10 Things You Must Know Before Hiring an Architect

Picturizing a design of your dreams into reality can be highly satisfying. Every owner has a brief idea about the project's design, requirements, and expectations. Creating your set of values into reality is a rewarding yet daunting task with numerous back-and-forth situations which are not easy to perform without introducing any professional help into play, especially in higher-scaled projects. An architect is a skilled professional proficient in planning, designing, and supervising construction. They provide services like conceptualizing, planning, designing, material selection, construction supervision, etc.

While it's not essential to hire an architect for a project and one can successfully finish a small-scale construction or renovation project based on their willingness and ability to daunt themselves. Hiring an architect can provide you with all the meaningful insights into the project you might need to highlight its true potential. Architects can help you define the scope of work for the project, potential changes, and possible design ideas for planning, interiors, and construction systems. They can be the perfect help to ideate your expectations into reality if hired with conscious and considerable information about their workflow and previous project history. Getting a clear idea about the architect and his work before hiring can become an invincible mantra to any successful project.

1. What Does an Architect Charge for Different Services?

What architects charge depends on the type of project they take on and the services they offer to complete that project. It could be a fixed or unit price payment setup where architects can charge in a fixed sum or lump-sum amount, a daily or interval work progress-based amount, or a fixed percentage of the overall project. You also need to check if the architect charge for the initial meeting. Most will agree to an introductory meeting with you about the project, but few may ask for payment for the same. It is advisable to check these before arranging any meetings or hiring an architect for your project.

Whether you're looking to build a new house or renovate an old one, hiring an architect is key to making sure your project goes smoothly. Read on to learn more about How to Find the Right Architect for Your Home

2. Does the Architect Specialize in Your Type of Project?

Architects generally have their set domain of projects they do. They may have specialization in residential, commercial, educational, or hospitality projects. Also, the project kind depends on the location where architects can define their qualities of working on contours, the bank of the river, sea shore, or on plain land. The architectural market also is segregated into sections where only a few architects perform turnkey or renovation projects. Checking the architect's specialization could be tedious, eventually helping you get better output because architects are trained to design specific projects and efficient design solutions. Hence, finding out the forte of the architect and his firm's specialization before hiring will help better understand the project.

You will be amazed to read about the 5 Most Popular Architects and their Styles

3. What Previous Experience do They Have?

Now that you know that the architect has its genre in designing the projects you are looking for your design. It's suggested to review an architect's previous experience, their projects, and whether they are in alignment with what you want them to perform for you. Reviewing past projects before hiring will help you understand their approach and the possible outcome of the project offered.

You must check out the Importance Of Professional Experience For An Architect!!

4. Check Out Their Portfolio

Nowadays, when everyone is connected on social media, architects are also deemed to use this realm by posting their best projects online as their portfolio. Checking the portfolio of the architects will not only help you relate to the style of buildings they design but also give you a fair idea of all other categories of projects they do. It will also help you read previous clients' satisfaction and feedback on their website or social media pages if they have any.

If you're looking for inspiration or just want to know more about creating an architecture portfolio, read Brilliant Tips to make a Professional Architecture Portfolio

5. Are They Licensed

Architecture is a professional degree guided by the Council of Architecture in India. All architects must get themselves registered to the COA when they join architecture and get their license while completing their degree to commence their practice. Before hiring an architect make sure to check if the architect has the legal license to practice architecture or not. Licensed architects are obliged to follow all the norms and guidelines provided for architectural development by the authorities. Nowadays, non-architects pretend to have a degree, work unethically, attract clients with fewer charges and build legally offensive structures. Hence, any sort of legal validation is compulsory before hiring an architect.

6. How Long Have They Been Practicing Architecture?

For architectural projects like healthcare, hospitality, and industrial clients always are advised to find out firms that have at least 5-10 years of experience. Freshers or architects with less than five years of experience may or may not be able to efficiently design projects with higher complexity and large scale. Nevertheless, expectations always exist but looking for firms that have been practicing architecture for a long is always suggested for large-scale projects as such firms have their full-fledged team to cater to your expectations to reality.

You must consider reading the Top 10 Skill Set Every Architect Must have

7. References from Previous Projects

If you are looking for projects that are similar to what an architect has already designed, then it's a great idea to start your initial discussions by referencing those projects and learning their workflow from them. This method will help you understand the similarities and differences between your specific site and the other context. This way you can build your requirement and scope of work in an informed way.

8. Choose Between a Full-Service or Project-Based Architectural Firm

When it comes to architectural work and designing the industries have their set standards where few firms provide a full service and some in contrary work on a project basis. Full service or complete project firm will provide you with all you may require from the initial planning and designing to interior detailing, construction, finishing, M.E.P drawings, structures, and also submission drawings. Such firms sometimes also help with site selection where the client only comes with a desire to build a facility and the architect work on everything else. Whereas project-based firms may only work on the requirement of the project.

9. Availability of an Architect

Architects and architectural firms are always running short of time, therefore are more or less busy anyways. With numerous projects running side by side it sometimes gets chaotic to put similar time and effort into each project as it deserves. Ask if the architect is not dealing with large scaled projects or a similar category of the project that you came up with at that time. This will then help both parties to focus and understand the project in better terms. Although this conversation is two-way, the architect themself may ask you to delay the project according to his availability or may suggest other architects who can work for the same.

10. How Open are They to Inputs and Feedback?

Beyond the ability to design and provide services to their best, what makes an architect empathetic is their willingness to fit into other's situations and think accordingly. Therefore, finding an architect with a similar state of mind and understanding is helpful for executing an efficient project.

Whether you're building a new house or renovating an old one, these pro tips will help you complete the project within budget.

Hiring someone perfects the first time could be overwhelming but with a few initiatives, you can get a better deal over others. These are the top 10 things you must remember while hiring an architect for your project. The list can be customized with changes in the geographical area, nature of the project or custom requirements.

If you have your own take or any specific thing to consider while hiring architects, please feel free to share in the comments down below. We would be amazed to hear from you.

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