Go to an architect first when planning your dream home
Whether building a new custom home or vacation house, many people ask, “Do I need to hire an architect or a builder first when planning my dream home?” Though as you can imagine, I’m biased, here are three good reasons to go to an architect first:
You get a home designed just for you and your family
Ninety-eight percent of all new housing in the US is built by developers and/or builders without the direct involvement of an architect. The primary reason is that they can deliver a completed house at a lower price than an architect-designed home … because they are recycling old “one size fits all” designs.
With a builder model, the homeowner gets to pick out the bathroom tile or upgrade the flooring but can’t choose where the house sits on the property, how rooms relate to one another or the relationship of the inside spaces to the outside.
What’s missing in the builder model is a comprehensive approach to design that responds to the homeowners’ specific wants, needs, and emotions. You have a unique vision of how you want to live, and an architect can turn that vision into a reality.
An architect’s superpower is imagining what doesn’t currently exist. Architects take a holistic view of your home design. In addition to the layout of spaces, the architect considers the the special characteristics of the property, how to position a breakfast room to maximize morning sunlight, how to frame views of the surrounding landscape. The result won’t be just like your neighbor’s house.
You’re interested in long-term value
A builder wants to maximize profit on construction and so needs to minimize expenses. Minimizing expenses can mean not relying on the expertise of design professionals. Minimizing expenses can also mean sacrificing quality of construction and energy-efficiency for more floor area.
We know how to deliver a cost-effective house too; we do a lot of affordable housing where there’s a premium on keeping the square foot construction costs as low as possible. Certain design features and materials can add cost yet may also reduce longer-term operating costs. For example, thicker walls and roofs with additional insulation will cost a bit more to install, but the initial cost may be more than offset by savings in energy consumption.
Similarly, items like metal-clad wood windows don’t require exterior painting, thus minimizing future maintenance expenses. Different roof materials, from asphalt shingles to metal to slate, have different installed costs, but can vary in life span from 20 to over 100 years. The experienced architect will consider these life-cycle cost factors and inform their clients of those design features, materials and building systems that provide the most value.
Design drives delight in your dream home
A good architect has an understanding and appreciation of proportions, color, materials, and qualities of natural and artificial lighting. When properly combined, this makes for delightful places for families to gather.
We have the skill to both conceptualize an idea and the ability to express that idea through drawings, sketches and computer modeling. It can be difficult to read blueprints and understand what you are getting. The architect is experienced at graphic communication – explaining in two- and three-dimensions what your home will look like before it’s built and before changes become very expensive and time-consuming to fix.
You deserve more than a “stock” builder house. Go to an architect first when planning your dream home.