Re: [GBlist] Meeting with architects

["David Porter" <dporter@porterarchitects.com>]

> What are some key questions to be asked with our first meeting with
> architects.  All suggestions welcome.  This is the inital interview
> prior to choosing "the" architect for our green building addition to
> 1935 building which needs renovation.
> Abbie Verner

I think you have two sets of questions to be asking.  First set should
involve just dealing with the architect, his/her experience, project types
previously worked on, length of time as a licensed architect, showing of
project examples related to your project type, staffing, amount of present
workload, how soon can start your project, how long will your project take
for design and construction drawings, construction budget, experience
working with the building department where you will be building, how he/she
goes about the design through move-in process (design, construction
drawings, bidding, construction observation,etc.).  You should come away
from your interviews feeling like the architect knows your project type and
desires, thinks your project desires and budget match up, you think your
personalities and mannerisms can blend together (you will have to "live"
with this person and his/her habits, moods, ego, decisions, personal
problems, etc., for maybe a year).  Get two or three references to call for
about projects similar to yours and how the architect handled them from
start to finish.  You will want to know that the architect came up with a
reasonable design that met the owner's desires, reasonably met budget
constraints, and whose construction drawings were actually usable to the
contractor whereby the contractor did not have to play field designer with
every corner turned.  Yes, you will only get references from the architect
for the projects that have turned out good for the architect but that's OK.
No one has all perfect projects.  Lots of clients have unrealistic
expectations and when the architect provides them with a project that
doesn't meet their needs and/or their budget, the architect is the bad guy.
And, the architect does not always do great projects, either.  Architects
are people, too, and sometimes personal problems/tragedies get in the way of
someone's project.  Get two or three referrals to contractors the architect
has worked with.  Who better to know how well the architect can show how
design ideas can be translated into the reality of construction other than
contractors.  Lots of architects can put together pretty pictures that "wow"
you but then their working drawings are what contractors call "funny papers"
because they don't deal with the realities of real building materials.  In
your interviews, ask to see a representative set of design drawings and a
set of matching construction drawings.  No, you probably won't understand
everything on the drawings but you will get a comparative idea of who really
puts some time into the construction documents and who throws a few lines
and notes on the drawings, expecting the contractor to figure out the
missing information.  I, for one, throw so much info on my drawings that
there is very little white space.  When I get a question from the field, I
usually just have to tell them what sheet or note to look at to get their
answers.

I would not recommend that you seek out architects who do mostly commercial
projects or who only usually do new homes or who opened their office to the
public, yesterday.  Your project will take the special interests, talents,
and experience of someone who has renovated older houses before and knows
lots of the tricks and tips to get through the project with the least amount
of stress, problems, unforeseen conditions, and disappointments for you and
him/her.

As for the second set of questions, I presume that it would deal with the
"green" aspects of what you want to do.  Not only should you have a
renovation specialist architect but you are also asking for an architect who
has some "greening" experience.  Now you are narrowing down the field to a
pinpointed spot on the wall.  The "greening" field is still in its infancy
stages as to the numbers of architects who do such projects on a full-time
basis.  I have been practicing for 20 years and I have only had one client
ask for only some "greening" of their project.  So, I am not up on the
day-to-day resources of materials and methods to truly make an entire
project "green" as I think the majority of other architects are not, either.
Be prepared to pay more for everything on your project to make it green;
starting with the architect.  You are asking to hire a specialized
specialist similar to hiring the one or two brain surgeons who have tinkered
with a specialized brain condition.  Lots of architects out there do lots of
renovations to older buildings, especially in urban areas where the stock of
older buildings is more prevalent, but not too many of those renovation
architects have had the calls from interested clients to make their projects
totally green.

Or, you might find and be willing to work with an architect who has done
some greening of his/her buildings and is very interested in doing more but
just hasn't found the right client or project to further investigate the
greening aspects of architecture and construction.  Most architects have the
ability to "greenify" a project they just don't have the time or get paid
for the time to do the extensive research required to search out materials
and methods or to write detailed, refined specifications to hold a
contractor's feet to the fire to provide only the green materials and
methods desired.  If the architect is willing to take on some of the
greening research as his "continuing education" for your project, you might
get a reasonable fee and you will have an interested architect.  On the
other hand, you will also have an architect who, to some extent, will be
experimenting a bit with your project because he/she has not personally
experienced the uses of some of the materials and methods chosen to bring
greening elements into your project.

Hopefully I have helped answer your questions rather than made them more
confusing. Good luck in your search for the "right" architect for your
needs.

David Porter AIA
Palm Beach Gardens, FL USA
dporter@porterarchitects.com
www.porterarchitects.com



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