How to Prepare a Meeting with an Architect

Are you thinking of renovating your house? Do you want to bring a little pomp and color to it? Perhaps even add a few touches here and there? Meeting with an architect is a good place to start. Unless you're planning on working with a design build firm where everything is handled all the same place by the same team, you will need to prepare for this meeting on your own. The architect has an extremely important role to play such as bringing your vision to life. He is the one who will translate your ideas onto paper as well as into reality. You can think of the architect as the musician that makes sure all the instruments play in harmony together and are synchronized.

Even though it seems simple, meeting an architect is nerve-wracking. There is so much that you need to be clear about. All your needs, wants, budget, preferences, and choices need to be put across perfectly. You need to be very explicit and clear in what you want. Another very important thing is to make sure the architect knows what you need. They aren’t mind readers, right? So, get your message across as clearly as possible.

Planning For Your Design Meeting With An Architect

Ask About their Past Experience

The first thing you need to be sure of is the architect's work experience. The trick is to check their portfolio. See what projects they have worked on. To be sure, try to get a hold of the previous clients. Ask them, talk to them and see how satisfied they are with the work done.

Get Organized – Know Your Ideas

Don’t rush into hiring the architect and meeting him/her. Take your time to organize your ideas. There is a difference between what you want and what you need. The best way to understand the difference is to write it down. Make a list of needs and wants and decide what order they go in. What you like and what you can't live without.

Get as organized as you can. Figure out what design style you want to achieve in your home remodel. Do things such as take pictures, gather magazines, and show them to the architect. This data, along with pictures, will help ensure the architect understands what you want.

Take Their Input

Why did you hire an architect? Most likely the answer is "because of their experience and expertise". They know what they are doing and are being paid for their input. I know it is your home, your dream, your vision, and your choice matters. But, it is important to realize that the architect has years of experience under their belt. They can give you valuable advice. Don’t be strict and rigid in your views. Take their input. Ask the architect for his/her advice. After all, they are professionals for a reason!

Budget – Be Clear About It

Don’t lie about your budget. Be clear and honest. You might be having some excellent ideas but if they don’t fall within your budget, it is of no use. As the architect is going to be designing your house, be sure to tell them the exact budget you can take out. Keeping in mind your budget, they might be able to give you alternate and affordable solutions for your designs. If you already have a contractor ready to go, consider having the two meet with you together so everyone is on the same page.

Ask Questions

Many people shy away from asking questions. They think that asking questions will make them look like they don’t know anything. There is nothing wrong with it. On the contrary, it is your home, your money so you should be asking questions. Most people have never seen a blueprint before and they are curious. A good architect will always walk you through the entire process. They tell you what is going on and, what they are doing and what they intend to do next.

Meeting an architect is a very critical step in the success of your project. You need to ask the right questions and give them enough information to clearly explain what you want.

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