Residential Architect help needed..

[Steve W]

A few years ago, my crews uncovered about 500 ft of railroad track that ran straight across a site I started construction on - that and an unknown underground tank - talk about a discovery!

[MFAFF]

Originally Posted by yasir

Bottom line is,i need to tell him i don't want to do a % of the total cost as that could be skewed...Fixed contract is what he is going to get
Please keep the suggestions coming.
Thanks

May I suggest the person who will suffer the most from this is you?

Can we get down to basics?
1) You are the Client who is asking a professional to assist you in re-doing your home.
2) You, with his/her help need to explore what it is you aspire (or want) to achieve by this project.
3) The exploration is led by the architect who asks you the 'correct' questions which help you define what it is you want. The reality is that in asking the right questions you will all discover options ideas that where not thought of at the beginning and will ultimately be more satisfactory than the starting point. The Client who has such a fixed idea of what they 'know' they want is the one who is going to get it wrong and make a hash of things.
4) The process is both verbal and graphic..sketches, diagrams, simple 3D views etc to help direct that process.The more you put in here the less the project will cost you and the less you will spend on fees as the result of this process will be far firmer and less subject to change.
5) Payment. If you were to come to me I'd do a fixed sum for these initial concept stages.. say $5000 to deliver an agreed concept, some scaled hand drawings etc all in a report that you or the architect can take to contractors etc for price guide (not cost) to the planners etc to make sure there are no show stoppers.
6) With you having agreed or signed off on that concept and an outline cost then you do go to a percentage fee, especially on refurb work. If you insist on the fixed price you are saying that regardless of lack of information (are you paying for survey work? Opening up of floors? Walls etc to derisk the process...) the architect will have a set amount of money. He will ration that quantum in the design phase as he controls that the most.. allowing the balance on site and a lot in reserve for potential changes. All in all you are spending money to correct potential cock-ups, rather than spending money to avoid them in the first place. Either way the only sufferer will be you. The breakdown of the detailed design and then construction information is somewhat flexible but do not skim on this as its not money saved... you will spend all of it and more on correcting errors, omissions, alterations or legal fees sueing the architect. So save yourself the aggravation and ensure there is a sufficient monies in there to do the job correctly.
7) Play hardball now on fees (and save perhaps 10%) on paper and spend an extra 25% of the budget on cock up correction and additional fees...not good economics.
I would suggest that you ask the architect to define how he has resourced the job in the different phases; we show the client a timeline chart that shows who is working at the job at all times and for how much time...it helps to understand a monthly invoice if you know you have been paying for two people full time for that month...it makes you realise why the invoice is high and you know if you are getting value for money.
8) On a refurb job make sure the architect is employed during the site time. Again its a relatively inexpensive insurance policy...and a good, strong architect will listen to the skilled experienced contractor and find a solution that takes his/her design intent and the contractor's experience to create the correct solution.
9) You are the Client, you do need to take responsiblity for your choices, in contractual terms, in setting an acceptable cash flow solution which enables the architect to do the work without 'funding' you, in accepting/ rejecting work in a clear and timely manner and in making decisions and sticking by them.
10) Remember anything and everything is possible. Just how much time and money do you have?

Sorry its long, but over the years I have spent some very happy times helping private clients build their 'dream homes' and some very trying times with professional clients who are trying to skim on design time... yet fail to see how much money correcting site issues costs compared to design cost. (At the rates he is quoting I cannot imagine how he makes a living...!)

And the only important thing.. this is supposed to be exciting and fun, for you and the architect otherwise its not worth it.

[Zeke]

Well said.

BTW, that date in your sig line is interesting: 13/03/09; I guess Dueller is in another dimension.

[yasir]

Thanks to every one who took time and responded to my question..I will be meeting with the architect today and will let you guys know how it went...
Thanks once again..

[tcar]

Originally Posted by milt

Well said.

BTW, that date in your sig line is interesting: 13/03/09; I guess Dueller is in another dimension.

The rest of the world, logically, uses day/month/year.

As far as I know, we're the only ones that use the month/day/year.

[ruf-porsche]

Originally Posted by milt

Well said.

BTW, that date in your sig line is interesting: 13/03/09; I guess Dueller is in another dimension.

Nope Dueller is on European standard, not U.S. standard. Date/Month/Year not Month/Date/Year.

[yasir]

How long ( time wise ) and tidious ( involving ) is the process in making a sketch to say a design that gives you the room measurments/elevations ?
Thanks

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by yasir

How long ( time wise ) and tidious ( involving ) is the process in making a sketch to say a design that gives you the room measurments/elevations ?
Thanks

Field measuring and drawing on graph paper and or marking up an old set of plans for verification can take any where to 1/2 day to 3 days depending on the scope of work, size, complexity, how many levels, how many visits, how many people holding the tape (two is quicker than one) and how detailed the observed notes get into (documenting existing structure etc....). Many photos are typicaly taken, questions asked and answered (by both parties). Sometimes the owner takes up some of your time wanting the design instantly worked out in your head or is constanly adding to the mix. Talking takes time, getting there and back to the office takes time, everyting takes time, time is money.

Most of my custom home additions take a full day to mark-up. I often come back to double check one or two detail items.

At this point you still will not have a "to scale" base sheet in which to do design studies on, things must be drawn up either by hand or put on computer. Again this may vary from a day (carport job with no interior) to several weeks (could be a month if stretched out because of other projects). If the project is just an addition pretty much separate from the rest of the house then a cut off line or break line ignoring the parts of the house unaffected by the work is a shortcut (not to be used in your case from what I know) commonly used.

On small projects where the design is simple and straight foreword, just putting all of the existing house to scale is half the work and time spent. On larger more complex projects the set-up time for base sheets may be a small fraction of total project time spent.

Documenting the existing house right will save time, money and problems later. Working off an existing set of plans without painstaking verification is an accident waiting to happen. I've never seen or been given an accurated as-built set, never.

I want to say that I've had clients in which some outside influence was whispering conflicting advice (and dangerous misconceptions). As an architect I see my job as making my client happy, not some invisible force creating mischief in my project. Questions are welcomed, but micromanagement is not. Anyone can become anxiety ridden when given conflicting opinions. I fear that my opinion which is based on not seeing your project is pretty much weightless in this situation.

Weight that as you will.

[ruf-porsche]

Originally Posted by yasir

How long ( time wise ) and tidious ( involving ) is the process in making a sketch to say a design that gives you the room measurments/elevations ?
Thanks

Go to the AIA.org website and get all the info about hiring an architect. Asking these questions to non licensed and licensed architect is way off base because we don't know the scope of the project.

FYI I am a licensed archiect that belongs to the AIA and is NCARB certified and LEED Accredited Professional.