“We want our house like this. Can you draw this up?” Clients come and ask this question all the time. Sometimes the clients are not aware of what an architect does and sometimes who are aware might want to limit the services and thus limit the cost. However, it might not be in your best interest for your architect to just “draw something up” and miss what he has to offer. You want to get the best out of your architect so you can save on a long run and get the best possible outcome from your house when you actually use it or live in it.
Whatever your skills or expertise is, you will react negatively when one undervalues those skills. We can’t go to our doctor and ask him to skip the evaluation and simply write out a prescription for whatever we believe our ailment is. Similarly asking your architect to simply draw your house is the same scenario. This will make him realize this is going to be a project where he is not appreciated for talent, expertise, or education. This is not the mindset you want the designer of your house to design your house in. You would get a better result by explaining your needs and goals from the design process, stating your budget and explaining whatever concerns you might need addressing with the architect.
Limiting services or reducing services by going a cheaper route will have a negative effect. It might harm the project financially and qualitatively. What an Architect does is give you the closest possible solution to your requirement based on the budget you have. By eliminating this step of coming to a solution, by simply drawing your plan, neither your needs are fulfilled not your budget is maintained.
So, what can your Architect do for you? An architect will help you determine exactly what you need and come up with inventive ideas to solve even the most complex design problems. A good architect provides a service that extends well beyond producing a set of drawings – he will handle the administration, bring value for money, peace of mind and imagination to your project whilst keeping it on track. An architect can advise on the best construction methods to give you a well-insulated, draught free and comfortable building within your budget constraints. The knowledge and creative skills of an architect can deliver value well in excess of the fees charged. You only get one go at a build and you (probably!) cannot afford to get it wrong, so investing in a good architect makes sense.