“…  Hi-
My wife and I are trying to design our dream home.  We have a floor plan/model that we like but we need assistance in drafting the drawings and making some changes.  I was wondering what your costs are to develop drawings and modifications.

Thank you,
Joe  …”

Hello Joe,

Thank you for contacting us. Our fees are variable as a function of project scope and scale – simply put, more information is required to answer your question but I would be happy to discuss the project with you.

Often prospective homeowners are conflicted about commissioning an architect simply based on their fees without considering or simply not comprehending the significance the resultant plans have on the final product. Since you are seeking to build your dream home I assume that you will probably live there for an indefinite length of time and for most people, their home is their largest investment. Because of this, your greatest objective is that the final product be one which addresses your particular lifestyle and be certain that its conceiver can produce a solution which does just this while creating a cohesive, well designed result.

To address any uncertainties you may have, we can provide incremental services which would allow us to meet, compose schematic drawings based on requirements you set forth, and if you decide you want to proceed in developing the schemes we would continue doing so, if not, then you would only reimburse us for our invested time at that point without committing to any significant investment.

I invite you to visit our website and social network sites to browse through some of our work, then contact us to discuss the project scope in further detail or make an appointment.

Sincerely,

Pietro D’Aleo, RA

(Unfortunately, no response was given to date)

This expedited service is currently being offered in Michigan, Florida, and Illinois.

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Construction projects are often complicated orchestrations with expenses and budget being primary forces behind the fruition of any good idea. Unfortunately 75% of these ideas do not materialize specifically because of these forces. With the profusion of federal funds allocated for construction projects in the United States it is critical that every effort is made to stretch each dollar to ensure that the communities and organizations for which these buildings are erected will receive the greatest possible benefit from them, as well as to ensure each project remains economically viable so that ideas are not abandoned in the first place.

The result: great works of architecture that are sustainable and improve the environment on a local scale as well as on a global one.

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Without going into a thorough theoretic analysis: it’s apparent in all countries, states, cities, and cultures in general – the quality of our surroundings is directly linked to our built environment. Europe, in general, and major US cities are great examples of this and yet all too often we find that there is an overtone of resistance to utilize modern methods for new buildings as well as renovations – both functionally and stylistically speaking.

Simply put, we all frequently see people shy away from a solution (building or construction) simply because it is unfamiliar. Because of this, opportunities which would better accomplish an objective are sometimes missed in order to accommodate a convention which is based on an older culture. It’s comfortable.

Think about it: take technological advancements in the past 10 years; how has the way we live, work, and communicate changed? Because of the internet, for example, and its rapid evolution in accomplishing almost anything, the land line is becoming obsolete, our conduit for instant information has become a screen on our desktops or in our pockets, and we are able work closely with a team physically disbursed across the world in real time. As a result, it’s not as important to locate telephone outlets in every bedroom as ethernet outlets, consideration must be given to the placement of elements which block WiFi signals, and our office spaces may be compact and efficient. This, of course, is a vague example but buildings which address today’s needs have an identity which distinguishes it amongst older counterparts. So, in essence, we would have older buildings juxtaposed with newer counterparts, each marking its own time in history. It’s this very instance which creates rich communities.

We Americans are often reluctant to change because there is a general fear of nonconformance as we consider resale and, more frankly, the almighty dollar – the resulting form is one which has no real identity because it must accommodate any activity, person, and average functional needs. Society really doesn’t hold a fundamental importance to the long-term impact of our buildings.

As an architect at D’Anna Associates, being conscious of this, I continuously offer our clients solutions which address their particular living, working, or playing circumstances so that not only are their current needs met, but each solution must address needs in a foreseen future not only on a practical level but also with an environmental consciousness. In fact one of the internal “principles” of the firm is ‘mind the environment for now and for the future’.

Some examples of our work which exemplifies this, in their schematic phases, follow.

Well the question is better formulated by asking if you can afford to execute an addition or alteration to your home by trial and error.

Believe it or not, some of our clients initially become our clients because they’ve begun their project that way – either they’ve made a mistake which is causing a problem or they’ve been caught by the authority having jurisdiction for executing work without necessary permits and a licensed architect is then required to review the work.

As a result, homeowners have had to pay for the cost of construction, the cost of correcting any construction, in addition to any fees incurred for a review by an architect. Needless to say, hiring an architect before beginning a project avoids headaches, reduces costs, and yields a project that has been well designed by someone who is trained to do just that. This idea holds true for commercial projects only to a magnified degree.

I’ve often heard that hiring an architect is perceived to be a costly luxury which is reserved solely for affluent developers and homeowners but this misconception has only contributed to the hindrance of the profession and diminished the quality our built environment. Generally speaking an architect’s fees are sometimes a small percentage of the construction OR, a sum that is determined prior to commencing with the project.

What I suggest is to simply request a quotation for any work that you intend on executing and then make a determination at that point as to whether it is a reasonable cost for peace of mind.

I am interested in hearing some opinions from non-architects regarding this issue.