Architects
Although architects have been quite slow with learning about green design principles there has recently been a bit of a scramble to catch up and they all claim to know about the subject. In fact most architects practices leave the technical work to an architectural technician they employ. It may pay to ask quite detailed questions about what sort of experience they have actually had with green design.
On a good day an architect will be able to -
- read your mind and turn your dreams and ideas into beautiful practical realities
- coordinate all the other parties such as engineers and other consultants
- get your wildest designs approved by the local planning committee
- find and help organise good friendly honest hard working cut-price builders
- oversee the whole process for not too much money
On a bad day an architect will -
- impose their taste and value system all over yours
- hate the idea of working on a job as small as yours when designing a shopping centre is more lucrative
- either get at horribly cross purposes with your builder or acquiesce to everything they suggest
- introduce extra fees at every possible point
Somewhere between the two scenarios lies the typical self build project!
Architects have an outline Plan of Work which is a list of jobs they can undertake on your behalf. It’s OK to pick and mix a bit with this providing you agree about it beforehand.
