Young, Up and Starting Architect

5thave, my advice to you is to look at any architecture firm that has managed to complete work over the past few years in this difficult economy. Then find someone whose work you can see (in person).  Of those, find the person whom you trust the most.  Look at recommendations and a track record of satisfied clients, and listen to your gut.  You don’t want to be stuck with someone who is going to abuse the privilege of designing your space.  You’ll want someone who can gently and persuasively make a case for their design choices, but who will listen to you and implement your concerns – it will be your place after all. Finally, you’ll want someone who knows the easy way to do things.  Otherwise, you’ll be stuck doing things the hard way.