The verdict in three sentences
In Washington DC, an architecture firm doing workplace and commercial fit-outs for corporate clients usually redesigns its site first of all because the portfolio has not moved in two years. A redesign costs $20,000 to $50,000 at a local studio and $4,900 for Growth or $8,900 for Premium at Kolonell, with extranets and portals on quote. What decides success is governance: one owner per published project, a recorded client approval and a project template the team fills in under an hour.
Why does the portfolio stop being updated?
In a fit-out practice, corporate clients, institutions and nonprofits in the capital often ask for confidentiality. Without a written rule, nobody dares to publish and the site freezes. Before discussing design, settle who does what.
| Task | Owner | Frequency | Target time with a template |
|---|---|---|---|
| Propose a project for publication | Project lead | At project completion | 10 minutes |
| Get written client approval | Partner in charge of the client | Once per project | 1 to 3 weeks of lead time, 15 minutes of work |
| Check photo credits and image rights | Marketing coordinator | Once per project | 20 minutes |
| Fill in the project page | Marketing coordinator | Once per project | 45 minutes |
| Approve copy before publication | Partner | Once per project | 15 minutes |
| Remove or anonymize a project on request | Marketing coordinator | On request | 10 minutes |
The project template has six fields: neutral title, type (offices, headquarters, nonprofit space), neighborhood or city with no address, the firm's role, photo credits, client approval (date, internal reference). No floor area, no client budget, no tenant name without consent.
What budget over 3 years?
| Option | Upfront cost (2026 ballpark) | Maintenance over 33 months | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freelancer | $7,000 to $15,000 | $3,300 ($100/month, market assumption) | $10,300 to $18,300 |
| Washington DC studio | $20,000 to $50,000 | $8,250 ($250/month, market assumption) | $28,250 to $58,250 |
| Generalist branding agency | $60,000 to $120,000 | $16,500 ($500/month, market assumption) | $76,500 to $136,500 |
| Kolonell Growth | $4,900 | $4,950 ($150/month, market assumption; Kolonell maintenance after the 3 included months on quote) | $9,850 |
| Kolonell Premium | $8,900 | $4,950 (same market assumption) | $13,850 |
Local ranges reflect typical agency quotes in the area, not a survey. Kolonell tiers include a project manager reachable on Washington time, native English copywriting, delivery in 3 to 4 weeks once content is ready and 3 months of support; Starter at $2,900 rarely suits a full portfolio. See the international offer.
On quote, as separate lines: BIM viewer, project extranet, client portal, tender document room, CRM integration, SEO migration and search work. These tools are linked or embedded, never rebuilt inside a fixed-grid site.
Which phases, and when to switch over?
- Week 0, governance: the owner table above approved by the partners.
- Weeks 1 and 2 on the firm's side, portfolio triage: each project marked "approved", "to anonymize" or "to remove".
- Weeks 1 to 4, Kolonell production: templates, service pages, a recruitment page for architects and technologists, images in WebP and AVIF with lazy loading and responsive sizes.
- Acceptance: a partner reviews marketing copy, especially any mention of titles, certifications or awards, published only if real and supplied by the firm.
- Switch-over: outside the window of a major qualifications submission, since public and private buyers check the site during selection.
Which risks are specific to this kind of redesign?
| Risk | Likelihood | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Traffic loss on project and service pages that rank | High if URLs change | URL inventory, 301 map, Search Console monitored for 6 weeks |
| Project published without client approval | Medium | Mandatory "client approval" field in the template |
| Missing photo credits | High on older projects | Check before migration, remove otherwise |
| Oversized images | High | WebP and AVIF, lazy loading, responsive sizes |
| Misuse of the architect title | Low but serious | Title shown only for licensed individuals; practice and title are regulated by each state's board, NCARB or AIA mentions only if held |
| Contact form receiving drawings | Medium | Limited fields (name, contact, project type, area, rough budget); documents through a separate secure channel, on quote |
Zoning, permit and historic district review processes are described in general terms, never as advice. Accessibility targets WCAG 2.2 AA, as ADA Title III website claims are frequent. This is not legal advice.
When is a local studio the better option?
If the redesign comes with a brand repositioning and in-person workshops, a new photo campaign coordinated across several sites in the city, or a custom client extranet, a Washington DC studio has a real edge. For a redesign centered on a current portfolio and clear governance, the fixed grid is often enough. Questions to ask: who owns the domain? Is the project template delivered and documented? Is the 301 map approved before switch-over?
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Mini case study
Illustrative example. Elena Vasquez coordinates marketing at Corliss Frame Studio, a fictional workplace fit-out practice whose two principals are licensed architects. The old site shows 60 projects; after triage, 35 have written client approval, 15 are anonymized and 10 are removed.
Before, publishing a project took about 3 hours; with the template, 45 minutes. For 10 projects a year: (3 - 0.75) x 10 = 22.5 hours freed each year. Budget: Growth at $4,900, plus a reshoot of 3 projects by a local photographer (third-party cost, $1,500 each, so $4,500): $9,400 in total, with the existing project extranet simply linked.
FAQ
How long does the redesign take?
Allow 3 to 4 weeks of production at Kolonell, plus 2 weeks to triage the portfolio. A local studio often quotes 3 to 6 months.
Should we republish every old project?
No. Out of 60 projects, it is common to keep only part of them, those with confirmed client approval and photo credits. Removed URLs are 301-redirected to a relevant page.
Can the extranet or BIM viewer be built into the site?
They are linked or embedded as a separate line on quote, whatever the tier, $4,900 or $8,900. They are never rebuilt.
Can we show floor areas and project budgets?
Only with the client's written approval. By default the template holds neither, which removes 2 sensitive fields per project.
When should the new site go live?
Outside the 2 to 3 weeks before a major qualifications submission. On a Tuesday morning, with the old site kept for 30 days.
To price your redesign line by line, request a free quote.
Let's scope your project. A 3 to 4 week redesign, from Growth at $4,900 to Premium at $8,900, with a project template and approval rules delivered, extranet and portal on quote. See the international offer or request a free quote: detailed reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
