How to talk to your architect

Courtesy of MSN Real Estate

So you're going to hire an architect to design your dream home — or perhaps simply to craft your dream kitchen.

Intimidated by the prospect? That's understandable. "For most people, this is the single most expensive decision they'll ever make," Gerald Morosco, a Pittsburgh architect and author of "How to Work With an Architect," says of hiring an architect and building a home. "As with any relationship, the most essential piece is the communication piece. With the absence of clear and honest communication, you get misunderstandings."

The client-architect relationship can be tricky, Morosco says. "Many people do not understand clearly what is the role of an architect in a design project," he says. On the flip side, he says, "Architects are sometimes not good listeners."

Just knowing how to talk to this little-understood creature called an architect can go a long way toward getting you the home you want. We talked to some architects and homeowners who have gone through the process to bring you some sound advice.

The interview
Interviewing architects before you choose one is your first, and perhaps best, chance to make sure that you and the architect will click.

Initially, expect to spend at least an hour interviewing an architect. What should you ask? The American Institute of Architects has compiled a list of 20 questions (PDF), including:

• What is the architect's design philosophy?
• How busy is the architect?
• What will the architect show you along the way to explain the project?

You should also expect the architect during that initial talk to interview you about your plans and vision. "What you should be listening for is to ensure that you're being heard," Morosco says. "Too often, people speak past each other, and I think that that's because people are coming from different points of view."

Be sure to ask for clarification of anything you don't understand, says Susan Lang, author of "Designing Your Dream Home." Lang also recommends that you ask to speak with the owners of the past several homes the architect has designed, and not just homes the architect lists as references.

Communicating your goals
After you've chosen an architect, you'll have that first long sit-down session to talk in detail about your dream home. Expect to be asked all sorts of questions that let the architect know your needs and your lifestyle. Residential architect Mark Demerly of Indianapolis, for instance, gives new clients a questionnaire that asks everything from how many pets they have to what time they get up in the morning.

But you shouldn't just come to this meeting armed with a pen. Come thoroughly prepared to talk about how you use your current house and how you want to use a new space — in other words, having given serious thought to the "problem" you're hoping to solve, Morosco says.

Slide show: Building your first home? 10 must-haves

Also, come with a vision in hand — literally. Architects are visual people, so present them with pictures, snapshots, books and tear sheets from magazines that illustrate aspects of homes that you like."That is a good way of visually showing what your tastes are," Lang says. You can also snip and collect pictures online on sites such as Houzz.

The aids don't have to be visual, though. "I've had clients write essays. I've had clients do PowerPoint presentations. I've had clients hand me three-ring binders with clippings," Morosco says.

As Lang puts it, "Give the architect as much information as you can, because they can't read your mind."

Bob and Teresa Finley of Wildwood, Mo., learned this lesson the hard way. They hadn't decided exactly what they wanted out of their new home, and without that knowledge to help guide the architect, the project just got more and more elaborate.

"I think it's important to have a very good idea of what you want to build before you meet with the architect," Bob Finley says. "I think we should have had a better idea of what we wanted."

Decide how you'll talk to your architect
Ideally, a home's design is a collaboration of the architect and those who will use it. Thus, many architects want to have both members of a couple present at each meeting when they discuss design.

It's great to have both participating in the decision-making process, Demerly says, but it can also be beneficial if one spouse is tapped as the designated spokesperson so two spouses speaking "doesn't stall the design process or decision-making." Will one spouse take the lead on the exterior of the house and one on the interior? Will all decisions be made jointly, before meetings?

Also, tell the architect early on how you want to communicate — by text message? Voice mail? Email? Too many times, Demerly says, he's seen situations in which an architect leaves voice mail messages, only to have the client finally respond, saying, "I never check my voice mail."

"Most failures happen because of miscommunication," he says.

Put it in writing
As the design process gets under way, misunderstandings are easy. "One way to ensure that (doesn't happen) is to follow up meetings with notes or minutes of the meeting, which would be a condensed statement of what we understood or what we heard," Morosco says. Either the client or the architect then sends those notes to the other party, giving that side a chance to comment and respond. "That instigates further conversation," he says.

Talking budget and schedule
"Without question … the No. 1 misunderstanding between clients and architects is cost," Morosco says. Owners frequently don't understand how difficult it is for architects to give an accurate estimate, he says. "The only way to really know is to involve a contractor." The best way to keep this crucial line of communication open is to bring in a contractor "very early on," he says. That way you avoid the pain of drawing up a plan, only then to get sticker shock.

"We did not start with a budget, and that was our biggest mistake, I would say," Bob Finley says.

On a related note, Teresa Finley says, "Make sure your architect gives you a clear-cut picture of all of the steps involved" in the home-design process, so there are no surprises, budgetary or otherwise. For example, the Finleys were surprised to find that their design had to undergo review by a structural engineer, a step that cost them several thousand dollars. "We didn't know that," Teresa Finley says. "There was never really a map or a timeline of how or when things were coming."

Agreeing to a schedule is another tricky topic between clients and architects. People unfamiliar with the construction industry don't have a good sense of how long it takes to design and then build a home, or even to remodel a kitchen, Morosco says. He gets calls from people in early spring who expect a project to be done by Thanksgiving. "And I say, do you mean next year?" Morosco's advice:

• Be honest with the architect about your expectations for the project's timeline. He'll tell you if it's realistic.
• Advise your architect if you have a major event for which you're trying to complete the project, such as a reunion or the birth of a child.

Don't be afraid to say, 'I don't understand'
Architecture is an esoteric profession with its own lingo that's easy to get lost in. Don't let an architect rattle on in "archi-speak." "Never be afraid to ask a question," Demerly says, and remind the architect that you don't know terms like "elevation" and "fenestration."

"The other thing a homeowner needs to realize is, can they read blueprints? And they need to be unafraid to tell an architect if they can't," Demerly says. "There's a lot of people who can't visualize. They're great at words … but they can't think 3-D." Know your limitations. If you have trouble imagining what your home, or a room, will look like, ask your architect to produce 3-D images. It will usually cost more, but you can feel confident you understand what the home will look like.

Don't be afraid to talk back
Never mind what your mother told you about being polite. "You can't be intimidated by an architect," Lang says. If you feel like she is talking above you or is designing the home she wants instead of the one you want, "you have to stand up for yourself, because you're the one who's going to live there.

"I think it's important, too, to challenge the architect if something doesn't feel right. Do that in a way of saying, 'I know you're so good at what you do; I'll bet you could figure out a solution.' And leave that to them to figure out, to dig a little deeper," Lang says. Phrasing like that will make them want to please you, she says.