How can you reduce your risk?  Of all of the risk drivers in the architectural industry, communication accounts for the greatest percentage of claims, according to XL insurance, at 39%.  Communication?  Sounds too simple to be the reason for lawsuits, but the statistics don’t lie.  As professionals, how can we mitigate this risk?  Create and define your firm’s communication strategies, both with clients and internal staff, consultants and other project stakeholders.  This may include internal systems and policies about how to file communications so they are easily available to all who need access, setting expectations for the client, and presenting pertinent information in several formats, understanding that each person learns and processes information differently.

Architectural firms are no different than any other successful entrepreneurial business.  Communication is an area of extreme importance; however it can easily fall by the wayside when the amount of work becomes overwhelming.  Just remember, it may be your prevention of a lawsuit.

Architects used to be a major part of the development preocess.  More often than not, architects are not even involved.  What if you could add this service to your menu of services?

Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
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Ask anyone what idea a porch evokes and most will talk of nostalgic times when a slower speed of life was the norm.  A place where giggling children drink lemonade after a game of tag, the magical first kiss of a courtship is captured, or two old men play checkers to pass the long summer afternoon. 

There is something so inviting and open about a porch.  It is a place for diplomacy and where differences wane. President George Bush said in his Inaugural Address in 1989, “We meet on democracy’s front porch, a good place to talk as friends.  For this is a day when our nation is made whole, when our differences, for a moment, are suspended.”

Below are several photos I have taken of porches. 

Not only does “Everyone deserve an Architect,” Everyone deserves a porch!

Courtesy of Google Images

…so why hire an architect? What do they do anyway? I often get the comments that …”I can’t afford an architect. They are for people that have real money to spend…”In fact the opposite is generally applicable. True, there are the great public architects that charge a hefty fee and create amazingly spectacular architecture, such as Frank Gehry or Zaha Hadid. Most licensed architects however, are here to provide something very different: Value!

Previously I (Sebastian Eilert, AIA) wrote about the necessity to create plans for permitting purposes. Architecture goes beyond just complying with applicable building code. Legislature has changed the landscape of architecture, engineering and construction to weigh more heavily in favor of contractors. Lobbying power certainly contributed to it, but so did public demand for economical construction. The Architect and Engineering team has thus been moved to a check and balance position to make sure that code is complied with and that there is some sort of design intent. The latter however, is an important point to consider when thinking about value. The cheapest way to built, while complying with applicable codes, is seldom the most value…for the owner/client. This is where architects make the difference.

In recent conversation, architects were referred to as modern day cartoonists, who simply create beautiful images that inspire. These images are somewhat removed from what can and actually is constructed. While it is true that as a profession we use images to convey the design intend, there is a lot more to it, than simply creating beautiful pictures. The images and renderings are based on experience, knowledge and a deep understand of construction techniques, sizing, system coordination (such as lighting, HAVC, etc.), and finally color, finishes and a sense of place. No quality builder will take a simple image to attempt to create a building; and no quality architect will stop at a simple rendering to describe the project for construction.

So what then is the purpose of the architect? For me, that answer is simple. We provide value. We make sure that you have the best possible design, and get the most out of your budget. Good contractors understand the need for quality design and will send you to …

By listening the client and noting the specific needs as well as available funds, the best possible design can follow and save in construction by reducing guess work, errors and omissions and simply providing a detailed roadmap for the builder.

We have been trained to think in three dimensions and create amazing spaces that will best work for the applicable client. Part of the education is also supervised experience, which contributes to a solid understanding of local and regional construction practices and pricing. Combined with technology, such as AutoCAD, Revit and other BIM modeling software, we have all the tools to deliver the ultimate service for any client: Value.

Consider the savings and the benefit in quality design, next time you are starting a project. The contractor/builder will be an important part of the project, but should never be the starting point…

Sebastian Eilert, AIA is an award-winning architect in Miami, Florida.  He is a Transforming Architecture member and his work can be found at www.TA-SEA.com and www.SebastianEilert.com.

