Alright, so you have decided you intend to hire an architect, or at the very least you have considered the chance enough to do only a little research. Now you intend to discover how you are supposed to decide on an architect, once you don’t know anything about architecture, which explains why you’ll need to hire an architect! Whew…
First things first, how will you find an architect to work well with? I’ve a couple of recommendations, first, ask your entire friends and acquaintances if they’ve caused an architect, know an architect, or can suggest one. Person to person could be the single best way to locate someone you are ready to trust with a project as personal as designing your house, building, or space. If friends and family cannot provide you a name or two go to your neighborhood chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Or simply Google: Architect, your local area, and whatever you intend to build.
How will you know if they can meet your requirements and offer you everything you need? Maybe you have done some research and you have discovered, as is often the case, that several architects in your local area build beautiful homes or buildings and have great pictures on their website. Maybe some are your style, maybe others are not, but so you are confused because if all architects design beautiful spaces how do you know which one is right for you?
Maybe selecting an architect should end up like selecting a puppy. Before you get a puppy you do research, you find out what type you need based how they look, what exercise requirements they’ve, what certain personality traits are common with that breed, what size they’re or will grow to be top Florida architects , how far would be the located to go select one out, and then when you finally make it you select usually the one the grabs your attention. Maybe it’s the cutest one, maybe it’s the quiet the one that plays on it’s own, or even it’s the spunky the one that shows off and is quite friendly.
Much like selecting a puppy, selecting an architect that may meet your specific needs is based on a lot of different factors. That doesn’t mean that every architect is for you, or that you can work with every architect. So here are the important thing points you need to know and consider when selecting an architect to work with.
Research – the same as investing in a puppy, the more research, the better the outcome will be. If you should be looking to build or remodel a house, try searching for architects that specialize in residential design. All architects specialize in something, residential structures that emphasize energy efficiency, hospitals, schools, contemporary design and so on. All architects are not good at things, so steer from the architect who is wanting to be things to any or all customers.
Look at the work the architect has been doing, simply because they aren’t showing that mid century modern home you need doesn’t mean they can’t provide it for you, it may just mean that other clients didn’t want that. But you’re selecting an architect who will probably best suit your requirements, so you need them to have the ability to adjust to your style. If you see that the architect seems to only do hospitals, and you intend to design a property, then they may not be the architect for you.
Find out what are the requirements for working together with the architect. Do they bill monthly, or at the end of the project? Are their fees fixed? What kind of contract will they need you to sign? Do they do renovations, or only new construction? Do they work primarily your neighborhood? Some of this information is likely to be available on their website, but giving a phone to work will often gain you the data you need. If you should be unsure what questions to ask, have the architect teach you what working together with them will appear like.
Request referrals. Working together with anyone can be quite a challenge, so ask previous clients what their experience was working together with the architect. Ask how the project went and if the architect was quick with answering questions. Does someone answer the phone once you call, or did you have to communicate with the automated system? Did they finish the project promptly and on budget? Did they follow the project all the way through from design through completion or did they hand the project off to the contractor after design and permitting.
And lastly, setup a meeting to introduce you to ultimately the architect and ask who is likely to be part of the team. Your personality and theirs need to be compatible so you know that you can work together. You is likely to be sharing some very personal information along with your architect, so be sure to select someone you’re feeling comfortable with.
Many people are worried that the architect only wants to style some showpiece and charge a lot of money. This can be a very big misconception. Architects are trained to know space. They spend years developing the skills necessary to supply as much as possible at all number of space and allow it to be work so well that you never discover how complicated it absolutely was to obtain that last closet among the bathroom and the kitchen. Architects tend to be able to locate space in your layout or your budget that you never considered, but you need to know that the architect you hire can meet your needs. Be willing and open to be controlled by their suggestions, because sometimes they do know better, but be upfront in stating what your budget, timeframe, and expectations are.
In the event that you hire the best architect, at the end of the project you’ll be rewarded with a truly beautiful space that they created with you. It’s like leaving your clients with a sense of “place” ;.A feeling that the spaces they created not just function, but enhance their lives, allowing them to do the things that matter most to them.