Tag: construction (Page 5 of 12)

Our 8th secret tip about how to deal with an Architect focus on the time frame to complete your construction project.

If you have just landed here do not miss our previous tips:

• Take 1 – Stages
• Take 2 – Fee Proposals
• Take 3 – The Brief
• Take 4 – Your Budget
• Take 5 – Be Honest
• Take 6 – Build Trust
• Take 7 – Enjoy the Process

8. Be Aware of Time

Be prepared for a long journey. Most construction projects take a considerable amount of time until completion. Don’t be deluded by TV programmes like “Room to Improve” where everything is squeezed into an hour show giving you the (wrong) impression that just a week have passed.

Hot tip: Your Architect needs time to plan and design things properly. Sometimes it may look like a waste of time but, in reality, it is time you gain during construction and nearly always money you save. You are also unlikely to be the Architect’s only client. So make sure you communicate your decisions as early as possible to avoid delays.

Go to Take 9 – Pay on Time 

Start from Take 1 – Stages

Our 7th secret tip about how to deal with an Architect focus on the importance of the design process.

If you have just landed here do not miss our previous tips:

• Take 1 – Stages
• Take 2 – Fee Proposals
• Take 3 – The Brief
• Take 4 – Your Budget
• Take 5 – Be Honest
• Take 6 – Build Trust

7. Enjoy the process

When you appoint an Architect you give her/him a problem to solve, a challenge to do. It may be a new house on a new site, it may be an extension to an awkward existing house, or improving a house layout that is not working, or a shop that is not attracting clients, etc, etc. In order to solve your problem the Architect will go through a design process that will consider a number of factors. Make sure you participate in this process by providing your Architect with a solid brief and by letting her/him know what are your likes/dislikes, aspirations and goals.

Hot tip: The first steps of the design process are hugely important, they are the foundations of your project. You should engage with your Architect as early as possible. If in doubt about what you want or need, ask your Architect for an opinion. Architects deal with a wide range of people and age groups, they may know better than you what you will need in 10 years time, for example. Listen, reflect and think. You may even realize you need to change the initial brief, but this is the moment to do it before the process develops to more complex drawings/documents. Remember to enjoy this process, it is often a life changing experience!

Go to Take 8 – Be Aware of Time

Start from Take 1 – Stages.