The chasm between designing with integrity on the part of the Architect and design for profit on the part of the Developer is beginning to close.  The “Architect in the ivory tower” concept put forth by previous Architects and professional organizations seems to have dissipated somewhat in this most recent economic environment.  This, combined with the social and sustainability expectations of clients, have led some professionals to a new reality.

New, ever evolving business models are emerging in this post-bubble market.  Architectural services are either being completely eliminated because the project has been cancelled or the scope of the Architectural services (and therefore fees) has been greatly reduced on projects that are being constructed.  Firms that have been fortunate enough to weather this economic firestorm are making drastic adjustments to their present business models just to survive.

Architect as Developer in the traditional sense is fraught with liability, may create “conflict of interest” questions, and, unless the Architect has great deal of liquidity or has a bank that has suspended their latest “we aren’t in the business of lending money right now” policy, can be financially infeasible.  However, there is a way around this conundrum; Development for a fee.  In lieu of taking on the financial burden of developing the project, obtaining financing, and then either owning the project (possible with a hefty mortgage) or having a sale or lease-back arrangement with the Client at completion, the Architect can act as a development consultant on the project.

By letting the Client obtain all financing for the project the Architect avoids the financial liability associated with ownership.  Also, since the Architect is being paid a fee for development he has no financial interest in the project and therefore avoids any conflict of interest claims.

The age-old concept of Architect as Master Builder has been abandon in recent times because of liability issues and more importantly, because Architects as a profession have relinquished their expertise and authority to construction managers and developers.  In most cases, other than the financial side of development, the Architect is intimately involved in obtaining jurisdictional approvals, Architect coordinating the work of the civil engineer, the geotechnical engineer, the landscape architect, the MEP engineer, and the structural engineer, and in general, orchestrating the successful completion of the project amongst all parties involved.

In the scenario of Architect as Developer, the Architect provides all of the pre-development due diligence through the civil engineer, manages the development schedule, manages the civil engineer, the geotechnical engineer, the landscape architect, obtains all jurisdictional approvals and entitlements, submittal all documentation of the approvals, drawings, and reports to the lender, and may even manage the construction through to occupancy for the Client providing a “turn-key” service.  One caveat to providing these additional services is that the Architect must have the expertise and ability in these areas in order to avoid any possible claim of malfeasance by the Client.

This value-added service can result in an increase in professional fees and a direct increase to the Firm’s bottom line if managed correctly.  The Architect as Development Consultant model can be a successful and complementary form of architectural practice.

Harold “Sam” Baker, AIA is president of Baker & Associates, Architects, Inc., a Transforming Architecture affiliate located in Columbus, OH.  He has been in private practice for over 30 year and has a Masters of Architecture Degree from The Ohio State University with a minor in Construction Management and Solar Energy / Energy Conservation .  The firm presently offers Development for a fee service and has several client nationally that are presently utilizing the service.

1. Choose someone you can communicate with. You may be working closely with your architect for many months.  The only way your architect will design exactly what you want and need is to be honest about your daily life, your budget and your schedule (sometimes these conversations are uncomfortable).  Once you’re working together, be candid.  If you don’t like what he’s drawn, let him know.  It’s the only way to ensure you get exactly what you wish.
2. Value chemistry.  Although photos in a portfolio are important, you also want to get to know his personality. Notice how he dresses, carries himself, and communicates. Is he excited about your project? Do you like him?
3. Select a listener. Thoughtful answers to your questions and note-taking are sure signs that the architect is paying attention.
4. Call references.  Ask past clients how the experience working with the architect was.  Ask if there were any problems and how they were handled.  Did the past clients feel like they were listened to? Do the past clients love their new home?  Ask if the past clients would hire the architect again?  All of these answers will give you a really good feel for how the architect handles customer service.
5. Trust your instincts.  A good architect helps create what you had in mind all along but couldn’t conceive by yourself. If you feel good about the meeting and confident that the architect can fill your needs, it sounds like a great partnership.  If you see “red flags,” whether you can pinpoint them or not, perhaps you should pass on working with that architect.

Hopefully you now have all the tools you need to hire the perfect architect for you and your project.

Please don’t hesitate to call me with any other questions you may have.  1-877-828-7267