Engaging an Architect - Why Bother?
It is our firm belief and experience that the construction cost of a project is going to be fairly similar with or without the input of an architect. Most of the impact on cost comes down to the amount of square footage and the level of finishes included in a project.
So why should you bother engaging an architect for your project? The real question is, why wouldn’t you do so.
It is our guarantee that the value of the project will be significantly (immeasurably) higher with the input of an architect. Why do we guarantee that?
An architect will listen to your wants and needs and integrate them into your project in delightful ways.
An architect will see opportunities to improve the design of your project that other construction professionals will not, based on the analysis of the site, the path of the sun in summer and winter, as well as the distant and nearby views.
An architect will maximize the use of space and proportion in ways that can increase the quality of the design and even reduce the total project area (which can reduce cost).
An architect is the one entity that can synthesize all the opportunities and constraints and design a functional and delightful project. Architects consider site, orientation, proportion, structure, mechanical systems, energy efficiency, sustainability, and ……. No other entity brings this level of all encompassing knowledge or sophistication to the design of a project.
Your project is a significant investment and working together with an architect will ensure that you maximize the value. MA+KE Architects’ goal is designing projects our clients love.
Where is this VALUE you Speak Of, Oh Wise Architect?
The VALUE is in all of the following:
Orienting the house to work with the site and the sun.
Arranging spaces to support your lifestyle.
Organizing spaces efficiently to meet your needs.
Optimizing the energy efficiency of the house and reducing long term operating costs.
Evaluating various design options.
Putting the Buck where the Bang is.
Since the construction cost will be similar with or without an architect involved, why wouldn’t you choose to benefit from the expertise and critical eye of one? Now that you understand the value an architect brings to your project, you may be wondering how much it will cost to hire one and how exactly an architect determines their fees. We answer these questions and more in the next two articles in this series: