Architects are visionary leaders. If you offer a
project to five different architects, you’ll have five unique design outcomes
at the end. That’s the power of an architect’s vision. Sometimes, their vision
can make a project a booming success or could make it a deteriorating failure.
Architecture, a service-based profession, demands a bundle of services including design, planning, construction, and administration. And, that’s a lot of work. Therefore, while looking for a project architect, you need to look for an all-star – someone who is a great designer, planner, constructor, and an administrator.And, that can be a little tricky.
In this post, we have shared 5 life-saving tips that will help you find the absolute best fit for your project architecture. These tips will help you differentiate between the diversely structured architecture firms, excelling at different subsets and having varied design artistic inclinations.
Knowing all this will help you select the best project architect for your development
endeavor.
1. Draw an Apple to Apple
Comparison of Quotes
Unless you swear by a specific architect’s/firm’s
services, it is always wise to fetch multiple quotes. It’s the best way to
understand how competitive the market is. You will also have a better
understanding of the array of services, which are fit for your project, being
offered by different architectural design service providers. When you have
different quotes for different services, draw an apple to apple comparison.
Compare the quotes on the basis of services offered to find the most
cost-effective architect for your project.
2. Get in Touch with Previous
Clients
Ask your project architect or firm for its list
of previous and existing clients. Then, get in touch with them to get better
insights into the working of the firm/architect you are eyeing. The ones they
have built for can tell (or warn) you better about the process and outcome. You
will also have an idea of how the working relationship you’re likely to have
with them will be. Also, their previous clients can tell you about the
advantages and downsides of working with them – how punctual they are, how good
their after-completion services are, and how durable their construction is.
These details make the decision a lot easier.
3. Look at Their Finished
Products
The key is look into how their finished products
appear. If you have an outcome, laid in front of you, it gets easier to
estimate their potential to take up and complete your project. Look closely
into the details – design patterns, quality, material motifs, and other aspects
that make them unique. Take a tour of each space, pay attention to floor plans,
and analyze their space utilization techniques to find the best fit for your
project.
4. Know the Team
Knowing the team is just as important as knowing
the leader. You will talk to the leader until the project begins, seldom during
the process and at the completion; but, it’s the team that will always be
present at the site. Remember, hiring an experienced architect with an
inexperienced team will not do justice to your development endeavor.
5. Inquire About Other Projects
Colliding with Yours
In order to understand the scale and constraints
of the firm, inquire about the other projects in their pipeline. If they don’t
have any, yours will get undivided attention. And, if they won three big
projects, get ready to experience a diminished level of service.
Bonus Tip:
Employ a Third Party Architect
If yours is a large-scale project, employing a
third-party architect to act as a consultant might be a smart move. If there is
someone to vet the process, finding the true fit will become easier. Remember
to keep the decision in your hands though.
The aspects that set awesome project architects apart from the average ones aren’t always easy
to identify. The tips mentioned above will help you through the process. We
hope you find your all-star architect soon.
Happy building!
