The Value of an Architect?

[LSmith]

Hi all,

We have been planning our move to our land and are currently working on a layout for a barn/garage/apartment that will be our first permanent structure. While I will be building the structure myself, (I have previous experience in building, plumbing and wiring) I don’t have experience in slab foundations. I will hire this out. My question to all you TBN folks is should I have an architect involved to look over my plans? What have been your experiences good, bad, or indifferent? There are no permits involved except for electrical and septic. Any feedback is appreciated.

Thanks

Lane Smith

 

[Junkman]

An architect can save you from many mistakes and see how everything flows together. I would think that it is a wise decision to engage one if for nothing else than to review the plans that you have for any short comings. I bought the plans for my home from a design service and it was full of mistakes that I didn't see originally. You can pay an architect, or you can pay for the mistakes and hope that you don't have to learn to live with the mistakes... Just one mans opinion....
One other thing..... have you considered building with a cellar... well worth the extra cost in my mind...

 

[Golfgar4]

Since it sounds like you already have the plans "drawn up", having an architect check them over would be a small price to pay for insuring that your plans meet all of the applicable local codes. My wife does this all of the time with her business. She draws up the plans herself, and then has an architect check them over, suggest changes/modifications as needed, and then once the plans are revised, the architect signs off on them. In our area, the bulding plans must have a licensed architect's approval.

 

[TimSullivan]

When we built our home, I designed the house on a CAD program and took the prints to an architect. It was money well spent. As mentioned above a few rough spots were worked out by the architect that helped the layout a lot. Just little changes but they really did enhance the plan.

The fellow I used liked the idea of getting a full set of drawings from me then just improving them and improve he did. We are now involed in another project but did not start with the set of plans. It is a slower process and sometimes feels like two steps forward and one step back. If you have the plans I would have a pro check them over.

 

[67Mopar]

I agree, I just drew up the plans for a total remodel of my first floor, Im moving the Kitchen to the other side of the house, etc, Im not pulling one pc of molding off untill someone looks at it, there are walls to move as well. I can do the work, i just cant guarentee my plan, so Im getting it checked out.

 

[mdbarb]

I'm soooo glad to see positive responses (so far)
I am an architect and am pleased to see a client walk in with plans they have produced. One reason is they are now educated that Yes it sometimes does take 40 hours to finally produce this floor plan which looks like it could be traced in a coupla hours. What clients don't see are the "what-ifs" that didn't make the final cut. Also it has made them closely examine their wants vs needs vs $.
With the house being the largest investment most of us make, it amazes me that people would consider bypassing this step.
To obtain my license I attended 5 years of school, several years of apprenticeship and took a 32 hour exam. All of which barely prepared me for the complexities of the profession.
There is so much to know that architect must specialize into a particular aspect of architecture just to be able to keep current.
So many people think architecture is just drafting. Have the contractor sketch something in a notebook, hire a moonlighting draftsman, buy a cad program and do it yourself. Cad programs no more make you an architect than paper and pencil did in the olden days.
Although few need all of the architects skills, everyone could use some:
In addition to just plain good design based on years of study and practice there is:
Code checks, zoning process, design review approvals, city liason.
Assistance finding a contractor, negotiating a fair bid and mediating a fair solution to any problems during construction.
Realistically evaluating your budget, saving cost with good effiecient design, reducing energy cost with current methods and materials.
Avoid confusion during constuction and obtain good accurate bids PRIOR to construction by providing COMPLETE working drawings and specifications. It will be alot cheaper to figure out those tricky details on paper than have the crew stand around sketching on a 2x4.
I would recomend having the builder involved right from the start (not an issue in this case)
Moonlighting draftspersons can be used in the simplist of projects.
But there is such a myriad of issues in creating a house that it would be so penny wise and pound foolish to not hire the best professional you can.
All that said, there are great and terrible architects /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif. and contractors /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif and clients /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif There are good architects that are a bad match for you.
Do your homework, hire the best architect and contractor you can find. You will rest happy for years to come. Enjoy your new home and the process creating it. Keep me updated. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Golfgar4]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( To obtain my license I attended 5 years of school, several years of apprenticeship and took a 32 hour exam. )</font>

Hee, hee, hee. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I had to laugh when you mentioned your schooling. Please, I'm not laughing at what you went through. I'm laughing at what I DIDN'T go through.

I entered college with the idea of becoming an architect. Specifically, I wanted to design homes, not commercial stuff. But heck, I was just out of high school. What did I know? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Even after reading the requirements to get the degree, and seeing that you needed to take a course in nuclear physics /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif, I decided to try and give it a shot. One of my first semester courses was Elements of Three Descriptive Geometry /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif It was a 3 hour course, 3 nights a week from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. I'd always been good at conceptualizing things, so I thought this would be reasonably straight forward. There were only 9 of us in the course, and it was taught by a mechanical engineer from a local manufacturing company. When we took our mid-term exam, not one of us passed the test. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

We all complained loudly to the administration that it must have been because the "professor" was NOT an architect. Sooooo, they brought in an architect to teach the remainder of the semester. When we all took the final exam, we all failed that too. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I didn't even bother going to the Dean's office to complain with the other students. I marched right over to the administrative offices and withdrew from the architectural engineering program and signed up for the Theatrical Arts major! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have the highest regard for architects and what they have to go through. Especially having to deal with clients that have absolutely no concept of what they really want, but expect you to deliver it anyway!

I bet one of your favorite movies is Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, isn't it? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[dieselsmoke1]

A good architect can certainly give you the benefit of their knowledge and in most cases save you much more than the fee for their services. My suggestion: do your homework. Architects are no different from tractor dealers to heart surgeons (and everything else) regarding the level of their expertise and dedication to a job well done. Ask questions and check for references.

I deal with architects frequently in my world of commercial casework. 90% are first class. I had a run in with one of the other 10% today and I'm still steamin from it!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[em14]

I had an Architect do the drawings and specs for my shop. I had a design that I had put together in a CADD package and knew what I wanted. The Architect is responsible for code compliance so he took my design and produced the working drawing and specs. I then waited about an year before I decided it was time to build. Well ... During that time Florida went with a new Hurricanne Code and the local code under went a major change! It took two months to get a building permit. The building was orginally designed to use 2x6 wooden studs but the local code now required 6inch 14 Ga. metal studs! As a matter of fact the only wood in this building is the Roof Truss and Roof Decking! There is no combustible material below the roof truss! We used over 21,000 metal screws in the construction. I do not hold the Architect responsible but I wish that he had warned me of the impending possible changes so I could have beat the deadline ... I must also admit that this shop is an extremply strong building. Would I still use an Architect ... YES! ... but, I'm going to ask a different set of questions before we start!
Leo

 

[TimSullivan]

<font color="green"> Yes it sometimes does take 40 hours to finally produce this floor plan which looks like it could be traced in a coupla hours. </font>

When I designed my home, I wish it had only taken 40 hours. Boy, were my feelings hurt when the achitect started making changes. Well that was until I looked at the results. Just a little here and there made the whole design work better.

In doing building projects I have learned to hire good people to to the job, give them as much information as you can then get out of the way.