How to Hire an Architect

BY FREDERICK + FREDERICK ARCHITECTS

Building a new house or renovating a house is both exciting and a little bit intimidating. You might be wondering, how do I find the right architect for my project? Do I even need an architect, or should I work with a draftsperson? What services do architects provide and do I need all of the services? And most importantly, how do you find an architect who is a good match with your goals, ideas, personality, and budget? Choosing the right architectural firm from the start allows you to enjoy the process as much as you will enjoy the finished house.

To find the perfect match in an architect, consider the following points that can guide you along the way. Use these to help you analyze the qualifications, design strengths, and communication skills of your candidates. This should help you find the right architect for you and your project.

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Search for an Architect

There will never be great architects or great architecture

without great patrons. Sir Edwin Lutyens, British Architect, 1864-1944

Architects are uniquely qualified through education, experience, examination, and practice to lead the team to design buildings. The process of planning and designing the construction of buildings is complex. Therefore, sound professional judgment of an architect is needed throughout the design process and during construction. A designer or draftsperson may know about designing a building but they are unlicensed and not held to the same high standard that an architect is held to. Using a designer or draftsperson to design your home is equivalent to having a paralegal to represent you in court .

Architects who are members of the American Institute of Architects adhere to the AIA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, assuring you of their dedication to the high standards of professional practice. AIA architects’ annual continuing education requirements to maintain their professional standing and to stay current in the profession exceed the amount required by state licensing boards.

When searching for an architectural firm, colleagues and acquaintances who have worked with architects are excellent resources, as is your local chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Houzz.com is a good place to search because you can narrow the search results by style or geographic location. Web searches using key words can also yield results, for example, “lowcountry architects”. Contact those architects or firms and ask for information, qualifications and references.

Be sure to visit the website of your candidates. Look at their previous projects. Get a feel for their design style - is it about blending in with the site and enhancing the natural beauty of the place or is it about making a big statement? Is there a style that is easy to discern? Or, on the other hand, is the architect comfortable in many styles? In the case of the former, that style needs to be close to your style. Either way, you should be able to see a distinct level of quality and detail. Then start a conversation. Having examples of what you like facilitates discussions and the creative process with the architect. Websites like pinterest.com and houzz.com are great for collecting and annotating images.

Once you have found a few firms whose work you like, give them a call and start a conversation. Before you call gather your thoughts and key information about your project. The architects will want to know the following: • Square footage: Approximately how much space do you want to build or renovate? • Budget: How much money is available for this project? • Price Point: Is this a budget project ($200/sf),a standard project ($300/sf), or a luxury project ($600/sf)? • Schedule: When do you want or need the project completed?

Does their work inspire you?

People who build their own home tend to be very courageous. These

people are curious about life. They’re thinking about what it means to live in a house, rather than just buying a

commodity and making it work.

- Tom Kundig, American Architect, 1954-

We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us.

– Sir Winston Churchill

Interview your ArchitectsOne of the most important attributes of any architect is his or her curiosity. The architect has to be truly interested in what will transform any house with walls, roof, windows, etc. into your dream home. If the architect understands what you want for your dream home, that is simply the first step. When the architect understands why you have that want or need, the solutions become much better and far more personal. This inquisitiveness should should be apparent during your first consultation. Communication skills are next, especially your architect’s ability to listen. Being able to communicate freely and openly is vital to the success of your project. You should share a clear understanding of the goals with your architect. Communication includes the drawings that your architect will use. Ask to see some presentation drawings. Ask them about zoning and regulatory issues in your area. Do they incorporate environmentally responsible design into their work? Be sure to find out if your primary contact will be with one of the partners directly, or with the project architect working under them.

Defining Basic Services

Architect’s Basic Services are defined by the AIA. However, before Basic Services begin you should commission an architect to help you formulate a clear project brief. This phase is called Pre-Design, Feasibility Study, or Needs Analysis. It is the foundation upon which the rest of the project is built. An architect will guide you through a Needs Analysis to determine your goals and priorities, the constraints and opportunities of your site, and the feasibility of your timeline and budget. Avoid rushing right into Schematic Design without completing this phase, it will save you money in the long run.

Basic Services include the following phases:

• Schematic Design: Establish the conceptual design, scale, and relationship among spaces. • Design Development: Refine the design and prepare plans, elevations, building sections and typical details. • Contract Documents: Prepare detailed working drawings and specifications for construction. • Bidding and Negotiation: Solicit bids from contractors and negotiate the contract for construction. • Construction Contract Administration: Observe construction to assure the project is built according to the drawings and specifications.

Space and light and order. Those are the things that men need just as much as they need bread or a place to sleep.

Le Corbusier, French Architect, 1887 - 1965

The pencil and computer are, if left to their own devices, equally dumb and

only as good as the person driving them.

– Sir Norman Foster, British Architect, 1935

Digital Modeling: The New Standard

Architects understand how two-dimensional elevations and floor plans translate into actual buildings, but their clients may have difficulty visualizing the end result. Because of this, the use of digital modeling is very common today and is a powerful tool for designing and visualizing spaces from both the inside and outside of the structure. With sophisticated modeling software, called Building Information Modeling (BIM), the architect virtually builds the project long before construction begins. This allows advanced coordination and integration of all the systems and tracking and scheduling components. Three dimensional views help clients better understand the design of their house.

Figuring out the Fees

An architect’s compensation can be based on time, a stipulated sum, a percentage of the cost of the work, the project’s square footage, unit cost (based on number of rooms/apartments, etc.), or royalty in which compensation is a share of the profit derived from the project. If the architect charges a percentage of the construction costs, the range for residential projects is from 10 to 20 percent. Fees based on adjusted square footage (where conditioned spec is 100%, covered space is 50% of actual and terrace and swimming pools are25% of actual) can range between $22 /sf and $35/sf. When you first start the design process, it is difficult, if not impossible to accurately determine the final construction cost or square footage. During this initial time period the architect may charge an hourly fee. An architect may also ask for a retainer to begin the work. Find out which consultants (if any) are included in the architect’s fee.

The details are not the details. They make the design.

- Charles Eames, American Architect, 1907 - 1978

Who Hires the Contractor

Typically the owner hires the contractor but your architect should be able to help you choose the best contractor for your project. An experienced architect will have a list of contractors they have worked with and recommend. The contractor’s schedule and quality of construction should be considered in your selection process.

Hiring a contractor for pre-construction services during the design phase is helpful for getting detailed cost estimates along the way to ensure your design ideas won’t add up to more than you can afford.

Nothing requires the architect’s care more than the due proportions of the

buildings.Vitruvius, Roman Architect, 80BC - 15BC

Next StepsThese tips are meant as a guide for choosing the right architect for your residential project. You will be working very closely with your architect on what may be one of the biggest investments of your life. Creating a new home is exciting but can be challenging at times, however by choosing the right team makes it an enjoyable process.

It bears mentioning that there will always be other important issues to address for your particular project. Each project is unique and the requirements differ based on a multitude of factors. But with the steps in this guide, you now have the critical information you will need to help you hire the architect that will ensure that your project is a success.

If you are in the process of looking for an architect for your project, let’s talk.

Best wishes for the success of your project! Jane and Michael

To provide meaningful architecture today is not to parody history but to

articulate it.Daniel Libeskind, Polish- American Architect, 1946-

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