Architect versus online plan - what is the secret?
Let me start off by saying that I have STALKED the building forum for the past year, so I know what most feel about utilizing an architect and I completely value the opinion of those who have built before me. I read a few times where people said that once you have paid to completely modify an online stock plan, you might as well have used an architect. So, I gave it a try.
I found a good online plan, and emailed the designer to have them move a few interior walls, raise ceiling height, flip two rooms, change door way widths, change the slab to a crawl space and remove a few unnecessary bump-outs. The cost was $1980 for the CAD plans plus $685 for all of the changes. I then contacted a few local architecture and design firms (who also had draftsmen on staff). The best quote given to me to design a basic plan based on the topography map provided was $12,500.
$2665 versus $12,500??
If any of you know how to get these "price comparable" services from an architect or draftsman PLEASE comment below and tell me how?? I would be satisfied if I could get the prices within $2-3k of each other. Are there architects who charge less because they are not overseeing the project or having to visit the site? Also know that in my city, plans do not have to be stamped, so I would not have to engage an architect anyway.
Comentarios (50)
jilldag
hace 7 añosWe made the mistake of doing both... : (
We started out with an online plan and contacted the architect that created the plan. We purchased the plan with some modifications. That costed us just shy of $3,000. We then decided that there were a few more modifications that needed to be done. At this point we took the design to a local architect and ended up starting from scratch. That costed us a little over $20,000. In my experience, if you can find a stock plan, that does actually meet your needs, it will be significantly less expensive.
kalenangel agradeció a jilldagrobertnp
hace 7 añosIf you absolutely love the plan as modified and you are completely satisfied, perhaps all you need is a local draftsperson to ensure the plan meets local building codes and to make necessary changes required by the building department. Just a thought.
jilldag
hace 7 añosI guess it really depends on how unique your lifestyle is. Ours is not typical, by any stretch, so to be comfortable, none of the stock plans fit our lifestyle. Our needs are unique, that the bank had trouble with the value of our home because there are no houses, in our area, that have the same comps. If you are happy with stock plans, and can be content with just a few tweaks, then a stock plan is definitely the most cost efficient.
kalenangel
Autor originalhace 7 añosThank you both for weighing in. We are a simple family with one pre-teen, so many of the online plans seems to be acceptable. But I see people post plans here all of the time and they get ripped apart! I figured I would try an architect to get the best design for us from the start. But I don't know if any of our needs are unique enough to warrant $12k more.robertnp
hace 7 añosI am sure there are many more people that have not posted their plans online here because they were happy with what they have. The crowd here may appear to be brutal but they are only honestly sharing their views on what they believe works best. I know I have learned from their input on a few minor things we are tweaking and have appreciated the viewpoints even though I did not seek input on our plan.
kalenangel agradeció a robertnprockybird
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosFor myself, I would hire an architect. I would want to design something unique that no one else has. I would want to specifically make it work for my lifestyle and also take advantage of the property attributes . The vast majority of us spend our lives living in preowned homes that we have no say in the design of. This would be an opportunity to really design something amazing. (And I dont think an amazing home needs to be expensive.). If I was lucky enough to build my own home, I would not want a stock plan that other people have. I also see using an architect as an investment. If I am spending XX dollars to build a home, it better be what I want. But this is just me. Everyone is different.
Given the cost of building a home, I think architectural fees in general, as a small percentage of the overall budget, are very reasonable. I will say that 12k sounds very cheap.
kalenangel agradeció a rockybirdkalenangel
Autor originalhace 7 añosmarthaelena - "Let's see that amazing plan and if it equals to a custom designed house by an architect for your specific site."
Its like your daring me to post to give an opportunity to be proven wrong, which is so not the spirit of my question. Its comment like these that make me hate to even ask for help. I never used the word amazing; I believe my word choice was "good". And my intent was not to argue the quality of the work. My asking was of those who said that the costs to modify an online plan could be the equivalent to that of an architect, to teach me how... or just tell me it can't be done.
One Devoted Dame
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosFor me, an architect's fees are more than just drawing a box to live in.
