The usual objections to bringing an
architect onto any home improvement or new construction project revolve around
cost, time, and dealing with the whims of an artist. While all of these are
areas where architects can be irresponsible and arrogant, it is not true of the
majority of hard-working diligent, respectful, and engaging architects out
there working in all types of neighborhoods on all scales of projects. Most
architects would love to help you with your project, in a low-key, supportive
way, if only you weren't scared off by the intimidating myths about what
architects do.
Some people just don't have the time or
interest in getting personally involved in the process of designing a home.
That's fine. Some people have a great relationship with a builder who has done all
their projects successfully and prefers to stick with a good thing. Also fine.
Some people, however, have a little extra time in their day to devote to their
home, are imaginative and have opinions, and would like to be able to achieve
their dream house-or at least the best house their budget will allow-but aren't
sure how to best go about it. If it were in your budget and you could easily
find the right architect in Islamabad to help you, would it be something you'd like to test
out?
Plus 10%
What if you could buy any common car, say a
Toyota Corolla, and for 10% more you could have that car fully customized to
your personal needs, without any increase in the cost of manufacturing. Would
you do it? The same precise analogy can be used in hiring an architect in Islamabad to fully
customize your home. That 10% (or whatever percent is determined necessary for
the complexities of the project, be it 6% or 15%) is buying you expertise that
will allow you, for the same construction cost, to rise from an ordinary, off
the shelf house plan, to a personally customized home.
The Right Architect in Islamabad
If you are considering that this may be a
wise investment, you next need to ensure that the architect you hire can and
will take your vision-not their own and make it a reality. The "right
architect" will understand what you want, they will sincerely be excited
about your project as you have defined it, they will have a personality that
you feel comfortable with, they can provide unbiased direction on the best use
of your building funds, and can help you find the "right builder."
To find an architect in Islamabad, the general process is to go online, do some research, get
recommendations from neighbors or friends who have used an architect, drive
around the neighborhood and check out builder's signs at interesting additions,
etc. From this research, it becomes easier to select 2-3 best candidates to
contact. If they are available, set up an appointment to meet with them and
discuss your project.
At an initial meeting, you should be able to
get a feel for how this particular person or office works, their style,
scheduling, and general personality. Sometimes, even though everything looks
great on paper, if your gut does not shout, "I really want to work with
this person," keep looking. Chemistry is key.
Expectations
Reality TV has put a lot of great home
renovation and building ideas out there for people to learn from. At the same
time, as with all reality TV, there's a lot of misleading or manufactured
detail that is not really part of a typical renovation project. This can lead
to disappointment when the architect doesn't supply all the extras as part of
the basic contract. So, from the beginning, get clear explanations of what the
architect will be doing during each phase of the project, what your involvement
will be, and what the deliverables will include. You can usually get the
architects to provide a variety of models, colored renderings, material boards,
mock-ups, etc., but many will be considered extra services and billed hourly
or at some agreed fixed price. The one thing that should be similar to reality
TV is that when you go into a finished space, your heart beats a little faster,
and you do in fact want to hug your architect.
Having dispelled a couple myths about the
high and mighty architect, and suggested some down-to-earth expectations about
what architects can do-plus described how what appears big as a front-end
cost, can add real value for a nominal extra 10 %-would you reconsider?
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