Architect as trusted advisor

I thought I would expand on a topic that I touched on in a previous post in "Architect selection in the Samoa market" and the idea of an architect as "trusted adviser". It got me to thinking of why I established my architectural practice in 2001 and its mission statement and at the core value was that I wanted to help people navigate issues with the building process risks, strategies in procuring buildings or homes and dealing with a unregulated cowboy construction industry to ensuring clients got a fair deal for the financial risk they are putting themselves into procuring a building. So the skill I was offering was more than just picture drawing or architectural design services but also that of advice which requires trust from clients not easily earned.

Now with the flood of foreign construction companies offering design-build services, design-build and finance services, unregulated cheap untested products into the Samoan market there seems to be an extreme shift in Samoan building owner thoughts to eschew local design costs and focus on extremely cheap and fast buildings at the expense of good building, and a growing anecdotal list of shoddy buildings.

However, building owners who forgo an architect as trusted adviser, may cost them down the line with unforeseen consequences that could of been avoided with timely advice. An architect with experience who can design buildings to be less costly over time, vet potential builders and who will undertake contract administration to oversee your investment during construction.

If I'm a client looking for an architect as a trusted adviser I think I would be looking for the following qualities:
1. Someone who has a long history in the Samoan market and not a fly by night operation out to make a quick buck. It means you'll want to be working with someone with significant local knowledge and someone a phone call away to help you because they're local and are there when you need them the most.
2. Someone who will put your interests ahead of their own, willing to forgo potential fees to point you in the right direction if they can't do your project in the time frame you need or has enough restraint not go off in a tangent with architectural artistic license at the expense of your brief and budget.
3. Someone genuinely interested your needs if your a residential client and your business if you're a commercial client. Asking the questions, without it, the building may not meet their needs. Understanding your business visions and strategies for the future and able to convert those strategies into built forms that will support your employees and give strategic advantages over your competitors.
4. Someone proactive who will dig deep in the briefing process and think beyond your intinial wants and expectations. Understanding your needs and advising on issues that you may not have considered, that makes/does something better, be more efficient, reduce risk or add value to your project.
5. Someone reliable who "walks the talk" and delivers what's promised.
6. Someone credible and has a list of projects to back it up.
7. Someone who believes wholeheartedly he/she can help you with your project and isn't afraid to give you bad news if your budget and expectations don't align with reality.
8. Finally, someone affable, because you know life is too short to be working with a crusty ol' sod, worse still you then have to pay them.

Architect as trusted adviser, forgoing the costs for one may save you money initially, but potentially could mean owning a problematic building, which costs you more than you intended in capital or operational expenditure and/or increases your financial risk or decreases your competitiveness.

Selecting an Architect for your building project in the Samoa market

Okay so your in the market to find an architect who can help you navigate the building design and construction process to get to your end goal of a building. So what do you do in a Small Island Developing State like Samoa to select one in a design market that can be characterized as a no corporate welfare here, capitalism at its finest, deregulated free-for-all! There's no Architects Act or legislation to govern the practice of architecture and caveat emptor reigns supreme.

In the market setting I've painted above, anyone can call themselves an architect. Even a CAD jockey with 6 months of 3D modeling skills, some design-builders and even those hocking an infringing copy of someone else’s construction drawings. Yes, it makes for a competitive market, but, it also makes it a risky one, especially if you're thinking of a mortgage and putting yourself at financial risk to procure a building to support your business or build a home. You need someone who is more than a "tusiata" or picture drawer, an architect you choose will become a trusted adviser.

So what's the quickest way to cull the herd in selecting an architect. Ring and make appointments to go in and interview a few. Sure, the interviews, may cost you time and leg work going from office to office interviewing, but it's nothing compared to the financial risk you will undertake of a selection error and your architect fails to help deliver a building that meets your specific needs. Once the building is completed you're stuck with it and the mortgage for the foreseeable future.

As for the Interview;

• Check their educational background, its a 5 year university program to study architecture,
• Ask to see examples of their built work,
• Ask to talk to some of their previous clients,
• Check their experience ask for a résumé, it will give you insight into the range of buildings previously undertaken,
• Ask them of what processes they undertake to help you get your building,
• Ask for their business license, why because, it identifies that are in the market to make a quick tala at your expense and if they will be around to help you at the drop of a call when you need them most.

Generally, most architects have a genuine sense of professional responsibility to client and community. The interviewing process will give you an idea of the latter, their credibility and whether you want to work with them or not. Even if you did'nt select anyone, you'll have walked away in half an hour learning a little something about the design process of buildings to help in your journey of selecting an architect.