I would love the sun to shine in at all the right places, the architectural style of the house to be consistent, and the approach to my front door to sing, "Welcome home," to me. Just to list a few examples.
A person of design talent is the best way to accomplish this, I think. I also am truly, keenly interested in the design process itself, and want to experience it from an artistic, personal education perspective -- this alone is worth the price tag to me. I acknowledge my oddness, lol.
kalenangel agradeció a One Devoted Dame
cpartist
hace 7 añosAs martha says, I'd want to compare your plan that you modified, the stock plan and your topography. Without the full information, we're only guessing.
kalenangel
Autor originalhace 7 añoscpartist-
Just to be clear, I didn't purchase the online plans. I submitted the change request to the designer to get the total and then switched gears to look into architects. I don't want to waste money, so if an architect is the best option then that is what we will use. I was just trying to understand if there was a "secret" to getting the prices comparable, as some have suggested is possible.
One Devoted Dame
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosKalen, hon, what exactly are you looking for? :-D
It sounds like maybe a "design charrette" might be right up your alley... You sit down for a few power hours with an architect, and knock out a design that someone else fills in with details/prepares documents for. Does that sound appealing at all? lol I think a poster by the name of Arialvetica (I probably totally butchered her name, sorry!!!) said she paid less than what her refrigerator cost, for a quick design charrette.
ArchitectRunnerGuy is the original charrette man, so if you have specific questions about the process, he's a great resource!
Holly Stockley
hace 7 añosMy asking was of those who said that the costs to modify an online plan could be the equivalent to that of an architect, to teach me how... or just tell me it can't be done.
It sounds as if you are asking for someone to tell you how to get an architect-designed plan for $2600 or so you found that your plan + your modification would cost.
I do think that folks who say that buying a plan and then modifying it ended up costing the same as hiring an architect to begin with - often made change, after change, after change, in an effort to really turn that plan into something that they loved. When it was all done, they had as much invested in that modified stock plan as the $12K they would have paid for an architect from the outset. Some, you'll find, bought one plan, paid to modify it, decided that wouldn't do, purchased another and modified THAT, and so on. And even then, that plan is not customized to you and your site and your life.
This is all a question of prioritization. You have a specific budget when it comes to building a home. And you have to decide what certain elements are worth to you. Someone might be willing to shell out the $$$ to have all of the countertops in the home Cambria, because that's their priority. Another might invest a significant portion in green elements, passive solar, etc. because that's their priority. Yet another might choose to allocate a larger proportion of their budget to making their home historically authentic with real wood clapboards, cedar shakes, etc. Myself, I'm willing to forgo certain high end finishes and gew gaws in order to have my home have a certain feel. It's particularly important to me that it look as if it's part of the community it's in, and feels as if it's been there a long time. That the space works for us and our very specific needs, makes maximum advantage of our land, and provides an oasis for us away from the stresses outside it. No stock plan in the world can do that, however nicely laid out. But, if you find a stock plan that is to your liking and that allows you to have room in the budget for a Wolf range instead of my likely GE or Whirlpool - go for it, if that's what makes you happy.
kalenangel agradeció a Holly Stockleykalenangel
Autor originalhace 7 añosOne devoted dame-
Thank you for that direction. I have never heard of a "design charrette" but it sounds like something worth exploring. Thank you for the suggestion.
kalenangel
Autor originalhace 7 añosHolly-
It sounds as if you are asking for someone to tell you how to get an architect-designed plan for $2600 or so you found that your plan + your modification would cost.
YES - I am asking those who said it was possible...how? Based on my efforts, it didn't seem possible, so I was curious. Thank you!
mrspete
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosI think it depends upon just how much you want to change about the plan. If you're just rearranging the kitchen cabinets or reconfiguring the closet, or switching a window for a door, you're probably fine with having a stock plan rearranged; however, if you're talking about bumping out walls and changing the roofline, you've probably reached the point that you need more help.
kalenangel agradeció a mrspetemarthaelena
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosKalen, I guess I misunderstood the purpose of your post. I do not want you to hate asking for help in here.
cpartist
hace 7 añosI think mrspete hit the nail on the head. If you're looking just for some minor interior changes, then it's not a big deal to have it done, but if you're moving load bearing walls, making outside walls larger or smaller, etc then it will wind up probably costing about the same as hiring the architect.
kalenangel agradeció a cpartistHolly Stockley
hace 7 añosYES - I am asking those who said it was possible...how? Based on my efforts, it didn't seem possible, so I was curious. Thank you!
