Expectations

Your home’s new construction, renovation and/or addition project can be one of the most joyful, exhilarating and gratifying events of your life. It can also be one of the most stressful, exhausting and … disappointing.

If there is one thing I have learned in my 20 years in architecture, it is that all parties involved – the client, the architect, the design consultants, the contractor, the sub-contractors – have different expectations of how their project (and we all claim ownership) will run from start to finish. So the more thorough and coordinated the construction documents are, the more likely everyone’s expectations will come together in the end for a successful project.

Hiring the right architect for you and your project is one of the most important factors to ensure a successful project. He or she helps you to: set the pace for the project, determine how to get the most for your construction budget, develop a program to describe your needs and desires, design the project and select materials, fixtures and finishes, select the type of construction contract, select the contractor and assure the quality of construction during construction.

Finding the architect who is right for you does not always mean searching out the one who has done the project most similar to yours. You need a good architect who is familiar with your project’s type of work and your region’s construction requirements and who is a good listener. A good architect listens to your perception of your needs, discerns a program that would fulfill them, draws on his or her experience to design the solution that meets the program, as well as budget and schedule, and guides the process through to a successful finish.