When you feel you're found an architect your comfortable with, it will help if you know what sort of building you want by describing a simple list of spaces and/or processes that need to be accommodated in the building. You can provide sketches of what you want but it's not necessary.

With that simple list or sketch any architect worth their salt should be able to give you a written fee proposal, listing the procedures they will undertake and items they will deliver for the fees stated. That fee proposal will also form the contract between yourself and the architect, so you can hold him or her to what they promised for the fee.

Samoan architect I'm more than a "tusiata".

To practice architecture it takes 5 years to earn an architectural degree at a university and from all the years of practicing here in Samoa, locals don't understand the value that is provided by architects or what they do. A case in point is the Samoan word for architect; "tusiata" which translates to "picture drawer". The builder is afforded a greater status in the Samoan culture as "tufuga fai fale" or artisan house builder. I should be offended, but hey it's the market I practice architecture in so win the "hearts and minds" one person at a time using this blog.

The Stewart Architecture logo you might see on the blog is based on origami and the Polynesian art of weaving, it's this weaving or folding that leads to a creation. So too is the practice of architecture. An architect provides leadership in the weaving or folding of skills, teams, group dynamics, processes, 3-dimensional and graphical thinking, time, information technology, construction, environment and micro-climate site assessments, negotiation, management, building and environmental codes interpretation etc. which leads to the creation of a building. So, yes I can draw and be artistic, but as an architect I am multidimensional and multi-skilled to help clients get to the end product, their building.

Here are some of the skills beyond the "picture drawer" that are needed as an architect:

Communication skills or "gift of the gab". You need to be able to elicit a brief from the client or end users to design the building to specific requirements, negotiating tenders and contracts with builders and sub-consultants or the subtle art of persuasion to sell or get a project approved. You have to be able to communicate with a range of people from potential clients, engineering consultants, builders and trades, local authorities and understand their various patois. Moreover, you need ensure that you are all communicating on the same wavelength. I would of thought this one would be easily understood in Samoa as our highest art form is Oratory.

Visual/graphic thinking and thinking outside of the box. This is the "tusiata" part. Architects create varied types of pictures for differing purposes. They can be works of art, but the primary purpose is to solve problems and communicate effectively. I use it to graphically express an idea, quickly create alternatives, record my design thoughts in abstract form, explain visually processes or how something will look, or convey contractual instructions in graphic form in how something is to be constructed. “A picture is worth a thousand words” and architects are trained in this skill.

Information Technology - it helps if you're bit of a computer jock, basic computing skills is a must, typing, email, spreadsheets, databases. Then you need computer aided design skills to translate your "picture drawing" into a 3-dimensional model preferably a Building Information Model (BIM) in which you can extract building data and quantities about the proposed building, use the BIM to create realistic presentations of a building and produce construction drawings for contract purposes. As a solo architect, I troubleshoot software and hardware issues myself to ensure my Dell Precisions and HP Z workstations run as fast as possible with little downtime. It helps to understand from a management perspective, the implementation of IT in your practice to increase efficiency, minimize risk of data loss (especially your clients current project), minimize the life-cycle cost of your hardware and software IT investments.

You have to have some writing skills for:

• Specification writing
• Report writing
• Contract administration and construction contracts
• Basic ability to estimate project costs and material quantities
• Setup a basic construction contracts or tender documents by creating, construction drawings, technical specifications and utilize template General Conditions of Contract

Management skills

• Character traits leadership, analytical, flexible, strategic and then decisive,
• Project management for delivery of design services or reviewing and interpreting construction delivery schedules,
• Business management, you can't practice architecture if you're not earning fees,
• Negotiating skills both for your fees, sub-consultant fees and construction tenders etc., fore requirements with local authorities,
• Administrative skills for tenders, prequalification of builders, contracts
• Basic understanding of contract law, tort, negligence
• Understanding group dynamics
• Risk management and mitigation strategies how it applies to your practice and during the project from design to construction.

Technical knowledge to understand construction to ensure that you can convey accurate instructions to the builder through words and drawings on how the building is to be constructed. Architects have to continuosly read to keep their technical knowledge updated with the latest building construction or design techniques.

As you can see from the non-exhaustive list, these are just some of the skills needed to be an architect, so please don't call me a "tusiata". I'm more than just a "picture drawer". However, I'm all ears for a Samoan-ized alternative for architect.