Aha, we have found the miscommunication. :-)
I suspect that those folks were telling you that they spent up to $12K (or more) on a stock plan and mods.
Not that they got a custom-designed home from an architect for $2600.
I could be wrong, but I suspect that may have been the disconnect.
Though the design charrette route may be nearer to what you're looking for, from the sounds of things.
I actually DO understand what you're asking and where you're coming from. It's all in expectations and understanding of what you're getting. My parents went through a parade home nearly 20 years ago, and paid the builder to recreate it for them, on their lot with some mods. (A lot of this is because my mother can't really visualize things well, and she picked this plan having walked through it.)
Dad, for his part, thought this was basically "building a custom home." But the builder had everything specced out and any time Dad tried to change, add, etc. he got resistance. (for various reasons on the part of the builder. Some valid, some less so). He and I are BOTH beginning to understand now, as I'm building a truly custom home, what the differences really are.
kalenangel
Autor originalhace 7 añosThank you Holly! Now those comments make sense because I was struggling trying to figure out how they closed that gap! I was afraid I would regret never asking how they pulled off such a savings, as my attempts failed. You never want to be the person in the Costco line who doesn't know that you can stack coupons :-)
just_janni
hace 7 añosI think that architects fees are wildly variable, and also the services provided are also wildly variable. It also might be regional?
I think that if more architects offered the charrette approach, and you could walk away with a basic floor plan and elevation, and then have that drafted and tweaked, more folks would use an architect. However, the risk that is that the devil of a custom home is in the details and those would likely be lost in a person of less design talent bringing the plans the rest of the way "home", so to speak.
I think we see that here often- you see some lovely inspiration photos and then execution by a draftsperson that is "close but no cigar" and that special something is missing - usually things like the width of the trip and the spacial appropriateness of the actual windows / placement, columns, where the stone / brick is placed, etc.
I am a car person - there are plenty of VERY nice / capable vehicles that would be lovely transportation - that I won't drive. But they sell hundreds of thousands of them and they are highly rated. Not better, not worse, just different.
kalenangel agradeció a just_jannihomechef59
hace 7 añosI've built a really lovely home from a stock plan. I purchased two William E. Poole plans about 10 years ago. I had a very experienced truly custom builder. We already owned the land, 20 acres of the most beautiful rolling pasture that shared a 30 acre lake with 3 other owners. We cost out the first plan. It was 40% higher than we had budgeted and we hadn't even gotten to interior finishes. I learned the lesson very quickly about how much two-story porches and complicated roofs cost.
To my builder's credit, he was willing to do the work to educate us on budget and what was possible. So, we did an about face and went back to William E. Poole. I found a lovely plan that suited our needs that had a much more modest, yet welcoming front entry, a great back porch for the lake view, and historically accurate enough for my tastes and less total square footage with a simple roof line and limited corners.
My builder and I collaborated on changes to the plan. At his suggestion, we added an additional 2 feet to the depth of the house. We penciled it in on the plans. I completely redesigned the rear elevation and changed the windows and doors. We totally reworked the kitchen/pantry/laundry and wet bar areas. Between the two of us, we added additional architectural detailing to the front entry and calculated the appropriate size of columns. None of this was done with the assistance of an architect. It wasn't needed. The result was spectacular. Better than any of us could have imagined. The house looked as if it had been on the property for two hundred years.
