The value of good design.

Would you have the least expensive heart surgeon perform your bypass surgery?

Currently it seems to be fashionable for owners and developers to find the least expensive architect for the design of their buildings. In a competitive business world, it will always be important for an architect to deliver the most effective services at the least expensive cost, but it seems that today the trend is to hire the architect for a minimum level of service and hope that the contractor, his vendors, shop drawings and the construction manager will fill-in the blanks. This is a dangerous practice which not only affects the ultimate quality of a building project, but more importantly, deprives an owner of the most articulate and trained professional - the architect.

In years past, the architect was known as the Master Builder, that individual who was most qualified to not only plan the spaces but also assist in building these structures within which people would dwell, work, shop or reside. What is actually happening more frequently today is that the owner has relegated the protection of this very expensive investment to those less trained and qualified. There is no doubt that the construction industry is filled with very qualified and very talented builders and construction managers, but none possess the knowledge, skill and overall view that the architect brings to the table.

The owner or building developer in today's world prides himself on buying architecture cheaply, but when evaluating the project in total would find that his final professional fee costs, in addition to change orders and cost overruns due to the architect's minimal association with the project, has actually produced a far more expensive project than was originally budgeted. If one would compare the value of architectural services today in comparison to the value of the buildings created, it would seem clear that an owner should be more than happy to protect their investment with the most qualified architect available. Sadly, there is a group in the architectural profession who, in order to secure all or much of the work, continue to undercut professional fees to a point where qualified architects with the philosophy of delivering full services to their clients can no longer compete on a level playing field. Not only has the profession suffered by the black-eye delivered under the guise of cost overruns and project mismanagement, but the reputation of architects at large has-been reduced to that of the necessary evil in the construction process, only required for the purpose of securing municipal approvals.

It is time that the construction industry reevaluate the value of a full service architectural firm who is not only capable to prepare the pretty pictures, but follow through with getting mud on their shoes, dust on their clothes and dirt on their hands as a construction project proceeds. This is where architecture comes alive, not just on the paper upon which the construction documents are developed, but in the field where the bricks, mortar, concrete and steel are assembled. I urge all of the architects in the profession to rethink their presentation of services and be willing to deliver a complete service package to their client, stand firm by the documents that they have developed, and demand compensation adequate to produce them with the necessary attention to the details that would minimize cost overruns. It is disheartening to note that in many instances the architect's fee is being augmented by consultation fees paid by contractors, vendors and material suppliers, when in fact his allegiance should be to the owner, insuring the delivery of a final product that was the original goal and intent early on.

Architecture is not just an art, its a business, and although most of us consider ourselves highly trained technicians and artists, we also have to understand the dynamics of business. It is up to the architect to inform and make clear to our clients that the true value of an architect is he who is the Master Builder and he who is best qualified to orchestrate the building of fine structures and spaces today.

Should the occasion arise where we would find ourselves in the position to need the services of a surgeon to repair a damaged heart or remove a diseased organ, we would only want the best in the business to insure our health and longevity. Why don't we think in the same fashion when it comes to the creation of the spaces in which we live, work and play? When the time arises again where owners are in search of architectural services, they should look beyond their architect's ability to produce quick approvals and permits from municipal agencies and look towards their skill in the production of documents that clearly define the scope of goals and needs of a project. The owner should make certain that the architect is willing to stand in the cold as the concrete trucks pull onto the site and watch his dreams come alive.