DESIGN DILEMMA:  HOW DO I CHOOSE AN ARCHITECT WE CAN TRUST?

Surfing through many architects’ portfolios can be overwhelming.  There has to be a better method than listening to all those video testimonials that pizazz through many architects’ websites.  How do my family and I choose an Architect that we can trust to manage our valuable home project?  What questions do we need to ask to make sure we find a great match to work with us?  How can we make sure our conversations are focused so the architect understands exactly what we want saving us both time and money?

JOHN’S SOLUTION:

Pay attention to curiosity, passion, and sustainability.  These key factors help evaluate an architect’s personality, professionalism, competence, and creativity.  They can indicate compatibility and trust between everyone involved.

1. CURIOSITY

Is the architect curious about my lifestyle?  Never mind his/her success story, what about mine?  The architect needs to be curious about you and your day-to-day interactions.  You have done your homework investigating architects, so sit back and let the architect investigate what you want for your home.  His questions should show considerations for making your home beautiful, inspiring, and functional.  Your architect needs to discover what works for you on a daily basis and what the possible positive impacts that could create your day.

1. PASSION AND THE F.A.B. PROCESS

What are the architect’s passion and driving factors?  Employing the F.A.B. process when interviewing architects helps determine this.  The “F” = Features can be found on many architects’ websites and, hopefully, all architects can explain the “A” = Advantages of these Features.  The “B” = Benefits are most important.  Look for an architect who understands why Features and Advantages Benefit you; otherwise, they do not truly understand your purpose for meeting them.  The best architect for you can be determined by how many design Benefits you gain from his/her passion for your dream home.

1. SUSTAINABLE

Will I have a sustainable family in our newly designed home?  Sustainability is important, not only to reduce overall environmental impact, but to provide for the needs of your family.  Not all architects/builders prioritize a sustainable lifestyle.  The key is having your architect understand and implement your lifestyle and wishes, not theirs.

Frank Lloyd Wright said he could design a house that would cause homeowners to divorce. He said it was important to pay attention to what the client wants and provide them the plan that makes a sustainable family. They need to benefit from the features implemented in the home, otherwise, the advantages of the features provided will not make sense.

Let your architect discover what your needs are otherwise keep searching for the one that will have the passion to give you the benefits for the features to be implemented in your dream home.