At the same time, my neighbor was also building on the adjacent parcel. Their first problem was their builder. We interview the guy and determined pretty quickly that he was an idiot. He hired his favorite architect to design the home. It was also a historic style of home. The house design was poor. The house placement was badly done on the slope. The placement of the staircase was shoehorned into an area that blocked one of the front elevation windows rendering that window useless forever. The three car garage was too small to accommodate the owner's truck. The owner had specifically requested this feature. It was his only ask, everything else was done to please his wife, who was not the type to question anything. Two big errors that should have been caught at the design stage and weren't.
Sadly, I have since sold the home. Now, I am getting to the point where I may build another home. Most of my experience is with renovating homes. Now that I want to build, I can't seem to find a plan that does what I want, looks the way I want it, that is the right size, has closets where I want them, a large kitchen pantry, and doesn't have crickets, dormers and needless corners. I think it's time for an architect.
kalenangel agradeció a homechef59kalenangel
Autor originalhace 7 añosJannicone -
Thank you! So clearly I need to find out what this charrette approach is...
dchall_san_antonio
hace 7 añosI think starting with a plan and tuning it up for your specifications is the way to go. There are several ways to do that and you picked a good one.
When we remodeled in San Antonio we found a designer to draw the plans for us. She had a masters degree in architecture but was not certified by the state, so she called herself a designer. She's the wife of a local minister and a stay at home mother. She worked out of her house which happened to be in our neighborhood. The project was to add 800 square feet on our sloped lot including a bump out in the front bedroom with a master bath. In back we added a family room with utility room and office. We had to change some doorways and stair down to the final floor. All we had to start was arm waving about where we wanted things. She knocked out a preliminary outline in a week. From that we had something to get creative with. We picked locations for doors, windows, electric outlets, lighting and switches, and added closet/storage space. She came by a couple more times over the next month to remeasure or ask questions. After about 6 weeks she had 10 D-sized drawing pages covering everything from footings to roof. She charged us $800. I don't know how she did it for that price. The contractor did not have a single question about the drawings. Finish cost of the remodel was $90,000 which included Andersen windows throughout, more wall insulation, and residing with Hardie. Measuring by the square foot it was about $110/psf, but the siding and windows are hard to measure psf. The actual square footage addition was probably about $80 psf.
kalenangel agradeció a dchall_san_antonio
PROVirgil Carter Fine Art
hace 7 añosThis is a common misunderstanding of the differences between a plan from a plan factory and a plan created by a local architect. Let's look at the differences.
When a consumer buys a plan from a plan factory it does not, in any way, consider local conditions and ordinances. For example, site conditions and orientation, drainage, slope, soils problems and the like. It does not provide foundation design, structural design, and does not include heating, cooling, electrical, lighting, signal and special controls. The plans from plan factories have no idea of any local ordinances or requirements. Said differently, plan factory plans are simply paper or computer generated drawings.
If consumers want modifications made to the standard plans, these can be accommodated for an extra fee, but all of the comments above still apply.
What this means is that a consumer assumes all, ALL, responsibilities for the subsequent use of such plans. If the local jurisdiction requires additional drawings, specifications and calculations, the consumer is responsible for obtaining them. The important part of this is that the consumer assumes all risks and all responsibilities for all subsequent results.
This may be satisfactory for consumers who have built before and know the risks involved.
On the other hand, when one takes their needs and wants (or a set of plan factory plans) to a licensed architect, if the architect accepts the commission, s/he is immediately responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their work. State licensing laws vary, but most architectural licensing laws prohibit a licensed architect from stamping any drawings unless they were prepared by her/him or under her/his direct supervision.
This legal provision is designed for consumer protection and makes the architect responsible for her/his work, unlike a plan factory.
All of this comes with a commensurate cost. If the consumer wants to assume all risks, then the cost of plan factory plans are usually very low. If the consumer wants professional help and professional responsibility, then the costs are commensurate with that expertise and protection.
One can find someone to do almost anything for almost nothing in cost. Usually the results are worth what one paid.
kalenangel agradeció a Virgil Carter Fine Artcpartist
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosWhen we remodeled in San Antonio we found a designer to draw the plans for us. She had a masters degree in architecture but was not certified by the state, so she called herself a designer.
