Architects Believe in Intelligent Design...

Architects Believe in Intelligent Design

You've helped your clients find the perfect lot or teardown to build their ideal home, but how do you help them find the perfect architect for their project? Pass along these tips:

Choose a home to fit your life. What architectural style do you like? How much space do you need? How many rooms? What's your budget? What can't you absolutely live without? If you don't have all the answers, no worries, but be prepared to give your architect as much input as you can.

Build a list of potential architects. Gather names of architects who have designed projects that you admire. Obtain recommendations from friends, relatives, or acquaintances who have worked with architects. Consult the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for additional names of firms best suited for your project.

Call each firm. Describe your project and ask the firm if it has the expertise, experience, time, desire and resources to design it. Ask for partner bios, brochures and photos of past work, and references.

Interview your top three. Before the interview, ask if there is a fee for the consultation. At the interview, determine if the firm's design philosophy matches your own. Discuss the range of fees and budget you can anticipate. Ask if you can see a completed project. Furthermore — and this is absolutely critical — ask if they enjoy a great and long-term working relationship with a contractor who can both execute their design and bring the project in on budget.

Go with your gut, but get it in writing. Chemistry and comfort level will largely determine your final selection. Once you've made your decision, put in writing all the terms of your agreement, such as scope of work, services, schedule, construction budget and architect's compensation.

~deirdra

--as shared with me...