Only
Smart modeling for new designs, additions, renovations, and existing buildings.
Smart modeling for new designs, additions, renovations, and existing buildings. When your team needs clean, coordinated BIM models without the full documentation scope, this engagement delivers exactly that. We build Revit models to your specified Level of Development (LOD), following your templates, families, and naming conventions.
Who this is for: Firms that need production modeling capacity without committing to a full documentation scope, or firms preparing models for consultants, contractors, or owners.
Existing Conditions Drafting from Historical Drawings
Converting legacy drawings into current, usable production files.
Many renovation and adaptive reuse projects begin with a stack of aging PDFs, blueprints, or hand-drafted drawings. We take those historical documents and convert them into clean, accurate AutoCAD or Revit files that your team can work with immediately.
Scope includes:
- PDF-to-CAD conversion with dimensioned accuracy
- Historical drawing-to-Revit model development (existing conditions)
- Verification of plan consistency across floors (stacking, structure alignment)
- Flagging of discrepancies or ambiguities in the source material for client review
Who this is for: Firms working on heritage buildings, tenant improvement projects, or retrofits where no usable digital base file exists.
Scan to BIM
Turning point cloud data into accurate, intelligent Revit models.
When precision matters; laser scan data is the most reliable starting point. We convert raw scan data (Autodesk Recap, RCS/RCP files) into structured Revit models that reflect as- built conditions with high spatial accuracy.
Scope includes:
- Point cloud registration and clean-up
- Architectural as-built modeling (walls, floors, ceilings, openings)
- Structural element capture (columns, beams, slabs)
- MEP as-built modeling (ductwork, piping, conduit) at requested LOD
- Deviation reporting: flagging areas where the as-built diverges significantly from original drawings
Who this is for: Firms undertaking renovation, heritage restoration, or capital planning projects where accurate existing conditions are essential.
Revit Template & Family Creation
Build a production standard your entire team can rely on.
A well-built Revit template is the single highest-leverage investment a firm can make in its production efficiency. We design, build, and deliver custom Revit templates and parametric families that encode your firm’s standards directly into the software.
Scope includes:
- Custom .rte template setup (view templates, filters, browser organization, annotation styles)
- Parametric loadable families (doors, windows, custom equipment, furniture)
- System families (wall types, floor assemblies, roof builds with correct thermal layers)
- Sheet and titleblock setup aligned with your brand and submittal requirements
- Revit standards documentation for internal training use
Who this is for: Firms rebuilding their BIM infrastructure, scaling a new office, or standardizing output across multiple studio locations.
Rendering & Animation Only
Visual assets created from your models, no redesign required.
If your team already has the model, you don’t need a full visualization engagement. We take your existing Revit, Rhino, or CAD files and produce high-quality still renderings, animated walkthroughs, and VR panoramas tuned for your specific audience
Scope includes:
- Photorealistic exterior and interior still renderings
- 4K cinematic walkthroughs and flyovers
- 360-degree VR panoramas (Oculus/browser-compatible)
- 3D marketing floor plans
- Construction phasing animations (4D)
- Conceptual and presentation diagrams
Who this is for: Firms in proposals, competition submissions, or pre-sales phases that need polished visual assets without tying up internal design staff.
Fixed Fees — Time Based
Your production capacity. On demand.
Not every firm operates on clean, defined scopes. Some weeks you need three people redlining a DD set. Others you need someone building families or updating existing conditions drawings. The time-based fixed fee model gives you committed, trained production hours that you direct project by project.
How it works:
- You define the number of drafters or modelers you need and the weekly hour commitment (e.g., 2 drafters × 40 hours/week for 4 weeks).
- Emkay Design Solution assigns trained production staff aligned with your discipline needs (architectural, structural, MEP, or visualization).
- Your dedicated local Project Manager coordinates daily task assignments, tracks progress, and manages QA/QC on all deliverables.
- Hours can be applied across any number of active projects simultaneously.
- Scope can flex week-to-week — one week may be BIM modeling, the next permit documentation, the next rendering.
What you get:
- Predictable monthly cost with no variable billing surprises
- Full flexibility to assign tasks as project needs evolve
- The same QA/QC process applied regardless of task type
- Direct collaboration in North American time zones
Who this is for: Firms with ongoing production demand across multiple active projects, offices scaling up for a busy season, or principals who need a reliable overflow valve without committing to long-term headcount.
Dedicated Studio
An extended arm of your practice; built to your standards
The Dedicated Studio model is the deepest form of partnership Emkay Design Solution offers. Under this model, a team is assembled, trained to your firm’s specific standards, and dedicated exclusively to your practice. The studio operates as a seamless extension of your internal team; learning your processes, your software configurations, your communication style, and your client expectations.