Wow, you lucked out!
jilldag
hace 7 añosI also would like to add, and I might get annihilated for this comment, is that a great builder can do wonders to fit your plan to your land. I know that our builder has made many suggestions, from his expertise, and from working on our site, that were not in our plans. The plans can be tweaked along the way to your site. Not major changes, mind you. We did go the architect route, and some things really were unforeseeable, or maybe I wanted to change something because now that I am walking through it, I've changed my mind.
kalenangel agradeció a jilldagBeth
hace 7 añosIn the area we're building, everything has to be stamped by an architect.
I'm told that there are all sorts of county-specific codes that an out of town architect won't be familiar with, meaning that if we were to buy a stock plan, we'd still be spending thousands (how many? not sure) of dollars to have the plans reworked to fit the county and city's requirements. So, part of the cost of the stock plans, in some municipalities, is the need to have them totally reworked and specified for the local codes.
If ARG were local, we'd be talking about schedules :-). Since he's not, I'm going to send out emails to some names I have and some names on Houzz and ask if they work with a design charette. If they answer no and they just want to have a program meeting and then go work in their office and come back to us, they're probably not the best fit for us.
PROStone Bow Studios
hace 7 añosThere has been a lot of good discussion on this. I would like to recommend a designer or architect that can visit your site. A lot can be missed by picking the "perfect " plan, with little or no regard to the site. A great picture window in one region becomes a room that's either too hot or too cold to be comfortable in another region. There are a lot of advantages to "shopping locally " ... good luck to you in your adventure & find someone that can guide you, even if it's just you, a trusted local contractor and a set of stock plans.
Architectrunnerguy
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 años"I have never heard of a "design charrette" but it sounds like something worth exploring. Thank you for the suggestion"
Kalen......All the "regulars" here have seen these numerous times before but here's some past links.....
I posted a few charrettes here and here's one: Scroll down to my 5/12/16 post. And while you're at it it should be helpful to read my follow-up a day later about trust and working with an architect: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3887104/what-should-i-expect-from-my-architect-long?n=22
And a colleague of mine, Bob Borson, an architect in Dallas, writes a popular blog "Life of an Architect", and asked me to take it over for a day to talk about charrettes. It's here: http://www.lifeofanarchitect.com/design-in-a-day/
And finally Arialvetica, referenced above in the thread, wrote about hers here: http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/3598813/we-fit-an-architect-into-our-budget-and-it-was-so-worth-it?n=17
And regarding fees, try to find someone who has low overhead, possibly working out of his/her house. I've been on both side of that equation. Head principal of a 16 person firm including 6 architects when in 1999 I wanted to simplify and be just me working our of my house. Take it from me, all that staff and office space is expensive and ALL the costs get passed on. And none of it increases creativity. No one ever looked at a well designed house and said "Wow! That architect must have a really nice office space!".
But the best of luck in your build. Exciting times!
David Cary
hace 7 añosThanks for this thread as I'm in the planning stages are this of course is the first decision.
As I'm thinking of building in an in-fill area, the thought of using a stock plan gives me chest pain. A house was built in my planned area that was clearly a stock plan. We know have yard signs all over thinly veiling their disgust with the house. A turret in the middle of modernist mid century houses?
A custom plan could have been just as bad but this one defines mcmansion but would have been just fine a few miles away.
My biggest issue with a stock plan (already discussed) is orientation and light exposure. Ignoring that and you missed a great opportunity to have a wonderful sun filled house that is more comfortable all year round.
PROCharles Ross Homes
hace 7 añosStock plans are not inherently evil nor are they a new idea. Indeed, the pattern book designs for homes that circulated in the 18th and 19th centuries here in the U.S. helped elevate the architectural character of homes built for folks who either couldn't afford or didn't have access to an architect. I grew up in a Greek Revival farmhouse that was, no doubt, inspired by a pattern book design.
