#413 - ADVICE FOR CLIENTS: WORKING WITH AN ARCHITECT
SUMMARY
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design share their advice for clients working with architects. They discussed finding the right architect; effective communication with architects; respecting the process; remaining open-minded; bringing good energy and professionalism to the project; ego and creativity; and more. Enjoy!
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Introduction.
(00:35) Finding the right architect.
“The most important thing about selecting an architect is having philosophical alignment. Yes, you should like their work, absolutely. But do you need to like their work so much, or be so specific that you want to do a version of a house they’ve already done? No. You should choose an architect who does the type of work that’s roughly in the direction of what you're thinking. But you don't need to be so closed-minded as to say it must be an architect who does exactly what you’re looking for.” (01:17)
(07:16) Communicate effectively with an architect.
“You don't want to micromanage. Oversharing is also not great because it can be overwhelming. You have to filter what is important for you to communicate to your architect because they already have a lot in their head to figure out. You need to leave space for the professionals to do their work and not bombard them with a lot of small things. Or if you do, send them one giant email and throw everything in it, so they can read it at their own pace and extract what's important. It's about the pace and frequency at which you communicate. Sending texts every hour because you thought about something new is too much.” (08:13)
“Don't let your concerns fester and grow. You have to communicate the issue. As a client, you want to feel comfortable and confident in what's happening. You cannot feel that way unless you know the explanation for why things are happening the way they are. Most people ask questions near the beginning, and at some point, they stop asking. It’s not because they're not interested, but because we've built trust. If I'm a client and I ask you, the architect, 12 questions over the first three months, and you have very detailed and thorough responses, the next time I have a minor concern, I'm probably not going to voice it because I know it'll be taken care of. As a client, you're trying to build trust in the architect for yourself and the way you do that is to ask questions.” (18:08)
(22:41) Respect the architect's process.
(33:04) Remain open-minded.
“Short design feedback clients provide such as, “I like it or I don't like it,” is counterproductive and harmful because you're training the architects to not ask questions or have further conversations because you are not willing to do that. [In the long-term] this makes it hard to move forward together. This problem also happens in architecture and design offices, where the principals swoop in after the team has done a week of work and they say, “No, no, yes, no, yes, no.” Then after the meeting, the team will try to create a design just to get a ‘yes’ answer from the principals instead of thinking critically. In this case, you're not getting the most out of the team. The same applies to clients working with architects. As a client, this is the last thing you want. You're paying them to be critical and to produce something phenomenal that you didn't think of before. They will only be encouraged to do that if they feel like you are giving carefully thought-out information and being collaborative, [and not just saying you like or don’t like something].” (39:44)
(42:45) Bring good energy & professionalism.
“The energy the client brings to meetings, emails, or phone calls impacts everyone else in the team directly or passively. If you bring bad energy, people will feel it and probably think about the project negatively...Bringing good energy means keeping everybody excited and involved in the project, paying attention, and giving their best. It just trickles to everything that everyone's doing in the team.” (44:57)
(52:09) Architect's ego and creativity.
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#409 - THE PROBLEM WITH DESIGN-BUILD
SUMMARY
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design discuss common issues with Design-Build model in home construction. They cover the definition of the Design-Build model; lack of licensed architects in Design-Build companies; false efficiency and economy; accountability issues; quality of construction; how budget reduction is achieved; lack of transparency; who should / shouldn’t engage with Design-Build companies; and more. Enjoy!
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) What is Design-Build?
(02:11) Design-Build companies with no licensed architects.
(09:44) False efficiency in Design-Build companies.
“Why do clients decide to go with the design-build route? They did it for efficiency in time and process, and they think it’s cheaper to work with one company. But if the design-build team is not suitable for the client, they will have to hire a separate architect or designer to jump in and fix the project, costing the client a lot more money. And, pairing a design-build company with an architect, means the design-build company has to work in a way that that's not their business model.” (09:56)
(19:50) Issue with accountability in Design-Build companies.
“When clients visit the site during construction, they can’t tell if things are right or wrong. So even though sometimes the architect-contractor relationship can have some friction, that check and balance system is very productive because there's oversight on both sides of the architect and the contractor. When the contractor and architect are separate entities, all of the problems are discussed. For example, the contractor wouldn’t just make an assumption about the drawing, because they know the architect will show up on site next week and question it.” (21:22)
(25:02) Generalist vs specialist in design and construction.
“Architects and contractors are fundamentally very different professions with different sets of expertise. Each of them is an art form on their own. You can only really be an expert in architecture and design if you spend 100% or most of your time practicing architecture and design. It's a craft. It's an art. You can't spend 50% of your time doing contractor stuff if you want to be a great architect. The same thing for a contractor. These are complicated professions [and] there's a limit to the ability of one person being able to do both equally well.” (25:38)
(29:30) High-end custom homes are not designed by Design-Build companies.
(33:54) How Design-Build companies cut costs.
“Design-build companies are able to charge less because they're cutting out design. A normal architect will take about 10% of the construction cost to perform full architectural services. Whereas design-build companies will do the architectural design for 10x cheaper…You don't just remove phases and remove things from the design process and expect the same outcome. All these phases, checkpoints, and deliverables have specifications, renderings, floor plans, elevations, sections, etc. and they exist for a reason. The profession has evolved to have these things that are an important part of the design process and communication.” (34:15)
(38:33) Lack of transparency in the Design-Build model.
(49:56) Preconstruction service benefits in architecture and GC model.
(53:58) The Design-Build model often doesn't produce good outcomes.
(55:21) What type of client should engage with Design-Build companies?
