Have a Great Experience with Your Architect
Working with an architect on the design of a new home should be a very exciting and rewarding process and I’d like to share a few tips to ensure you make the most of your experience. These are recurring themes that I’ve noticed seem to characterize the experiences surrounding my most rewarding and successful clients. They largely revolved around approaching our collaboration with the right mindset and expectations. These are in no particular order but hopefully they’ll help both frame the search for an architect and understand how you can do your part to keep everyone on the project excited and engaged. Here's your guide to making the most out of your partnership with an architect:
1. Be Flexible and Open-Minded.
A successful collaboration begins with flexibility. Regardless of whether you already have a clear vision for your home, remember that an architect's expertise lies in analyzing both your stated needs and your unique site characteristics, and then providing innovative solutions to address those. Embrace their process, and be open to suggestions that might deviate from your initial ideas. There will be both great and not so great ideas. When collaborating with a design professional as a partner, your home's design will evolve into something more amazing than you could have imagined on your own. Enjoy the process of discovering something new together.
2. Honesty & Transparency.
Open communication is the cornerstone of a fruitful partnership. Don't hesitate to express your likes and particularly, your dislikes. Architects have incredibly thick skin and thrive on honest feedback. It paves the way for improved solutions. They have the experience to understand that your tastes are unique and expect constructive criticism as an essential part of the creative process. The more transparent you are about your preferences, the more that each iteration of the design will be more aligned with your vision.
3. Be Decisive.
In the realm of custom home design, the options are literally limitless. However, the “Paradox of Choice” can potentially impede progress. Be decisive when certain elements feel right. Making decisions promptly not only streamlines the design process but also contributes to your overall satisfaction with the final outcome. Trust your instincts and avoid overanalyzing every detail.
Additionally, there is a time and place for each decision on a project. Don’t let your hesitation on the exact color of your stucco hold the project back from engaging your the engineers. Your Architect will be your guide as to when each decision needs to be made to keep the project moving forward most efficiently.
4. Provide Swift Feedback.
When input is requested from you, try to provide it as promptly as possible. Prompt feedback keeps the momentum going and ensures everyone involved stays engaged. Architects, designers, and engineers are juggling multiple projects simultaneously. If communication stalls, it can be misinterpreted as a lack of interest, potentially slowing down the progress as the teams will shift resources to other more active projects. Your timely feedback keeps the creative wheels turning.
5. Build a Team Promptly and Keep them Paid.
Design development is a puzzle with interconnected pieces, each requiring timely engagement. Ensure engineers are engaged when requested and that bills, retainers, and consultant fees are paid promptly. Any hiccup getting a required consultant engaged in a timely manner can stop the flow of the project. For example, if your architect is pushing for a Permit submittal deadline but payments to the structural engineer are delayed, you won’t be able to submit for permits until the structural engineer his completed his sheets even if your Architect is already done. Establishing your team promptly and keeping them paid keeps the entire process moving as fast as possible.
6. Create a Vision Board.
Provide your architect with imagery by creating a Pinterest board. Start this now. Collect images that resonate with you for the following key areas, at a minimum:
Exterior design
Interior design
Landscaping
Kitchen ideas
Bath design
Anything else important to you
Since design is so subjective and difficult to describe in words, these images fill in the blanks. They’re an invaluable tool that provides a window into your mind, helping your Architect understand and translate your vision into a tangible design.
7. Don’t forget to have fun.
Most architects love what they do. They’re literally helping people create designs from scratch which is an awesome thing to be able to do as a career. They do it because they find helping people enjoyable. As much as the construction of a new home is a serious investment, it’s also a unique and rewarding experience that many people only get to do once. Make the most of it and enjoy the ride!
In conclusion, a collaborative venture with an architect is an opportunity to turn your dreams into reality. By approaching the process with flexibility, transparency, and decisiveness, and a positive outlook, you'll dramatically increase the chances of having a smooth and successful project design experience.
Have fun!
