Most outsourcing firms only design. We spent 30 years designing and constructing. We know what a contractor needs because we've been the contractor. Our drawings don't just look good. They build clean.
Architecture & Documentation Studio · Medellín, Colombia
We Design. You Build.
Senior-level architectural design and construction documentation from Colombia. Your timezone, your codes, your standards. Thirty years of building expertise, now dedicated entirely to design.
30+
Years of Architecture & Construction
500+
Projects Designed & Documented
40–60%
Cost Savings vs. U.S. Firms
WHY TOTTEM
What makes us different.
WORK
Residential Work
Select a residence. Click again to open its full sequence.
SERVICES
What we do.
01
Architectural Design
From first sketch to permit-ready set.
Concept through design development — schematic design, design development, permit sets, and client presentations. We take projects from initial vision to a fully developed design ready for documentation.
- Schematic Design Packages
- Design Development Sets
- Permit-Ready Drawings
- Client Presentation Materials
02
Construction Documentation
The drawings your contractor will actually build from.
Full construction document sets — details, specifications, and coordination drawings. This is our primary B2B service: production-ready documentation that your team can build from.
- Full CD Sets
- Construction Details & Sections
- Specifications & Schedules
- Coordination Drawings
03
Design Consulting
Thirty years of field experience, distilled into every review.
Need a second set of expert eyes? We advise on design feasibility, code compliance strategy, and constructability. Informed by three decades of actually building what we design.
- Design Review & Critique
- Constructability Analysis
- Code Compliance Strategy
- Value Engineering Recommendations
SAMPLE PACKAGE
See our work before you commit.
If the set feels rigorous, you will know we can deliver work at your standard. Request the package and we will send a tailored reply within one business day.
What you will review
- Imperial dimensions and U.S.-style sheet organization
- Plans, sections, details, and schedules
- Construction documentation with buildable clarity
- A short note shaped around your firm
No instant download. We review each request manually and reply within one business day.
The fastest way to evaluate Tottem.
Tell us who you are, which firm you represent, and what you want to evaluate. We will review your company and send a tailored sample package, not a generic instant download.
STUDIO
30 Years of Building. Now We Only Design.
For three decades, Tottem Arquitectura did it all. We designed buildings, documented them, and then built them. Residential towers in Medellín. Commercial complexes across Colombia. Then we made the biggest decision of our practice: we stopped building. Not because we couldn't. Because we realized our greatest value was our ability to produce design and documentation that anticipated construction. Drawings that solved problems before they reached the field.
HOW WE THINK
Architecture begins with the place.
Construction is what gives that reading discipline.
The studio moves between atmosphere, detail, and drawing review without losing continuity.
Place comes first
Light, climate, topography, views, and context are the first source of direction. We look for the response that feels natural to the site, coherent in form, and rooted in where the project belongs.
Construction sharpens judgment
Our years in construction taught us how materials behave, where details fail, and which decisions remain strong once a project reaches the field. That experience lets us design with sensitivity, but also with discipline.
The result is architecture that is clearly judged, carefully documented, and ready to move forward with confidence.
HOW WE WORK
Direct collaboration. Visible process.
We keep the working relationship direct. Your team speaks with the architect leading the package, not through layers of account management. Files, markups, and decisions stay visible, so questions are resolved early and progress never disappears behind the scenes.
This model fits U.S.-based architecture firms, developers, and contractors who need senior design support that can plug into an active workflow without adding coordination noise.
Software & Tools
Colombia Advantage
OUR TEAM
The people behind the work.
A compact leadership group, supported by architects across design development and documentation.
Collaborators
Architects extending the studio across design development, coordination, and documentation.
PROCESS
From First Call to Final Delivery.
The relationship is direct, the files are shared, and expectations are defined early. We work in your standards, communicate during your business day, and keep review cycles predictable.
Want the workflow map too?
We include the workflow and sample sheets with every tailored sample package.
Request the Tailored Sample
Shared Workflow
Your standards. Your reviewers. Your files.
Direct Communication
Your Standards
Shared Files
Tools: Usually coordinated in Revit, AutoCAD, Bluebeam, BIM 360 / ACC, Zoom, Teams, and shared folders.
Discovery & Kickoff
Brief, standards, deliverables, and reviewers are aligned before production begins.
You Share
Brief + standards.
We Deliver
Scope + roadmap.
Production & Coordination
We produce in your standards, with visible progress and coordination questions raised early.
You Share
Milestone feedback.
We Deliver
Coordinated packages.
Review & Revision
Comments return in structured rounds, not fragmented email chains.
You Share
Markups + direction.
We Deliver
Updated issues.
Final Delivery & Continuity
Clean issue sets, native files as agreed, and continuity after delivery.
You Share
Final go-ahead.
We Deliver
Issued set + follow-up.
DIRECT CONTACT
Already know what you need? Start a direct conversation.
If you already have a live project, deadline, or documentation need, send a short note. We will reply within one business day.
Best for firms with a live scope, timeline, or team question.
hello@tottem.com.co
WhatsApp Us
Medellín, Colombia (Eastern Time)
Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM ET