Have you ever wanted to build something? Perhaps you are a business owner and you have the perfect thought process in your mind but you are unsure of how for it to come to life. Perhaps you are wondering how one item measures perfectly to fit into another and even look great. Perhaps you have been traveling and have seen so many amazing and beautiful buildings and want to learn more. These are all great questions and we have the answer. Keep reading as the experts at Superdraft explain more.
If building a home from the ground up or remodeling an existing home, there are many ways an architect can assist in making your dreams a reality. You bring the ideas, a vision, perhaps even a rough sketch of what you’re looking for, or clippings from magazines that you’d like to pull together for your own home. What the architect can offer then, is taking those ideas off the paper or out of the magazine and putting all of the pieces of the puzzle together.
An architect will be your project manager, with the homeowner being the project OWNER. He or she will help complete those portions of the vision that the homeowner hadn’t even thought of and will facilitate the creation of the vision.
Do I really need an architect?
This question will be answered differently for everyone. If you’re building a new home, thousands of plans exist that you could purchase and hand to a contractor to follow and build. Maybe you don’t need an architect. But what if the builder has design questions? Are you going to be able to answer them? An architect would.
If you’re remodeling, it’s unlikely you’re going to find an already existing plan that fits your home perfectly. How will you articulate to a contractor your desires for a specific layout or the visions you have in your head or have found online or in a magazine? An architect would not only be able to articulate it, but would also put those visions into a drawing for an absolute plan to build your dreams.
Architects can be involved in the beginning stages of the project, all the way to completion, or can be contracted to provide services only until somewhere in the middle of the build or remodel, depending on the need and the agreement written up.
If you meet with an architect for a consultation, and it’s a good fit with personalities, the references are good and the price is agreeable, the first step in working together is typically nailing down the design.
What you can expect:
*An analysis of current conditions
-Existing structure, feasible desired changes, and recommended changes if this
is a remodel job.
-Ground conditions, surroundings, and overall house layout if it’s a new build.
*Pinning down likes and dislikes
-It’s extremely important the architect gets a good grasp on your style, your
desires and visions, and what gets your attention.
-The use of photos will likely be used for inspiration so he or she knows definite
musts and absolute nos.
Phase II will likely involve drawing up the plans for the full build or for the remodel. These will be detailed, but not necessarily full interior detail. Rooms will be laid out, plumbing and electricity marked for installation, materials selected. These drawings are often used to obtain permits and to allow a contractor to be selected. Hiring an architect to handle the permit phase will alleviate much frustration on the homeowner’s part, as they have experience with what to submit and whom to submit it to. The permit portion is often a waiting game, at which time your architect can continue to draw up detailed plans. Also, your mortgage company may require detailed floor plans and a list of building materials. Here is another area the architect’s expertise is needed.
You may also want to hire a contractor at this phase, creating the advantage of allowing input on more specific design, materials, and cost. The architect working closely with your contractor helps ensure the designs come to life the way you have them planned out and the architect has them detailed out. The builder would have the opportunity to troubleshoot with the architect, should the need arise and/or would be able to gain clarification on any issues that may pop up. Architects will often conduct site visits, verifying that building is going according to plan, and answering any questions along the way.
In conclusion, unless you have the expertise to draw up building or remodel plans AND would be able to answer design questions asked by a contractor, it’s highly recommended to hire an architect when building a home or when undertaking a major remodeling job. The cost to have this professional involved in your home project is going to be well worth the investment once you’re living in the space you, at one time, could only envision.
We hope that this article helped and you are on your way to having a beautiful design, a wonderful masterpiece that you are proud of, and a home or area that is designed to fit your specific needs that an architect can now look beautiful for. Good luck!