Draw pretty pictures of buildings, you say?  

The Big Picture

So what does an architect do, exactly? In a nutshell, we design buildings – but more than just buildings, we create enjoyable spaces to live, work, play, and learn. An architect’s expertise is very diverse.

We design spaces and environments that function well, are sized appropriately, use materials and lighting strategies that emphasize key aspects of the project, and integrate all the different mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and lighting systems into a holistic design. And these are just a few of the design tasks we do. There are also a lot of regulatory issues related to zoning, codes, planning approvals, and building permitting that we must also work through. Not only do we work with you to design your project, we also serve as your advocate through construction to ensure the contractor builds the project properly.

If you ask a handful of architects what we do on a daily basis, you’ll get different responses every time. What we do on a daily basis varies considerably depending on any number of factors: where we’re located, where our projects are located, what kind of firm we work for, the types of projects we’re working on, and what stages of design our projects are in, among others.

Maybe that’s why so many people don’t really know what we do!?

Beyond the big picture, learning about the kinds of services we provide will help you to better understand what we do and how we can help you with your next project.

When a potential new client reaches out to us, we like to have an exploratory conversation with them. We like to learn more about their project, their personality, what they are looking for in an architect, and their overall expectations for the project. Communicating your great ideas can sometimes be a challenge, but here are some worthwhile tips to sharing your project ideas with us. Many people aren’t quite sure what they need help with or how the process works so we spend some time going over this with them. Depending on each client and each project, our services can vary greatly, but typically we provide either full architectural services or specific design services.

Full Architectural Services

For those of you wishing to use our knowledge and expertise throughout the entire project from start to finish, we provide full architectural design services. For these services, our projects are generally broken down into phases: Pre-design, Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Bidding & Negotiating, and Construction Administration. We’ll get to the specifics of these phases in future posts. But essentially we walk you through the entire process from analyzing the site and zoning requirements to coming up with design options and then following through on one of those chosen designs to see it come to fruition.

It’s hard to describe what we do within these phases in just a few sentences because there are so many tasks (unless you have a few hours to listen)! But to keep this introductory post more general, we can summarize by saying that our typical process for full architectural services includes the following:

There are upfront tasks we do before design begins to familiarize ourselves with goals of the project, the scope, the site, and the regulatory issues. Then, we dive into designing, coming up with design options and exploring precedents. At this time, we also sprinkle in a little code research and planning review with local authorities to make sure we can get approval for a building permit. After design, we shift gears into construction where we observe the project as it gets built to ensure the design intent is maintained and meets the standards established for the project.

Here’s a quick rundown of typical tasks we do on most of our projects: (some are mentioned above)

Pre-Design

• Review project objectives based on your goals, needs, and wants for the project
• Review your budget and proposed schedule for the project
• Determine any agency approvals or specific codes that might impact the project

Design

• Analyze the site and existing conditions, considering daylighting, views, noise, topography, shade, wind for natural cross ventilation, and other site factors
• Come up with design options for your review based on the project objectives
• Develop a design by thoroughly integrating various building systems, components, and finishes
• Manage consultants like structural engineers, lighting consultants, and surveyors

Approvals & Permits

• Guide you through the planning review process with architectural review boards or other local agencies if required
• Assist with the building approval process, code review, and permitting required prior to construction
• Confirm your project meets local building codes

Construction Observation

• Help select a suitable contractor
• Obtain appropriate quotes for construction
• Oversee and monitor construction progress for compliance with the drawings and other standards
• Review & approve payments to the contractor

Specific Design Services

In addition to full architectural services, some architects like ourselves provide smaller individual design services depending on the various needs of our clients. Sometimes we encounter people who are go-getters and just want some basic advice or need help navigating the approvals process. Other times people want help coming up with a few design options for a renovation. Each project and each client are different and request different services from us. We’re here to assist you in the process and try to make ourselves available to those with smaller projects or those who want limited design services. The good news is that we are experienced in a variety of areas and have a broad skill set that makes us uniquely capable of helping you with almost any kind of design service.

Aside from the typical tasks we do for full architectural services, we also perform consultations, small design reviews to review your own floor plans, zoning and code reviews, as-built documentation, 3d modeling presentations, sustainability reviews, energy savings analysis, material selections, and a variety of other specific design tasks depending on your needs.

The benefits of working with an architect on your project are many. And most likely,  the benefits usually outweigh the cost, providing you a more enjoyable home and a better return on your investment.

So, hopefully, you can see by just scratching the surface, that architects do a wide variety of things.

The lack of public awareness of what architects do and the value we can bring to projects can partially be attributed to the lack of engagement on the part of our profession. Collectively, we have not adequately educated you, the public, on our role in society or in explaining the benefits of our services. We need to be more vocal about what we do and we need to demonstrate the added value that working with us can bring. We hope that with this post and many future posts to come that you start to understand and appreciate the many facets of our work and our profession.

Check out our post Do I Need An Architect For My Residential Project for more information on if  working with an architect is right for you.