We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Architects is about how some people THINK they don’t need an Architect designing their house, UNTIL later, they pay a much greater price for problems down the road.
Don’t kid yourself: construction of a house or any other building type, is a very complicated undertaking. Construction is very heavy and consists of thousands of components connecting together. And without the guidance of an Architect and the Architect’s documents, these components can be very different than what the owner of the house imagined, including how they are assembled.
Do you really think, that without architectural documents (specifications and working drawings), you’re going to get everything in your new house to somehow magically fit together perfectly and be of the best quality? Think again. Builders are Not in business to give away things for free. Like higher quality components for which they did not price, when you were after their lower quote? Or larger windows? Or better insulation? Or better design that orients on the best views? They will Not give those to you later because they are “nice guys”. Nice has nothing to do with it. They have families to support, along with those of their subcontractors.
BUILDERS BUILD. ARCHITECTS DESIGN.
Builders don’t research anything for you, normally. They build and install the things your documents indicate. Period.
Architects, on the other hand, Do research and try to get the best items to meet your goals, for a reasonable value, and work hard to design a floor plan, building section and elevations that incorporate and respond to your site views, your desired lifestyle and appearance.
“I don’t know what Architects do. I just thought Builders started construction something and things just sort of worked out to look the way they do.”
—————- Some People
That is not reality. Contractors do not just “start building and seen what happens.” They have to build from approved documents submitted to the local Building Department. And not just any documents will work well for your desired Lifestyle and your Land, and budget. What HOME ARCHITECTS calls the “2 Ls”. This takes a great deal of thought, effort and design skill. And yes, you have to pay your Architect to create these documents for you.
People routinely pay their Real Estate Broker 10% for land buy/sell, 6% for home buy/sell. So what’s the big deal paying an Architect 8% to 10% for their much more involved work to design the house? Seems like a bargain. And this website: www.ArchitecturalFees.com is a public information website that provides good information about this subject. Check it out.
When you have an Architect design your project, you get a much better design: one that works well for your land (slope, geology, views, privacy, vehicular maneuvering) and your Lifestyle is considered in the creation of the floor plans and other features to insure that the house is going to fit you and your family like a glove.