How to avoid the Seven Cri0cal Mistakes when choosing your Architect

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2 How to avoid the Seven Cri0cal Mistakes when choosing your Architect A Registered Architect is one of the most qualified professionals in the building industry... highly-qualified professionals, has at least five years tertiary education covering all aspects of design and construction, has a minimum of two years industry experience, has undergone further rigorous testing prior to formal registration under the respective Architects Act is a member of the Australian Institute of Architects, and is covered by $10M Professional Indemnity insurance.

3 What you need to establish is the right architect for YOUR project, and in order to do this for your peace of mind, there are some key questions you will need to ask your architect. Let s face it, the disasters we see on Television documentaries all too often, is not getting the right advice at the start of the project, not using the right consultants, not having the right budget, not having a rigorous feasibility study and project brief established before going any further...if the foundation is right (to use an appropriate analogy) then the rest of the project has a far better chance of holding together as it should. You see, designing and building a home, office or investment property can be extraordinarily complex. Few appreciate how difficult it can be. Arriving at the right design, navigating the town planning process, setting a realistic budget, selecting materials, finding the right builder and managing the building contract, are just some of the tasks you will need to involve yourself with, intimately, if you decide to do it alone. Each task requires specialist skills and disciplines. Combined, they can present a daunting, frustrating and time-consuming prospect. Get it wrong and you could be living with your mistake for a long time. Get it right, however, and it will be one of the most satisfying experiences of your life. Firstly, is the Architect Registered with the Australian Institute of Architects, and if not are they really an Architect? (we will cover this latter in the report) You will significantly increase your chances of getting it right by engaging a registered architect, who is also a member of the Australian Institute of Architects. This may well be the reason you are now looking around for a Registered Architect. However... It is most important when meeting with a prospective architect, to explain in your own terms the design aesthetic you are aiming to achieve. If the architect responds, not by drawing out a better understanding of what you want, but by educating you about the style to which you should adhere, you will soon realise how much say you are going to have in the overall scheme of things! A customer service-oriented architect will take your ideas, what you like, and translate those words and images into a visually appealing design that

4 you have inspired. An architect with whom you will have good rapport is one that listens very carefully to your needs in order to see your big picture. This architect will then be able to help you define and create what you want to build, see options you may never have considered and help you get the most for your budget. Architects don't merely design, they create environments, inside and out, spaces that function well, that define you and how you like to live and work. Architects produce inspired solutions to often complex residential and commercial needs. Creative thinking, attention to detail and functional performance underpin everything an architect does. The next question you need to ask is, have they had suitable experience in the particular type of project you are looking to do? I once was asked by a local builder to redesign the foundations of a residence for a bank, they had used a big city architect for the project. The foundation design was horrendously expensive as it was more along the lines of a foundation on a large commercial building...obviously the architect had no experience in residential design. Some architects employed in large firms may not have any experience in design at all as they may specialise in specification writing or construction programming or some other specialised field. If the architect has a web-site, you can soon get some idea for the range of projects they have experience in. Ask the architect what involvement they personally had in the projects shown on their web-sites. The most common mistake: Trying to save a few dollars up front by using a fake architect, or worse still, being deceived into thinking your consultant is an architect. Some draftsman, building designers or interior designers claim they are architects even though they are not registered. Architects have the qualifications, professional training, vision and experience to manage the entire design and construction process. A minimum of five years of university training, mandatory practical experience and a registration exam separates architects from other, less qualified building designers. An architect should be able to show you their registration card and by law have their registration displayed in their office. Otherwise it is not a difficult thing to check if they are registered with the Institute of architects by going on-line.

5 Whilst saving a few dollars at the outset may give some short term gain, in the medium to long term, Architect-designed buildings are more desirable and sought after hence worth more and the additional dollars invested up front are well and truly rewarded. The ongoing savings a well designed energy efficient building will generate over a lifetime will recompense the additional investment many times over. Architect-designed buildings are more energy efficient, cheaper to operate and easier to maintain and adapt throughout their lifespan than traditional structures. In a world crying out for answers to issues of energy efficiency, global warming and climate change, an architect can show you how to integrate best practice sustainability features with leading edge design. Building a new home or office, or even extending your house, is likely to be the biggest single expenditure you are ever going to make. It is a major investment, and what you want from any investment is value and the knowledge that the value of your investment - your investment in good design - grows and continues to grow. Expenditure of such magnitude should not be considered without first getting the best advice you can. Architect-designed buildings are more desirable and sought after by an increasingly sophisticated, design-conscious market prepared to pay for the benefits and enjoyment derived from living with good design. Architect-designed buildings are generally healthier places; places that are better for you; and flexible, too, so that your building can grow and change as your needs change. Welldesigned buildings work efficiently an architect knows how to plan for best environmental performance Well-designed buildings work efficiently, solve problems of space and function and, fit comfortably into the environments that surround them. An architect knows how to plan rationally for best environmental performance, can advise about placing the building on your site to optimise views and aspect, to catch the sun, provide shade, promote natural cross-flow ventilation, reduce and conserve energy. Architects are attuned to new building

6 technologies and materials, and their application, to create efficient buildings that are light, airy, comfortable and stylish. Good architecture has inner glow a well-designed building should fit you so that it feels uniquely yours The second most important question to ask an architect is, can they work within the confines of your budget and ensure that your project will come in on budget? What methodologies do they use to ensure this happens? Will they help you to set a viable and realistic budget? When you explain to your prospective architects your construction budget, does the candidate insist that it must be three times the size to achieve a worthy result. Listen to what they have to say, in case you have erred in your judgement... But if the architect can't be creative with a small budget, then keep looking. Conflict of Interest: Your architect needs to be your advocate and make sure that the contractor is building as per the exact specifications laid out in the drawings. Some architects offer Design-Build services, which may seem appealing as you get one lump-sum price for design and construction. The risk is that if the architect and contractor are partners, they may be working to their own mutual interests, and not yours. On one job we took over, the home owners had fired the design-build team when they found out the architect was certifying that the work had been done when it had not in order to be paid faster. Keep your architect and contractor separate. Only then can your architect give you impartial advice to guide you through the town planning process, obtain competitive quotes for the work, manage consultants like surveyors and engineers, monitor the budget and administer the construction contract in your interests. Only then and most importantly, can your architect inspect the work right through the construction period to ensure you get the quality and level of finishes you expect.

7 Check List: even if you do know a registered architect, you need to ask yourself, is he or she the right architect for my particular project? In order to make a fair assessment we are providing you with the following worksheet in which you can make the necessary notes as you choose your architect...bon voyage and happy building from the team at Richard van Dorp Architects Seven Critical Questions for a Successful Selection of your Architect Architect one Architect two Architect three Name Real or Fake Architect Registered with Institute Architects Listens carefully Interested in my Vision Years of Experience in my Project Type Attitude to Budget Conflicts of Interest