Intelligent Seattle Home Design: 5 tips for finding the Right Architect
Every great custom home—whether it’s in Seattle, Burien, Normandy Park, Des Moines, or somewhere else in the area—begins with a great design. And a great design is intelligent: it takes into account your specific wants, needs, and lifestyle. So how do you find the right architect for your custom home? Here are five ideas that can help you select the right architect.
Look for a listener: Obviously you want an architect who is qualified. That means he or she will have experience and ideas. But your architect needs to remember that it’s your house. Make sure you find someone who listens to what you want. By the way, copious note taking can be a really good sign.
Keep you eye on variety: If, when you review a candidates portfolio, you keep seeing the same thing it could be a sign of a lack of creativity. Or it could mean that the architect has a favorite style that he’s locked into.
Show and tell: Architects usually think and talk in architectural terms. You probably don’t. In addition to telling your candidate what you want, show her pictures. You might even want to drive to some specific homes to point out features you like.
Describe but don’t design: An important part of the process is to let your architect be the architect. Describe what you want, but don’t try to do the architect’s job. You’ll both end up frustrated.
The importance of intangibles: Do you have to like your architect? In theory it shouldn’t matter. In reality, it helps if there is good chemistry between the two (or three) of you. You don’t have to like the same music or art or cheer for the same sports team. But you do want your architect to get excited about your ideas—and you want to be excited about what he or she shows you.
