Why Do Owners Need Architectural Services?
Q: Why do owners need Architectural services? "Architects just draw plans" -- No matter how many times it is mentioned that Architects are professionals who take on an Architectural project from start to finish, from conception to completion, the majority of building owners in the public realm still think that "Architects just draw plans" and that they are an "unaffordable luxury". Some Architects describe the professional role as that of an agent between the owner and contractor acting on behalf of the owner. Others compare the professional role to those other professions. Would a person go to court without a lawyer? Would an individual seek medical advise without a physician? What other methods should Architects use to properly describe the importance of Architectural services to owners in order to preserve, enhance, and continue the worlds' "second" oldest profession?
A: -analyze buildings built without architects, next to those designed by architects. compare the picture on the back of 12 million cereal boxes to those in a museum. -We run into a lot of this with the "design/build" firms.....We emphasize the fact that the architect represents and protect the owner from the contractor, and the other administrative services, i.e site plan approval, zoning etc......nut it is really getting nasty out there. Our last bid job.....thankfully we don't do many, we spent a great deal of time just defending ourselves from the constant slander of the contractor. (huge contractor - tiny archtiectural office) I guess they thought that they could throw there weight around and bury us, but each time we came out on top, its just been hundred of hours of going back through the drawings and specs. Finally the owner has realized the true value of our services -An architect is also a trained problem-solver who is best suited to adapt spatial and material solutions to any given context. His/her experience and insight is often essential when building in difficult urban conditions. An architect is an experienced space-planner: an essential skill in accommodating any complex program, especially in public buildings, where security and efficiency are important factors in building design. He/she is also trained to work with aesthetic and compositional issues. Other professionals in the construction industry do not share this (mistakenly)