This is not a team you manage between other projects. This is a studio that wakes up every morning working only on your work.
How it is structured:
- A dedicated team (size defined by the client — typically 3 to 10 production professionals) is assembled based on discipline needs.
- Team composition can include architectural drafters, MEP modelers, structural drafters, BIM coordinators, and visualization specialists.
- A local project manager acts as the primary interface between your principals and the dedicated studio; managing daily workflow, quality review, and issue resolution.
- The studio is progressively trained to your templates, standards, naming conventions, and internal communication protocols.
- Performance reviews, workflow refinement, and capacity adjustments occur regularly based on project pipeline.
Operational Benefits:
- Institutional knowledge builds over time; the studio learns your projects, your clients, and your expectations
- No warm-up time on new projects because the team already knows your standards
- Consistent output quality that improves with every engagement
- Predictable monthly investment aligned with a defined team size and hour commitment
Who this is for: Established architecture and engineering firms looking to scale their practice without the fixed overhead, HR risk, and office space requirements of equivalent full-time hires. Ideal for firms with consistent project volume who want a long-term production partnership that grows with them.
Your production capacity. On demand.
Not every firm operates on clean, defined scopes. Some weeks you need three people redlining a DD set. Others you need someone building families or updating existing conditions drawings. The time-based fixed fee model gives you committed, trained production hours that you direct project by project.
How it works:
- You define the number of drafters or modelers you need and the weekly hour commitment (e.g., 2 drafters × 40 hours/week for 4 weeks)
- Emkay Design Solution assigns trained production staff aligned with your discipline needs (architectural, structural, MEP, or visualization)
- Your dedicated local Project Manager coordinates daily task assignments, tracks progress, and manages QA/QC on all deliverables
- Hours can be applied across any number of active projects simultaneously
- Scope can flex week-to-week — one week may be BIM modeling, the next permit documentation, the next rendering
What you get:
- Predictable monthly cost with no variable billing surprises
- Full flexibility to assign tasks as project needs evolve
- The same QA/QC process applied regardless of task type
- Direct collaboration in North American time zones
Who this is for: Firms with ongoing production demand across multiple active projects, offices scaling up for a busy season, or principals who need a reliable overflow valve without committing to long-term headcount.
Dedicated Studio
An extended arm of your practice; built to your standards
The Dedicated Studio model is the deepest form of partnership Emkay Design Solution offers. Under this model, a team is assembled, trained to your firm’s specific standards, and dedicated exclusively to your practice. The studio operates as a seamless extension of your internal team; learning your processes, your software configurations, your communication style, and your client expectations.
This is not a team you manage between other projects. This is a studio that wakes up every morning working only on your work.
How it is structured:
- A dedicated team (size defined by the client — typically 3 to 10 production professionals) is assembled based on discipline needs
- Team composition can include architectural drafters, MEP modelers, structural drafters, BIM coordinators, and visualization specialists
- A local project manager acts as the primary interface between your principals and the dedicated studio; managing daily workflow, quality review, and issue resolution
- The studio is progressively trained to your templates, standards, naming conventions, and internal communication protocols
- Performance reviews, workflow refinement, and capacity adjustments occur regularly based on project pipeline
Operational Benefits:
- Institutional knowledge builds over time; the studio learns your projects, your clients, and your expectations
- No warm-up time on new projects because the team already knows your standards
- Consistent output quality that improves with every engagement
- Predictable monthly investment aligned with a defined team size and hour commitment
Who this is for: Established architecture and engineering firms looking to scale their practice without the fixed overhead, HR risk, and office space requirements of equivalent full-time hires. Ideal for firms with consistent project volume who want a long-term production partnership that grows with them.
Quality Control Measures
Every engagement, regardless of execution model, scope, or discipline – is governed by the same QA/QC infrastructure.
Stage 1 — Intake Validation
• Background Verification: Linked models, reference drawings, and consultant files are checked for version currency and compatibility.
• Standards Alignment: Client templates, naming conventions, and view settings are confirmed and distributed to the production team.
• Issue Log Setup: An open issues list is created at the start of every project to track unresolved questions, pending decisions, and coordination gaps.
Stage 2 — In-Progress Review
• Coordination Check: Structural and MEP models are overlaid against architectural plans to identify early spatial conflicts.
• Client Alignment (if needed): If scope questions arise mid-production, we surface them to the client immediately rather than making assumptions.
Stage 3 — Pre-Delivery QA/QC
Stage 4 — Post-Delivery Learning
• Coordination failures are traced to their source and process adjustments are made.
• Client feedback is documented and incorporated into the next engagement setup.