Many people hire an architect because they know there are limitations that they cannot overcome on their own, due to legal requirements, or simply because they want to leave the project in the hands of an expert.
There are numerous reasons why a good architect can increase the value of your investment, which is why you should take your time in selecting the right professional. From our INJ Architecture office, we have compiled a list of factors to consider when selecting the right architect for your situation:
1) Talk to your architect before hiring him.
If you decide to contact an architect, you will most likely be working closely with that person for a good period of time. For this reason, it is very important that you feel comfortable with the professional team, and that you feel that your needs and desires are safe in their hands.
2) Define the budget in advance
Hiring professional help costs money, and hiring an architect is no exception to the rule. To avoid delays or possible confusion, tell the architect the budget you have to undertake the project and he will be able to confirm if he can solve the work within these parameters, ensuring that your needs are covered. Also define his fee in advance and determine how the project will be paid so that everything is clear from the beginning and no misunderstandings arise later.
3) The establishment of communication channels
During the drafting work of a project, make sure that you establish good communication with your architect. A constant dialogue with your architect is the definitive key to the success of the project.
Finding times to connect and creating a regular meeting schedule is essential to keeping a project on track and getting the job done successfully. On the other hand, it also reduces your stress and that of your architect, since both of you define the process hand in hand and ensure that the result is ideal.
4) Understand other points of view
To hire an expert professional in any field, you need to have an open mind to a different point of view than yours. When you are thinking of hiring an architect, it is essential that you try to have some flexibility.
Architects are trained professionals who have spent many years studying and preparing to offer solutions in the field of architecture, knowing how to analyze and interpret your needs to define the most appropriate spaces and atmospheres. It is interesting for this reason to be willing to listen and consider their expert advice on the matter. Of course, as a good architect, he will adapt to your wishes and the way you imagine your project, and bringing together the two agents involved with enthusiasm, the best result will be achieved.
5) Define a time frame for the project
It is important to plan and establish a reasonable time frame of reference prior to the start of the contract. Still, it is logical to expect variations in this timeline to accommodate a great final project: designing is a process with many leaps forward, but also sometimes with leaps back to gain momentum. It is not a linear or completely predictable path, so a certain degree of compression must be had.
6) Long-term ideas
No matter how eager you are to see the finished project and construction, a good professional architect will need to take proper timelines into consideration. Think that what you want is for the building to last a lifetime, without having to put more money into it; you want a home tailored to your needs and encompassing your tastes and concerns (a certain style, with certain materials and finishes…) but not a cluster of temporary fashion ideas that can be devalued in the future.
7) It has possible changes
While in initial conversations with an architect things may seem set in stone and perfectly clear, we professionals understand that many things can change along the way. As it is projected, your ideas will become clearer and you may change your mind in relation to some question of the totality that encompasses a project of these dimensions.
In short, we know that finding a good architect is finding a good professional, but it is also finding a person who puts himself in your situation and understands and interprets your needs and concerns in the best way. INJ Architecture Ibrahim Nawaf Joharji Architecture Office from Saudi Arabia that understands the complexity of each project and gives the best response to these points and other questions that intervene in the process of architectural ideation and execution. If you have any questions or want to tell us about that exciting project you have in mind, you can contact us without obligation, by writing to us through the contact form on our website.
