MANAGING THE CLIENTS INVESTMENT

As Architects we have to address a multitude of challenges, constraints and variables on each project. These may include aesthetic, atmospheric, environmental, material, cultural, and last but not least financial. Unfortunately, from what we have seen many Architects place the financial constraints of the clients at the bottom of the list which often results in problems late in the design or construction process. 

We look at our projects as client investments. Our job is to protect and manage that investment for the client in the same way a financial adviser would manage your stock portfolio. They are both investments. Building a custom home can be one of the most significant financial investments in a families/individuals life. 

The primary method that we use to manage our clients investment is quality control of the construction document set of plans for the project. Having a coordinated and well documented set of plans conveys a clear description of the building which in turn results in a more realistic understanding of the project cost for the architect, builder and client. Our goal is to minimize ambiguity in the documents. Poorly coordinated construction sets with lots of ambiguity leave open questions everywhere. The more precise and detailed the documents are, the more accurate a cost projection can be for the project. 

Working with local consultants who we have relationships with is another great way to manage our clients financial resources. We understand the market for consultant services and have many pre-established relationships. We have communication and workflow standards set up between the project team and the consultants to be efficient and save valuable hours. 

Another method we use to manage our clients investments is through the use of technology. Using software know as B.I.M (Building Information Modeling) is key to understanding the different components of the building and vetting out conflicts between the various building systems before construction begins. If you would like to read more about B.I.M., click this link to read our article on the benefits of Building Information Modeling. 

We also use realistic 3D rendering software that allows our clients to walk through the home before it is built. Click this link to see an example of one of our fly-throughs. When a client is able to "walk" through the house using the computer software and see every space, we are able to make changes to the architecture before we get into construction. Without this software, the first time that the client would actually be able to see the space would be during construction. Changes in the field are much more expensive that changing the computer model and drawings.

We believe that efficiency, accuracy and communication on our end are they keys to cost management and protection of our clients investment.