Preparing for an architect
We just bought a 4-story brownstone in North Slope that will require a fair amount of renovation. We close in December and would like to get an architect in right afterwards. We have a good sense ourselves for what we’d like done and are wondering what is the best way to pull together our ideas…
We just bought a 4-story brownstone in North Slope that will require a fair amount of renovation. We close in December and would like to get an architect in right afterwards. We have a good sense ourselves for what we’d like done and are wondering what is the best way to pull together our ideas in a way that is helpful for an architect. Comments welcome.
Hi,
Not sure if you are still in the process of searching for an architect but I would be happy to discuss your project with you. My office’s work focusses mainly on renovations of townhouses, apartments and lofts on a variety of scales and budgets. If interested, please contact me:
mhm@studiolabdesign.com
Thanks,
Matt
I’m an architect in Brooklyn with my own studio, and am licensed in NY with experience designing, detailing, obtaining work permits, interpreting code, renovation and new construction, engineering coordination, bidding, scheduling and site administration.
My emphasis is green building, sustainable ecological design and high-performance systems.
Contact me via my temporary website (omit www.):
http://turuillgen.com/
It is good to see some productive advice here on forum, with less bashing and trash talking. My goal is to find the good designers and builders that break the stereotypes.
Therefore ask for references also. Get feedback from other clients. Look at previous work, for both designers or builders. Does their experience match your scale of building?
Is their service what you really need? There is a huge spectrum of skilled people that can contribute simple permit documents to elaborate interior and stylistic advice.
It mostly depends on what owner wants.
And remember that another hidden variable is expectations, especially in terms of service.
As client, do you anticipate a glowing stack of renderings and models for a flashy presentation? Or do you prefer someone be available and reply to every email, phone call or letter? Or are you more assured when the designer shows up on site to really get into the dirty little details? …manage your expectations by being clear and explicit up front.
Also, let’s remember it is a team endeavor. Without permits by an architect, most work is not legal. And without a coordinated builder, most designs would never happen. So make sure you select a cast of characters that will play nice and complement as a whole.
For example, what’s the point in paying top dollar for a high-end designer if the owner then picks the low bid and the builder does not telephone or email?
Perhaps consider both architect and builder combination at the same time?
Some builders expect to be instructed by details and specifications. Others prefer to be left alone to do it ‘their way’. So negotiating some flexibility and getting the right match at the beginning can make a huge difference.
im a builder, not an architect, but know what its like to work with them. one of the most important things is sharing similar tastes as far as design, space, even lifestyles. you’d be surprised how much lifestyle shapes one’s vision of a home (ie, do they have kids, do you have kids, do they like to cook, do you like to cook, etc.). and, someone who want to keep you UNDER your budget. i agree with above, a scrapbook is good…now ill put a plug in for myself – if you need a builder, call SD construction (that’s me) – 9174957120. would be happy to look at job !
Good advice above.
I would say three things: start a visual scrapbook of things you like. Realize, doing your scrapbook, that many images we are drawn to are often a bit more difficult to realize in the confines of a brownstone (to give one example, almost all the kitchen images clients bring me feature a sink with a window above — a classic design move difficult to achieve in most brownstone kitchens).
Second, take a look at how you live right now, and measure that against how you think you want to live in your new space. Recognize that some design decisions you make will reflect who you are now, and some will be more aspirational. Sometimes clients are disappointed that they build to these aspirations as this impulse turns out to be wrong in practice (to give an example here, I see a lot of design decisions made on sketchy assumptions of what living with a new baby will be like).
Last, I would preach keeping an open mind. An architect’s job is to interpret your ideas about a space, but also to think about how an existing space can be modified to work really well. Ideally, the end design becomes an effortless marriage of these two poles of your desires and what the space will support. Flexibility and the willingness to entertain a number of ideas is a key part of the process of design, and I have seldom seen a good design that wasn’t the result of a process.
In the design process, good ideas tend to keep coming back, and less strong ideas drop away — as long as you give the process enough time to work.
Good luck.
Tell your architect that your budget is two thirds what it actually is, you might just be able to afford the renovation the architect proposes. Another option is to consult a quantity surveyor first, if such a profession exists in the USA. In Australia and the UK, quantity surveyors are the accountants of the architecture/construction industry, their one aim in life is to keep architects and builders grounded in the client’s financial reality.
I once had clients who had prepared a binder that was part biography, part wish-list, and part magazine clippings of spaces and materials that they liked. Of course they had been piecing it together for months, but anything like that would be helpful as far as communicating with your architect and setting priorities. Even a simple written list would be useful.
Otherwise, get to know your architect, and let them get to know you. Have a couple meetings or even get together socially over dinner before officially “starting” the process. Remodeling a home is stressful. It’s critical that you have good chemistry with your architect even on a personal level.
Also the AIA has some useful publications on hiring or working with an architect (though having AIA behind your name isn’t a credential, the only thing it reflects is that you pay dues). Here’s one:
http://howdesignworks.aia.org/working.cfm
My wife and I (both architects) have just closed on a house ourselves. Crazy time! Best of luck.