How to choose and deal with an architect

By now, all of us would have voted for the best candidate and party who we believe can guide the country in the right direction.

People have spoken their minds and now we all must live with whatever consequences may occur and register permanently into our country's history book.

In order to make a right decision in choosing something or someone, I am sure you would study all available information - the pros and cons of the thing you are choosing. Then, you would analyse the information received and go through the same process again with an option or two before finally making a decision.

Choosing an architect for your project is the same thing. Architects come in all shapes, colours and sizes. Some are fat, some are thin, some are experienced and some are not, etc. Most of the time, the more experience the architect has, the more expensive he or she is.

For developers, I am sure they know the standard fee very well. But for the general public, an architect's fee is about 7-8 per cent of the estimated construction cost, depending on the type of project and negotiations.

Putting the fee to the side, in order to choose the right architect for your job, you should ask to see their portfolios and interview them to see whether you can get along with their personality and architectural style. It would also be safer if you can ask for references from the people you know.

"Style" is a powerful word, but I do believe most architects and architectural firms have their own style. What I meant by "style" is about the language of architecture: modern, classical, minimalism etc. "Style" also includes the type of materials, colours, proportion and details that an architect usually invests in his or her design.

If your style does not match the architect's style, need I say more?

Always keep your options open in case the architect who matches your style charges an exceptionally high fee. If negotiations fail, you will then have a second or third choice to fall back on.

One thing you should not ask any architect to do is, "Please, can you do some simple design sketches for me?" so you can compare their style with that of other architects, to whom you have made the same request. It is disrespectful to the profession even though some architects are willing to give you this initial service for free out of their desperation to acquire a job. An architect is a service professional, just like doctors, accountants and hair dressers just to name a few. You are expected to pay for their services. If you are not happy with their services, it is acceptable to terminate the contract at any time but you still need to pay for the work done.

If you have any questions regarding our profession, the writer can be contacted at nitis.thenation@gmail.com