How to Hire the Right Architect

A Guide to Finding the Best Architect for Your Home

Blog / How to Hire the Right Architect

The decisions to be made when building a custom home are never in short supply, and as it goes when planning anything, starting in the right place gives you a better chance of ending in the right place.  The best place to start when planning your new custom home is to select the right architect for the job.  A good architect can then assist you in all the other decisions that need to be made, from selecting a suitable piece of land, to meeting quality home builders and engineers, an experienced architect can help you every step of the way.  But how do you find the right architect for your home?  Here are a few things to keep in mind when conducting your search.

Design Approach

Every architect’s approach to the design process is a little different, and while there’s no right or wrong way to do it, some homeowners will mesh very well with one approach and clash terribly with another, or vice versa.  Here are a few different approaches to keep in mind when interviewing architects.

The “Architects Know Best” Approach

Some architects like to impose their personal “expertise” on their homeowners, feeling as if they know their clients better than their clients know themselves.  This approach is perfect for the homeowner who has no real sense of what they’re looking for, and simply wants an architect to tell them what kind of home they’ll be happy living in.  

The “Homeowner Knows Best” Approach

The opposite to the “architect knows best” approach is the “homeowner knows best” approach.  The architects who apply this mentality to the design process are typically high-volume operations that are not opposed to using plans a homeowner has purchased online, reviewing and stamping them for local permitting purposes, and moving on.  This approach works for those homeowners who already know what they’re looking for and don’t desire any input from an architect.  To call these projects “custom homes” is a bit of a stretch, but if a homeowner is getting exactly what they want, then who are we to argue with the process?

The “Synergy” Approach

Synergy was all the rage in the 90’s, right?  The idea that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” has been applied to every field imaginable, and for good reason, it’s an idea founded on solid principles.  Architects who take a synergistic approach to their projects are going to listen intently to their clients’ needs and wants, combine those needs and wants with their own industry experience, and produce a final product that neither the architect nor the homeowner could have come up with on their own.  It’s a beautiful thing when done right, and this is the approach we take at Moment Architects.  This approach is right for those homeowners who have spent months, years, maybe even a lifetime thinking of what their dream home would be like, and now they’re finally ready to share those ideas with an architect who can turn their vision into reality.

Communicative Style

Building a custom home is a team effort, and therefore open communication between the architect and the homeowner is vital to the project’s success.  When interviewing architects, it’s important to pay attention to their communicative style.  Is the architect doing all the talking the first time you meet?  If so, it’s likely he or she will do all the talking in future meetings as well, making it hard for the homeowners to share their own thoughts and ideas.  On the other hand, is the architect doing any talking at all?  An architect who hesitates to speak up could be a red flag for a few reasons.  Perhaps he doesn’t want to reveal his ignorance, or she is too timid to speak her mind, or he’s too distracted to listen and respond accordingly.  Whatever the case may be, an architect serves as their clients’ main advocate throughout the design and construction process, is the homeowners’ primary source of information, and is responsible for understanding and interpolating all the homeowners’ wants and needs to the necessary parties, so you will need an architect who is informed, engaged, and ready to stand up for their clients’ best interests.

At Moment Architects, we make every effort to listen when it’s time to listen and speak when it’s time to speak.  We don’t claim to have all the answers, but fortunately, it’s not the architect’s job to have all the answers.  Our job is to find the answers, and often that means reaching out to a contractor, engineer, or consultant for guidance.  Custom homes are complex undertakings, and clear communication between all parties involved is essential to their success.

Teamwork

Because a custom home involves so many different parties, we feel it is important to have the key players involved as early as possible.  A builder, architect, structural engineer, and interior designer are the most common stake                holders in a custom home, and each plays a different role.  A homeowner should look for an architect who is willing not only to assist in assembling this team, but also in leading the team with an unselfish, humble, cooperative attitude.

Budget Management

One of the benefits of assembling a complete project team early is that the budget management becomes far more accurate.  A good architect can typically provide accurate ballpark figures when discussing overall construction costs, but when the builder, interior designer, and engineers are involved, the cost estimates throughout the design process are much more accurate, meaning we can help you hit a target cost with greater certainty.  The architect’s job in the process is typically not to generate the cost estimate, but to coordinate that effort, and ensure that everyone involved has all the necessary information to perform their role well. Ask the architects you’re interviewing whether they provide guidance on construction costs and estimates as part of their service. Some do, and some don’t, but ultimately the projects that turn out the best are the ones where the homeowners’ budget is factored into the decision-making process as early as possible.

Architectural Styles

An important part of selecting the right architect is finding an architect who is willing and able to design to your preferred architectural style.  There are countless architectural styles to choose from, and finding a style you like is usually a good early step in the overall design process.  Putting together a Pinterest board of favorite images or compiling a folder of inspiration images in a sharable drive is extremely helpful during the design process, and this information should be shared with any architects you are considering hiring before you sign a contract with them, just to make sure they’re comfortable designing a home in the style that you like.  Some architects build reputations designing a specific style of home, and if their “niche” is contemporary they may not be interested in designing a modern farmhouse or a craftsman bungalow.  Our team at Moment Architects has experience designing homes in almost every style imaginable, and we firmly believe the right style for your home is the style you like best.

Reputation

The design and construction of a custom home is a lengthy process, which means a homeowner will spend a considerable amount of time with their architect before the project is complete.  Therefore, it’s important to get to know the person you’ll be working with and see what past clients have to say about their experience.  Google Reviews are a good place to start, but it’s also smart to ask architects for references.  Consider asking the architects questions, like “how much of your business is repeat clients?”, or “how many of your clients come through referrals?”.  Repeat clients and referrals from past clients are typically the best indicators of a job well done.

Fees

Fees for architectural design services vary greatly depending on the unique circumstances of each project, so it’s important to ensure you’re comparing apples to apples when interviewing different architects.  Consider asking for a list of the services provided.  For instance, some architects may include 3D renderings and interior design services as a standard part of every project, while another may exclude those services unless they’re specifically requested.  Similarly, some architects coordinate building permits, assist their clients in hiring a qualified builder, and stay engaged throughout construction, while others may provide a basic set of architectural drawings and consider their work complete.  When it comes to architects’ fees, you typically get what you pay for.   At Moment Architects, we tailor our fees to each project, and the services we offer are similarly tailored to meet the needs of each client.  Feel free to check out our blog post How Much Does It Cost To Hire An Architect to learn more about the subject.  Also, click the button below if you’re interested in finding out roughly how much Moment Architects’ fees would be for your residential project.

Availability

Finally, when interviewing architects, it is wise to ask about each firm’s typical timeline and backlog.  Architecture is an industry the ebbs and flows, meaning an office may have a few slow months with only a handful of projects in the works, followed by a period when new work is piling up faster than it can be produced.  As a result, one architect may be able to jump onto your project right away, while another may not be able to start on it for another month or two.

In Conclusion

The architect you hire will have a significant impact on the outcome of your future home.  Consider interviewing multiple architects, ask pointed questions, and take notes.  At the end of the day your decision may come down to any number of factors, from the architects’ fees, design style, reputation, or perhaps just a good vibe.  Feel free to reach out to us if you have any additional questions, we would love the opportunity to assist you in your search.