In the simplest terms, architects are problem solvers who help people understand what the possibilities are for their building project and then help them choose from among those possibilities in a way that creates the best combination of comfort, utility, and cost effectiveness.

They are advocates for the health, safety, and needs of their clients, guiding them through the process of designing and building from start to finish.

There are certain types of projects that are considered complex enough that an architect or engineer (and sometimes both) must stamp the drawings used for permitting and construction. Other projects might benefit from an architect’s involvement, but don’t require it.

You probably need to work with an architect if:

• Your project is commercial, multi-family residential, or a short-term rental.

• You are planning to change the use or substantially alter the configuration of your building.

You may want to work with an architect if:

• You want good advice that applies to your specific situation.

• You want to understand the possibilities as well as the costs and benefits of your options.

• You want to save money on construction costs.

• You have specific requirements for building performance that you’re trying to meet.

It’s great that you’ve already found an essential member of your team! And if you’re undertaking minor renovations or building a simple house, you might be able to get by with working just with them. But there’s a risk there.

Contractors are generally pretty busy with supervising the projects that they’re already building, and they’re often inclined to do things the way that they always have in the past. So, a design that you work out with a contractor may not explore the full range of possibilities, take advantage of the latest building technology, or address your specific needs.

On the other hand, a lot of contractors are very knowledgeable about the costs of building, the availability of materials and assemblies, and the scheduling and sequencing of the different trades that need to come in during construction, so the design process really benefits from their input. I like to bring them into the conversation as early as possible, but I find that their skills really shine when they already have the seed of a design to work with.

With the best projects, the process becomes a collaboration between the owner(s), the architect, and the contractor -  we're all working toward the same goal, but we each have particular areas of expertise.

Unfortunately, no. Architects are not able to just provide a sketch. As licensed professionals, we’re required to meet a “standard of care” that includes providing more detailed drawings and services. We have a responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people who will use our buildings, and that means that we have to spend the time to figure out how our proposed design satisfies code requirements and meets the needs of the inhabitants.

I'm not legally permitted to do that. If you want a plan altered, you’ll need to find a draftsperson or unlicensed designer, since Architects are only permitted to stamp drawings that were prepared under their supervision.

Our stamp certifies that we’ve thought through all the elements of the design, how they work together, and what the potential conflicts might be, and are confident that the design will function well as a whole. It’s hard to do that when you haven’t worked through the design process yourself.

If you do see plans online that you like, it can be useful for us to look at those together, since it can help me figure out your likes, dislikes, needs and concerns.

That’s great news – clients with a clear vision are wonderful to work with! I find that usually those visions shift and expand as we start working together, because usually I’m able to suggest possibilities that folks haven’t thought of yet. The process of understanding and developing your vision collaboratively is one of my favorite parts of my job.

For the same reason that you might choose to see a board-certified medical provider or a licensed therapist – because the credential tells you something about their training and experience.

You are only allowed to refer to yourself as an Architect if you’ve met all the requirements of at least one state licensing board and maintain your credentials in good standing. In most jurisdictions, you need to satisfy three requirements:

• You must have a degree from an accredited architecture school.

• You must have completed an intensive internship that involves thousands of hours working under the supervision of a licensed architect.

• You must pass a battery of exams called the architectural registration exams.

That’s a lot of specialized training and experience!

If the person you’re thinking of hiring is unlicensed, you don't know how much education and experience they have, what their knowledge of the building code is, or if they’re qualified to work on your project.

Each state has a board that regulates professionals, and an architect will have obtained a license from the board to practice in that jurisdiction.

You can check the license and disciplinary status of a prospective architect or contractor online at your state’s regulatory office. In Virginia that’s the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation:

https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup/

Once you find someone who is qualified, it becomes a question of whether they’re a good fit for you and the project. Do you feel like they’re listening to you and understanding your needs? Are they able to work with your aesthetic? Do you enjoy your interactions with them? Are they offering you helpful ideas and suggestions?

Regardless of type, successful projects require open communication and collaboration among all the participants - the owner(s), the architect, the contractor, and the city or county officials.  And throughout the process, your architect is your advocate, so you need to be able to trust them and enjoy working with them.

