Can I assume the design work will take less time, and therefore cost less?
There is a correlation between design fees and project size/complexity. The design process takes longer for larger, more complex projects, because there is more work to do: more information to gather, more measurements to take, more problems to solve, etc.
Small spaces, however, frequently present bigger challenges on a per-unit-of-area basis. Many people think that since the space they are dealing with is small, it must be simple and easy to deal with. The fact is, small spaces present complex and challenging problems for designers. When space is at a premium, there is little room for error. Larger spaces, on the other hand, can absorb more flaws without being severely handicapped, and, in many cases, the flaws are not even recognized except by the most trained observers. Most designers consider small spaces to be far more challenging than larger spaces.
The size of the task is usually inversely related to the size of the space. Do not confuse small with simple, where simple is equated with less expensive. As a general rule, small projects are considerably more expensive per applicable unit of measurement than larger projects. Small spaces do present big challenges!
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