The main problem with stock plans is one of context: a home should suit the site and that includes both the natural features of the site and the need to be sympathetic to the size/style of homes around it (yes, that transitional house-of-too-many-gables isn't the best choice for an infill lot in a neighborhood of Craftsman style homes.) In an effort to address context, a number of cities (e.g., Norfolk, VA) have developed architectural pattern books and have architectural review boards in place for some neighborhoods.
There are tens of thousands of home plans on the internet-- some of which aspiring home owners will find to be both beautiful and functional for their needs. Reviewing them is a reasonable first step in the process of designing and building a home particularly when the site is a small suburban lot with few options for alternative siting.
lazy_gardens
hace 7 añosOne thing having a yes-man draftsperson making the changes you want to a stock plan does NOT do for you is get an experienced brain in the loop.
It's not the change, it's the "why" you want or need the change, and possible better ways to get the result you want. And the ramifications of that change on the other systems, including wiring and plumbing, sunlight access, and traffic flow through the house.
It would be easy for an untrained house plan muddler to ADD $20K or more to the costs of building the house, and screw up the reasons they liked that plan.
Holly Stockley
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosStock plans are not inherently evil nor are they a new idea. Indeed, the pattern book designs for homes that circulated in the 18th and 19th centuries here in the U.S. helped elevate the architectural character of homes built for folks who either couldn't afford or didn't have access to an architect. I grew up in a Greek Revival farmhouse that was, no doubt, inspired by a pattern book design.
Though, as I understand it (and no doubt I will be corrected, if I'm wrong), many of those pattern books were designed by architects. No, they didn't have any ability to take advantage of the site. But the house itself was thoughtfully planned to fit life in the era that the plan was drawn for. (Yes, I'm going to end a sentence with a preposition). While some modern stock plans are drawn up by architects, many more are created by 'designers'. Some of these plans aim to maximize square footage and make things as efficient to BUILD as possible, given modern dimensional lumber, etc. Which is an entirely different animal than a plan that is built to LIVE in most efficiently.
(Side note: Pinterest is a treasure trove of old pattern book plans. Super fun to look through, and informative if you're researching an historic style house. Some of them even have recommended millwork profiles)
Neither approach is wrong. Many a stock plan will help you build the largest house for your money. While a properly designed and tailored home will help you build the most home for your money - even if it's smaller. ;-)
PROMark Bischak, Architect
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosI had to google "mebbe" and "postposition". I seem to remember learning about postposition, mebbe is a different story.
- PRO
Mark Bischak, Architect
hace 7 añosIf Virgil's comment was not deleted my comment would make sense . . . you'll just have to believe me.
- PRO
Virgil Carter Fine Art
hace 7 añosHmmm...maybe I'm the culprit, me and my fat thumbs! Mark wrote, "...Is "from" a preposition?" I wrote, "I dunno, mebbe a postposition..." You had to be there at the time...
For the curious, according to Wiki (who is never wrong, just like Facebook): "... A preposition or postposition typically combines with a noun or pronoun, or more generally a noun phrase, this being called its complement, or sometimes object. A preposition comes before its complement; a postposition comes after its complement..."
Thus endth today's lesson. You're welcome!
jhope
hace 7 añosMy husband and I looked for plans online for a couple of years. We started a notebook when we first married of things we'd like to have when we got to build a house. Specific room connections, like a master bedroom with the closet, bathroom, and laundry all flowing together. And specific layouts, like I didn't want the stairway leading downstairs to descend towards the front door. I wanted it to come into the main living area, not shoot you to the front door. And things like a built-in china cabinet, a pantry, covered outdoor spaces, etc.
When we looked online, the connections we wanted just weren't there (in the square footage range we wanted). So, we met with a local architect who came highly recommended. He came out to our land and we brought him a huge notebook, ha! The notebook had pictures of exterior styles we liked. It went room-by-room and listed our needs and possible wants and had pictures of things we liked and things we didn't want.
And the process began... he sent us rough drawings and took all of our wants into account. We're nearing completion now; we sent final red lines this last week and go to the bank soon.