Once we’ve had a chance to talk and I understand the scope of your project I can give you a very rough sense based on the cost per square foot that I’ve seen recently on comparable projects. Then as we work through the design process, we’ll try to get some more detailed estimates from contractors as soon as we have the broad strokes of the design figured out.

As your guide and advocate, my goal is to design something that you can afford to build, and to find out as early as possible if the design we’re working on isn’t affordable, so that you don’t have to pay me for work that you can’t use.

The cost of architectural services can vary quite a bit based on the type, scale, and complexity of the project.

For example, the fees to design a cancer treatment center (small scale, complex building) will be higher than the fees for a giant warehouse (large scale, simple building). The website https://architecturalfees.com provides more information than you probably will ever want about how fees for different types of projects get figured out, but the general rule of thumb is that the smaller and more complex the project, the higher the design fees will be as a percentage of construction cost.

We try to keep our fees as low as we reasonably can so that more folks can afford access to architectural services, so our fees will generally come in at the lower end of the range that you see on that website. 

Although it might sound counterintuitive, hiring an architect is one of the best ways to control costs on your project.

From the very beginning, you tell us your budget and we do our best to figure out how to design something that you can afford. If you end up having to make choices between different elements in order to meet your budget, we can advise you about how to trim expenses while maintaining the parts of the design that are most important to you.

And figuring out things ahead of time and having someone who understands your intent saves money during the construction phase. For example, I once caught some big mistakes in a custom window order that would have cost my client almost as much as my fee.

Beyond saving you money, hiring an architect adds value to the project. Whether it’s in additional comfort, efficiency, or aesthetic appeal, when you take the time to work through all of the complexities of a building project and consider the needs of the users in detail, you end up with a better building that’s going to do a better job of serving your needs.

If you went to a surgeon for a consultation prior to scheduling a surgery, you would probably expect to pay a fee for that office visit. Architects are similarly highly trained and qualified professionals, and the information that we provide you during that consultation is valuable. 

It will vary depending on the size and scale of the project, but generally you should get in touch with an architect six months to a year minimum before you hope to start building.

It usually takes a few months to work through the design process itself and get pricing feedback, and then you’ll need to select a contractor. Skilled contractors are often booked out for several months, and they usually want to see some drawings to get a sense of the project before they'll commit to it and put it on their schedule. So it’s generally good to allow at least a year for that whole process.

I start out by asking a lot of questions so I can learn about your likes, dislikes, needs, and preferences. If you have a specific piece of land or building site already picked out, we’ll spend time there and analyze its qualities. If it's a renovation, I'll create measured drawings of the existing building so that I can evaluate what we're working with. Once I have a sense of the people and the place, we start developing the design to bring those two elements harmoniously together.

In the early design stages, we’ll work through a few options and hone in on what you really want and need. Once we have the overall design finalized, we shift focus to adding increasing layers of detail about the materials, assemblies, and finishes to create the drawings and written documentation that can be used for obtaining building permits and constructing the project.

Once those documents are created and the building process starts, I visit the site at least once a week to see how building is progressing and answer any questions that come up. I stay involved with any adjustments that need to be made because I understand how those changes might affect the rest of the building and I want to make sure that the final space performs as intended.

The design process is exciting, especially at the start. But I think it’s helpful to be aware that you may also experience “decision fatigue” as we move through the design process together. There are so many decisions to be made, and you may feel overwhelmed at times.

Part of my job involves breaking the design process down for you into stages that are manageable. At each of those stages, if you can take the time to really think about the choices we’re considering, ask questions, and then make a choice that you feel confident in, that will go a long way toward keeping the project on budget and on schedule.

Another way to help keep the project moving right along and minimize delays is to make sure that everyone is communicating openly and clearly. I've seen residential projects that have gotten delayed when spouses weren’t on the same page or weren’t clear about what they wanted. One might approve a design choice and then down the line the other person says, “but I don’t really like that, I hadn’t thought about it before…” And then we have to go back.  

On commercial projects there are multiple users, and I try to spend quite a bit of time at the beginning gathering information from all the folks who are going to use a space so that I can get a really good idea about what they need. As the project moves forward, I have meetings where, again, everybody who should have a say is involved and gets a chance to look at things and respond. Because if you don't get that feedback, and you don't incorporate it early on, you end up having to go back later and redo things, and that costs time, momentum, and money.