Frequently Asked Questions…

Great question! Let’s face it: someone is going to design your project. It works best as a team effort, each member contributing their expertise. Hire an architect when you want experience and skill at listening carefully, designing thoughtfully, helping discover what’s possible, balancing that with what’s necessary, and communicating ideas clearly. Designing a building is challenging — it takes years of work to gain the skills. If you value those skills, hire someone who has them, and let them help you. There are times when you shouldn’t hire an architect. Your project may be simple, perhaps a garage or shed — you’ll likely be fine working directly with a builder or buying a stock model. You may want to try designing the project yourself. If so, you may soon discover you need help. You may feel “I know exactly what I want” — except for “technical stuff” like codes, structure, staircases, rooflines, and more. We have those skills — and we’ve learned from experience to join design with technical aspects from the start, rather than to try “grafting” them on later. Still, you may insist on designing yourself, then getting technical help. If so, consider working with a consulting engineer or other specialist, directly with a builder (if they’re willing), or with a draftsperson — some lumberyards offer such services. Or you may want an experienced designer to teach you how to design a building. If so, consider taking courses offered by places like Shelter Institute, Yestermorrow, and some colleges and vocational schools.

An important issue! Let us put it this way: if we don’t deliver service and value far beyond what we charge, not only should we not work for you, we shouldn’t be in business. Fortunately, we’ve been able to deliver value for hundreds of clients since 1994. We won’t be able to tell you what we’ll charge until we’ve listened carefully to what you need. Our fee will depend largely on the scope of your project. We don’t charge by a percentage of construction costs, rather by the time we expect to devote to your project. Please visit the “Fees” section of our website for more information on how we charge. When we meet, we can discuss design fees with you in more detail.

We can explore that with you. We try hard to ensure we’re a good fit for someone’s needs. Although we work on various size projects, we’re best suited to mid-size residential, and small institutional or commercial projects, either new construction or renovations. If you’re thinking of a small, modest new home, please take a look at our “Small Planet Homes” which range from 334 to 1,986 square feet. These pre-designed plans may suit you and will save on custom design fees. For small renovations it may make sense to work directly with a builder rather than an architect. For larger projects we sometimes can team with other professionals.

A vital question! We get it: you want to be listened to, understood, and respected. You want a building suited to your needs, not someone else’s “vision” or ego. Designers need to listen carefully: to you, to your site, to your budget, to the technical challenges — and to their own experience. You, as well, need an open mind, willingness to listen, and, above all, clarity about your wishes, needs, and resources. Good designs are discovered, not invented. In our experience, great projects happen when clients focus on who they are at least as much as on what they want. Clarity is essential: how you really live, what your financial resources really are, what your priorities really are, and what your project really “needs to be.” Very, very few people know all that at the start — design is a journey of discovery, requiring an open mind from everyone. If we don’t all have a few surprises and discoveries along the way, we’ve probably missed some great opportunities.

Sure. First, let’s clarify why you’re doing sketches. Are you trying to communicate your wishes and aspirations? Are you trying to communicate the various spaces you want, and how they might relate? Great! Sketches can help convey that. Even better are stories: tell us how you live, work, cook, dine, entertain, relax, and more. Help us understand what you want by helping us understand who you are. Are you open to new ideas, ways the design and the building’s performance can improve? Great! Let your sketches be a starting point — then “let them go,” and let us use long-practiced skills to improve your project. If you insist on doing your own sketches, and simply want someone to “draw them up”, we’re not who you’re looking for — you’ll be better served by a drafting service, designer-builder, or consulting engineer. Please read the question, “Why should I hire an architect?” on this page — it may help you clarify what services you’re really after.

Of course! And let’s clarify why you’re showing them. If you have photos of elements you like, such as porches, front doors, rooflines, window placements, etc., great! You’ll help us understand your taste, likes, and feelings. Of course, your design will be different, tailored to you and your site, and those features you like will be interpreted, translated, and fitted into your project. If it’s a building plan, are you saying you like layouts like this, or do you mean literally this one? If you’ve found a building plan that suits you, or nearly so, consider working with its designer: buy her design outright or hire her to modify it. You may even choose to do that with us, with one of our pre-designed “Small Planet Homes”.

Of course you want to know that! We take budgets very seriously. We don’t have a crystal ball to predict construction costs, especially in these times. We do have tools to help you determine if your project is within financial reach. We use a spreadsheet that can serve as a preliminary indicator of whether your project is within reach, or needs to be modified or re-thought. We urge clients to select an experienced builder during the design process, to work with us, and you, to find the best value for you. Once we’ve completed construction documents a builder can develop a detailed cost proposal — especially if they’ve offered ideas while the design develops. You (and perhaps your financial advisor) will ultimately be who decides if the project is the right choice for you.

We’re happy to discuss that with you. Depending on the scope of your project, and our other commitments, it typically takes three months to a year. Some projects have taken longer because the clients wanted to go slow and work in phases. Once we understand the scope of your project, and when you hope to complete it, we’ll include a schedule for our work in a proposal to you.

A perceptive question! We encourage involving a builder during the design process, when their input can make a meaningful difference. If you already have a builder in mind, wonderful — we’ll want to involve them during design. If not, we often can recommend builders. We urge you to interview them, with our help if you want, and select a builder based on their responses, their references, work they’ve done, their enthusiasm, and their availability. We strongly discourage selecting a builder through competitive bidding: it’s not an effective way to control costs or receive high value. We have often found significant cost savings and higher quality by involving builders during the design process.