Beyond Design: Advantages of Hiring an Architect
As highly trained professionals, architects bring design expertise to your custom home project, whether it’s a new home, remodel, or addition. But the value an architect brings to your project extends beyond creating the design for your home.
Architects can help you manage the complex, time-consuming process of bringing that design to life. Licensed by the State of Minnesota, architects stay up to date on codes, safety, variances, and other technical matters. They can help you reduce costs and use sites efficiently, and more, all while collaborating with you on how to bring your vision for your home to life.
Architect as Context Manager.
Every house must be built on a site (part of its context), and most sites come with unique challenges. Owners want to keep mature trees, take advantage of views, and make a home that nestles into a site regardless of its terrain. A great design will also take the feel of the neighborhood into account when thinking about how the design will be realized. Architects are problem solvers, and most love to tackle challenges like marrying site layout and design goals and can help create a unique home that fits your vision while also respecting the context of the neighborhood.
Architect as Economist.
From strategically placing your home on the site to maximize daylight to adding en- ergy efficiency features and technologies to the design that will help reduce costs while you own your home, architects find ways to create efficiencies that don’t sacrifice design. They also consider efficiencies within the footprint and layout of the home when creating your design, which saves money by limiting unnecessary extra square footage. They can also help you select finishes and materials that fit both your design vision and your budget, economizing with you every step of the way.
Architect as Code Navigator.
Designing and building your dream home is an exciting process, but we’re guessing you aren’t interested in becoming an expert on local building codes and zoning ordinances to get it done. Your architect partner will help you navigate municipal, county, and state processes, making sure that all work is compliant with codes and all inspections take place as required. Getting codes and zoning right the first time can create significant time and money savings on your project.
Architect as Quarterback
Building your dream home is a time-consuming, complex process that requires management of suppliers, contractors, government process, and more. Chances are, if it’s a common problem that comes up on a project, your architect has seen it before and knows how to solve it. They also know what the process looks like from start to finish and have experience with all the twists and turns. An architect partner is an incredible asset in managing the process with you, working with the timelines and the many partners it takes to get a project completed.
Architect as Collaborator.
Architecture is teamwork, and no one knows this better than your architect and their collaborators — which includes you! Collaboration is key to a home project’s success, from working with the homeowner on creating their dream home, to working with others from the architecture firm (unless they’re a solo practitioner) and the contractors, builders, suppliers, craftspeople, and more.
Above All, Architect as Designer.
You have a vision for your home; an architect’s primary job is to bring that vision to life through a custom design. Bringing that vision to life will require the architect to use all the skills we’ve listed in this article, but even more important, it requires an architect’s design thinking, problem-solving, and creativity to get it across the finish line.
Whether you are starting from scratch or renovating an existing home, work with an architect to create the home of your dreams. It will reduce costs and headaches, and help you get a finished product that embodies your design vision.
Interested in Learning More?
Meet one-on-one with an architecture professional at the AIA Minnesota Home Design Consultations, a collaboration with the Star Tribune, available in person on May 6 and 20 and virtually on May 9. Space is limited! startribune.com/AIA- Homes
See the work of architects and their design teams at the AIA Minnesota Homes by Architects Tour on September 23 and 24. homesbyarchitects.org.
Find an architecture firm for your project with AIA Minnesota’s Firm Directory, where you can filter search results by building type, firm location, and more. aia-mn.org/firm-directory