You and Your Architect
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You and your architect Design and construction are inherently exciting. There are few things more satisfying than a successful project. The secret to success lies in the professional, business, and personal relationships between owner and architect. You and Your Architect provides guidance on how to establish and benefit from those relationships. Contents Getting Started 2 Selecting Your Architect 4 The Important Choices 6 Services Available from Architects 8 Negotiating the Agreement 10 Compensating Your Architect 12 Keeping the Project on Track 14 This booklet—originally written for The American Institute of Architects by AIA Honor Award recipient David Haviland, professor of architecture at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute—is updated periodically to reflect current industry practices. For more information about working with an architect, please contact your local chapter of The American Institute of Architects or the national headquarters of the AIA at 800-242-3837/www.aia.org. Experience tells us that successful projects... those that achieve the desired results for owners, users, and architects—result from informed clients working with skilled architects to form professional, business, and often personal relationships. These relationships are formed early on and are nourished by clear communication, mutually understood expectations, and a willingness of both client and architect to understand and accept their responsibilities for realizing a successful project. Building in today’s marketplace is a complex undertaking requiring many different products and skills. Your architect understands the complexities and works with you to design an appropriate response to your requirements. In turn, your architect works in your interest within the building industry and can help you greatly to trans- form the design into a wonderful building. -1- . Getting started The best way to begin a new project is for you— the owner—to reflect on what you bring to it: knowledge, experience, needs, desires, aspirations, and personal opinions. You also provide the resources to realize your expectations. Naturally, every owner starts from a different outlook. Some have had vast experience with design and construction and know what they want and how to go about getting it. Many owners have much less experience. Whatever your situation, it makes sense to begin with some self-examination to assess what you already know about your project and what you will establish with your architect’s help. The questions outlined below can serve as a guide. You don’t need firm or complete answers to these questions at this point. Indeed, your architect will help you think them through. A general understanding of where you are, however, will help you select the best architect for the project. ask yourself these questions • What activities do you expect to house in the project? Do you have specific ideas on how to translate these activities into specific spaces and square footage areas? In any event, an architect with experience in your particular building type can help you immensely to refine your design program (the collection of parameters from which design is derived). • Has a site been established, or will this decision also be a subject of discussion with the architect and others? • Have you and those with whom you are talking fixed a construction schedule and budget? • What are your design aspirations? What thought have you given to the design message and amenities you are seeking in this project? • What are your overall expectations for the project? What are your motivations, both basic and high-minded, and what role does this project play in achieving your overall goals? • How do you make decisions? Will a single person sign off on decisions? Do you have a building committee? • How much information do you need to make decisions? • Where will the resources come from to create and operate this project? (Your architect can help you considerably here, for instance, to tap into reliable capital assistance or leverage modest first-cost upgrades into enormous life-cycle savings.) • How much experience do you have in design and construction? Have you done this before? If so, where have you been most successful, and where were you disappointed? -3- . Selecting Whether you are building your own home or designing a commercial your architect complex, choosing the right architect is vital to a successful project. Architecture firms come in a variety of sizes have many questions about architect selection. Institute of Architects maintain referral lists and types. The statistically average firm is Some of the more frequently asked questions and are available to assist you in identifying made up of 9 or 10 people; many firms are are addressed here. architects who can help you. (Look in the smaller. There are also very large firms with Yellow Pages for the AIA listing, or go to When, in the life cycle of a project, should staffs of 100 or more. Some firms specialize www.aia.org.) I bring the architect into the picture? in one or more project or facility types. As early as possible. Architects can help What information should I request from Others have very specific specialties. Some you define the project in terms that firms? firms include in-house engineering provide meaningful guidance for design. At a minimum, ask to see projects the firm (structural, mechanical, electrical, etc.) or They may also do site studies, help apply has designed that are similar in type and size other design disciplines (planning, urban for planning and zoning approvals, help to yours or that have addressed similar issues design, landscape architecture, interior locate sources of financing, and a variety of (for example, siting, functional complexity, design, etc.). Many architects introduce other predesign services. or design aspirations). Ask them to indicate specialty disciplines into their projects how they will approach your project and through appropriate consultants. Each archi- Should I look at more than one firm? who will be working on it (including tecture firm brings its own combination of Usually, yes. One obvious exception is when consultants). Ask for the names of other skills, expertise, interests, and values to its you already have a good relationship with an owners you may contact. projects. All good architects will listen to architect and it makes little sense to change. you and translate your ideas into a viable Why are formal interviews desirable? How do I find suitable firms to contact? construction project. Look for a good An interview addresses one issue that can’t be Contact other owners who have developed listener and you’ll find a good architect. covered in brochures: the chemistry between similar facilities and ask who they inter- you and the architecture firm. Interviews also viewed and ultimately selected. Ask who The Right Architect allow your to learn how each firm plans to designed buildings and projects that you’ve If you are a first-time client, or an experienced approach the project. admired or that seem especially appropriate. client facing a new situation, you probably Many local chapters of The American . How many firms should I interview and What about selecting an architect by Only when you have outlined your issues how should they be selected? competitive bid? can the architect address them. Most people advise that you interview three You can ask for a fee proposal from an Because you will be in a business to five firms—enough to see the range of architect at any time during the selection relationship to acquire the professional skills possibilities, but not so many that an already process that you think is appropriate. The and judgment of the prospective architect, tough decision will be further complicated. U.S. government, by law, depends on qualifi- you might also want to inquire about the Interview architecture firms that you feel can cations-based selection, whereby qualification ability of the architect to stand financially do your project because of their expertise, for a project is the first consideration, and fee behind the services to be provided. For experience, and ability to bring a fresh look is secondary. You are engaging the services of a example, you might ask if the architect to your situation. Treat each firm fairly, professional with whom you will work closely carries professional liability insurance— offering, for example, equal time and equal throughout the life of the project. much like that carried by doctors, lawyers, access to your site and existing facilities. Choose your architect at least as carefully and accountants. While not all architects What can I realistically expect to learn from as you would your dentist or doctor. Factors carry such insurance, it can, in many an interview? How can I structure the inter- such as experience, technical competence, circumstances, be an indicator of sound view to make it as informative as possible? and available staff resources will be important business acumen. You can learn how the architect’s team will to your decision. So, if you are soliciting Be prepared to answer questions about approach your project by talking to key proposals from more than one firm, make your project’s purpose, budget, time frame, members. Ask how the architect will gather sure that you can provide all the information site, and the team of players you anticipate information, establish priorities, and make required for definite proposals to ensure that being involved with the project. Once decisions. Ask what the architect sees as the the proposals you get offer the same scope of again, be frank, and inform the architect important issues for consideration in the services, and you can evaluate them on a of any information you want to be kept in project. Evaluate the firm’s style, personality, consistent basis. confidence. Protecting your confidential priorities, and approach: are they compatible Yours will be a business relationship.