How Do You Work With An Architect?

If you can’t find the perfect house, perhaps the solution is for you to remodel one or to build your own dream home from scratch.

The only thing as difficult right now in Boulder as finding a home and getting it under contract, is remodeling or building one.  Architects and builders are crazy busy and it can take far more time, money and risk than most people expect to turn a nice lot with a bad house into what they want.  The process usually starts by finding an Architect to guide them.

Boulder is an unusually restrictive and complicated place to build and it is critically important to hire an Architect expert in the local codes and process.  In particular, our sustainability codes (green building) and our Planning & Zoning are among the strictest in the nation – they can easily stop a project in it’s tracks if they aren’t properly understood at the outset.

An Architect has several roles.  Most people know that the Architect designs and draws a house.  But they also:

• Conduct a Feasibility Analysis before the design begins to make sure that the property is generally suitable for what the owner wants to do. This includes looking at things like the maximum allowable size, the permissible massing on the site, floodplain, historic landmark and 20 other critical issues.
• Help the owner to set realistic goals, understand the project’s constraints and see hidden opportunities. In particular, they work with the client to establish a workable budget, schedule and expectations about what the process and end result will be.
• Specify the materials, products and systems and (in many cases) assist the owner with shopping for things like flooring, tile, and plumbing fixtures, etc. They often spend a fair amount of time educating the owner as the pros and cons of each option.
• Assist the owner in choosing a builder. This can either come through a recommendation to use one, or by managing a competitive Bid among several General Contractors on behalf of the owner.  In most cases, the Architect will have valuable suggestions for qualified local builders.
  • Some architecture firms are design/build companies. There are advantages to this arrangement in cost & time savings, as well as single-point responsibility.
• Select of a team of consultants: most projects in Boulder require a structural engineer, a surveyor, a civil engineer and a HERS (energy) rater. Additionally, projects may need an interior designer, a landscape architect, or a variety of other specialists.  The more the owner lets the Architect steer the selection of the team, the better the outcome.
• Project management: you can hire an Architect to just draw a set of plans, but the more you have them do, the greater the likelihood of a successful project. The Project Management aspect of their scope of work means that they are taking responsibility not just for the design, but for the overall success of the project.

How do you find the right Architect for you? Most people search websites & portfolios online, or get a recommendation by a direct personal reference.  Both are fine.  Also look for third party “Best of” lists.  (Be aware that just because something is in the firm’s portfolio doesn’t mean that the Architect you will be working with was responsible for that project.  The Architect may have left the firm, even if they are at the firm, they may not be working on your project.  Note that many houses are produced by a small team (Principal Architect, Project Manager, Job Captain (senior draftsman/designer) and a Junior designer/draftsman.)

Contracts and business: There are several common types of contractual arrangements:

• Fixed Fee – if you know the full scope of the project and the work requested, you can obtain a Stipulated Sum contract from the Architect. This can be modified by mutual consent should the project scope change in the future.  This is the most common type of contract with new (from scratch or scrape) homes.
• Hourly – pay as you go. On the plus side, you only pay for the work that you need and you get to direct what work you want.  On the down-side, you don’t know what the top end will be and the Architect’s fees are often more expensive than most clients imagine.  If expectations are not discussed at the outset (the total estimated fees) it can lead to conflict.  Note that most remodels are done as an Hourly contract as it is impossible to know the full scope of work at the outset (there are always unpleasant surprises inside the walls).
• Percentage of construction cost – this ties the Architect’s fee to the cost of the overall work (which makes proportional sense), but some clients don’t like that it appears to incentivize the Architect to design expensive construction. (In reality, the Architect’s main responsibility is to design to your budget and most take that seriously).

Things to look out for:

• Big egos and rigid ways of working: This is your house and your preferences should rule.  A good Architect asks lots of questions and is interested in what you like, how you want to live and how you like to make decisions. At the end of the day, the best Architects are the best listeners.
• Architects are not always great at predicting budgets. Get a builder involved during the design process to help.
• Scope creep: This one is not the Architect’s fault. Everyone wants more house than they want to pay for and an Architect is happy to help their client envision their most ambitious dreams.  The most common and dangerous way this happens is scope creep – a steam shower here, a new stone wall there and ,”hey, how did we end up 30% over budget?!?”  Well, you asked for it.

Creating a custom home (remodel, addition or new) can be one of the most stressful, risky and expensive projects a person will undertake in their lifetime.  But if handled correctly, it can also be one of the most rewarding and enduring.  A custom home can be an expression of your personality and a support to your life in ways you might never have previously experienced.  Don’t skimp on the Architecture.  There’s a truism in our profession: “It costs one dollar to design it right on the drafting board or $10 to fix it in the field.”

About the author:

Scott Rodwin, AIA, LEED AP is the owner of the Rodwin Architecture/ Skycastle Construction, a 13 person award-winning design/build firm specializing in high-end custom green homes in Boulder. He teaches a free course (good for 2 CEU’s) called “Understanding the Rules for Building in Boulder” through BARA several times a year that goes into depth on these topics.  scott@rodwinarch.com    www.rodwinarch.com