If we had found a plan online that almost suited our needs, we would have bought it. But, we've been very pleased with our decision to start from scratch with the architect. We've got one final bill coming, but as of now, we've paid $2700. We were scared to start with an architect initially because we'd heard the $10-12,000 range was the norm. But, we were getting nowhere so we went for it. It may be because we're behind in the times in our area, but whatever we pay will we worth it to us.
kalenangel
Autor originalhace 7 añosThanks everyone. We reached out to a local retired architect (28 years experience) who does residential plans on the side now. He sent us some plans he completed and photos of the finished homes, and his aesthetic matches ours enough to give him a try. He can do the charrette style sit down and give us conceptual plans for about $3000 and then another $2500 to flip them to final construction plans. He will even visit the site since he is close.User
hace 7 añosA wise approach and one that is often recommended on this forum. A semi-retired, sole-practitioner architect will not have as much overhead or insurance costs to pass on to you. An architectural firm normally marks up the cost of a draftsman by a factor of 2 or more and then adds time for supervision by an architect.
Architectrunnerguy
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 años@Carolyn87: To quote one of the regular architects here: “Don't put time constraints on the selection of an architect. It's akin to selecting a spouse, you will know when you find the right one. It's even easier, you don't have to sit through boring dinners or watch movies together.”
And a funny story as to just how random finding an architect can be:
I have a detached garage in front of my house (a bunch of design theory mumbo jumbo reasons for that which I'll skip here), it was August and I was standing in my courtyard between the house and garage, cooling down from a run.
Hot as blazes.....totally soaked and dripping with sweat.....A little beat up from the run.....I'd taken off my shirt to facilitate the dripping..... dirty...filthy....hadn't shaved in three days.....smelled like a high school locker room....No question I resembled one of the bushwackers in "Deliverance".
Anyway, a lady comes walking through my gate and starts asking me a bunch of questions about the distance from the garage to the house.....to the street.....size of the garage....height of the garage.....lot width.....height of house.....height of fencing....etc.
She finally asks "Who was the architect?". I had no choice but to reply "I hate to admit this, but you're lookin' at him!"
Turned out she and her husband had just purchased a narrow lot and were thinking of a detached garage and she was just driving by and saw mine.
The discussion morphed into an impromptu interview, my first and hopefully last shirtless one!
She asked for contact info so I went into the house to get a card, being very careful to hold it by the edges so to keep the sweat off it.
Two days later got a "Let's go" call from her
One Devoted Dame
hace 7 añosWhat we really need are Retired Architect Conventions or Clubs. Or y'all need to wear neon rainbow tie dye Hawaiian shirts or something, so the rest of us can more easily spot you in the wild.
Architectrunnerguy
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 añosShe said "We reached out to a local retired architect (28 years experience)" Emphasis mine.
That would typically make him around 51 at the LATEST (yeah, us bumbling architects need FIVE years in school!...well duhhh...)....Must be nice!
User
hace 7 añosÚltima modificación: hace 7 años"JDS, how do you find one?"
I recommend searching online by entering "architect" and your project zip code. You can also use nearby zip codes. Look for an architect who uses only his/her name rather than a firm name and has no employees mentioned.
For my zip code my name would be listed at #2, #5 and #6 with a map showing my location and I don't pay anything to google. Two entries link to my website and the third links to Angie's List which I have found to be useless since in the past a client had to pay a fee to leave a recommendation there. That appears to have changed so maybe its useful now.
The only disadvantage of using a sole-practitioner architect is that recently they have become overwhelmed with work so if you are in a hurry you may have to pay the premium for a multi-person firm.
Architectrunnerguy
hace 7 añosI recommend searching online by entering "architect" and your project zip code.
I just tried that for me and I'm listed fourth. And I don't even have a website, always having plenty of work without one (but probably should). And JDS is correct regarding work load. In a one man shop there's no cushion in the event of overload or vacation. I went on a three week one last year and there was some juggling involved but it worked out ok.
And be sure if the person is calling themselves an architect, they actually ARE an architect. It's easy going to your states "licensing look up" site to check.
User
hace 7 añosI have found many architectural designers and architects under skilled services on Craigslist to not be architects.
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Mark Bischak, Architect