“Stress is something that a lot of clients underestimate. They think, “I can tough it out, or I've been through several stressful things before. I have a very stressful job; I know what it means to project manage…” Design and construction tend to have a higher level of stress than people realize and you're doing that on top of your normal job. Often when people get through projects and it is stressful, if you ask them, “Would you have paid another 10% to 15% more of the total project cost to not have all the problems you had?" Most of the time they will say, “I would have gladly done that. It wasn't worth the gray hairs.” (58:30)
(59:53) The Design-Build model is not inherently bad.
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#405 - PET PEEVES IN ARCHITECTURE & HOME DESIGN
SUMMARY
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design discuss their pet peeves in architecture design. The two cover poorly adapted historical elements; inconsistent use of materiality and detail in a project; dead-end hallways; poor construction execution and more. Enjoy!
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Introduction.
(00:22) Pet Peeve 1 – Poorly adapted historical elements.
(16:50) Shutters’ impact on the aesthetic and scale of the façade.
(22:46) Painting façades with stories and graphics.
“Architecture is at a point now where we are asking, “What do we do to find meaning?” Meaning used to be tied to iconography, texts, paintings, etc., but that’s not the case anymore. I think now more than often meaning is just tied to function, because it's easy for clients to understand, and the subjective aesthetics of what clients like or don't like. When there is not a good architect or a good client, those two aspects are the only things that dictate the meaning behind the building, and that is when you end up with bad buildings.” (26:35)
(30:48) Pet Peeve 2 – Inconsistent use of materiality and detail in a project.
“Every project has a ruleset that it should follow. That is how you create something beautiful… [it’s beautiful] because there's a logic to it. One of the things that makes it very clear if a building was designed by a good architect or not, is the consistent or proper use of materials [and details] for that project. You can’t just [apply different materials and details] anywhere based on the subjective whims of whoever thinks it looks good. The design should have a consistent thread.” (31:40)
(40:18) Pet Peeve 3 – Dead end Hallways
“A double-loaded ‘Death Hallway’ is when you have rooms on both sides [usually terminating at a dead end]. It is super efficient, but that is not what architecture is…I feel like, in general, the hallway is a cheat and it is not addressing the problem because you’re basically designing a freeway in a house. It’s saying, “This is the quickest, fastest, and cheapest way to where I need to go.” (42:10)
(52:35) Pet Peeve 4 - Poor construction execution.
(57:02) Care for quality of work has declined.
“Construction demands a lot of physical effort and time. It’s frustrating if something needs to be redone because the contractor didn't pay attention because then you have to take it apart, move things with heavy equipment, reorder expensive materials, wait for delivery, and mobilize your crew again, and everything that comes after gets delayed. This is the snowball effect. Sometimes it takes a village just to get one detail right. That's why we always advise clients to spend the time and the relatively low amount of money to go through all the planning [before starting construction.]” (01:05:08)
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#393 - THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE BUYING A HOUSE
SUMMARY
This week David and Marina of FAME Architecture & Design discuss things home buyers should consider before making their purchase. The two cover projected property values, design considerations, construction costs and timelines, legal limitations, which professionals to engage with and more. Enjoy!
TIMESTAMPS
(00:00) Considering the property value after the construction is completed.
“The first thing you really have to consider is the future property value after the work is done. Right after that question, is the question of how long do you plan on keeping this property, and how long do you plan on living here? When I have phone calls with new clients, that's one of the first three questions I ask. How long do you plan on keeping this property? How's it going to be used? How long do you plan on living there? Because the answer greatly impacts this projected property value.” (00:10)
(10:30) The best time to start a construction project and create a quality home.
“Do something for yourself. Do something that you love and hire people to do something very interesting. If you do something interesting and the design is really good, it’s going to add to the property value. It doesn't really matter if it's covered in marble. […] It's not about spending more money on fancy materials. It's about just having good design… the flow of space, quality of light, air, proportions of rooms, views, and things like that. These are like the bones of a good design to have a space that feels just wonderful. ” (16:00)
(20:35) Knowing local construction costs and timelines.
“An easy way to get contractors to talk about prices is to not ask them how much your project is going to cost but instead ask them, “Have you done an addition to a house that was also about 600SF? How much did that cost?” And they'll tell you. And now you know roughly how much yours might be. Now, with estimates and construction costs, the numbers you get from a contractor are only as good as the information they have. So if they've just met you and they're walking through the property, they only have 1% of the information they need to give you an actual number. But I do think comps are helpful and it's better than nothing.” (25:41)
(36:00) Knowing the structural limitations and legal limitations of the house and property.
(44:00) Which professional buyers should speak to?
“In terms of all the construction feasibility, the person who I would not trust is your real estate agent. Most real estate agents know almost nothing about construction costs, construction feasibility, timeline, and design. They don't understand design, permitting, or zoning restraints either. Yet a lot of real estate agents will say, “Do an addition here. You could put the ADU here” then get on site and I have to say, “No you can’t.” (44:11)
(48:38) Design assessment. What would an architect look for in a house?
“There are four different layers to a house. The first layer is the program which means the number of rooms. This is the base of the home. Then above that, is the formal composition of the house. This is the figure/ground, massing and space, and flow and proportions of spaces. Then above that you have the built-in things like cabinetry. Then the fourth layer is the finishes. Those layers are how I would assess a property. First, it’s the program. Does the home have the room count that I need and are they located in the right areas? The second is the form, space, and flow. If that's not good, nothing else matters. It doesn't matter what materials you put on or how nice the cabinets are. If the house doesn't flow well, if the spaces aren't proportioned right, nothing else matters.” (50:13)
“Architects and designers can make anything from anything. We have the ability to transform things, but it comes at a certain price. So by being smaller with what you buy, thinking what are you are starting with and where you want to get to, you can save you a lot in your construction budget..” (52:05)
(56:33) Recap.