In thinking about the last post, I wonder if people who have these unreasonable thoughts are just unaware of who architects are, what the architectural process is, and how architects get things built? Personally I have to say that, I for one, used to be unclear as to what architects do.
Once upon a time, I used to be in medicine…another lifetime of stories..but, anyway, I digress. Having come from a family with science and engineering background, the last thing on my mind was art and architecture. To gain more knowledge on this subject, I actually paid a lot of money to attend the Career Discovery Program at Harvard University’s famous GSD . I’m going to try to save you some money by telling about it here. With that in mind, I wanted to do a follow up post to help guide and clarify things. Since this is going to be lengthy, I’m going to break this into two posts. This first post is about understand the value of architects. The second post will bring forth understanding of the design process.
The first question everyone always asks: Why hire an architect?
Unless you’ve gone through the process of designing and construction before, few people actually realize how complicated it is to design and build. To get a house or any structure built, there is a large maze of design options, technical challenges, building codes, zoning laws, contractors, etc that needs to be addressed…and because of all these variables, no two projects are the same, and no one clear path to follow.
Since this sample video covers much of this topic, I’ll just summarize my thoughts:
1. Architects See the Big Picture. Its not just about four walls and floors. Its about integrating the building and space with lifestyle, community and the environment.
2. Architects Solves Problems. Yes, we’re good at jig-saw puzzles, but it’s more than that. Because we see the big picture, we cab better assess and address the design challenges.
3. Architects Can Save You Money. Well conceived and carefully planned project can be built more efficiently and economically. Your house is an investment and you want it to last the test of time.
4. Architects Make Your Life Easier. Architects work in the interest of their clients. We try to find ways to make that process go smoothly. Architects are there to help you through the maze of building codes, zoning ordinances, and much the dreaded, contractors.