Canadian architect, Etienne Gaboury, once said, “Architecture is space structured to serve man and to move him.”
“To serve man” implies that architectural design creates a useful living space, while “to move him,” refers to the art of the design, which makes a particular building unique, colorful, and worthy of living inside.
While architects like Gaboury are often recognized for creating well-known, public structures—such as his Royal Canadian Mint building in Winnipeg—there are also benefits in using an architect for small-scale residential projects.
When considering building a home, it is worth interviewing an architect to see what benefits may be obtained.
Architect Shannon Scarlett lists 10 ways an architect can potentially save you time, money, and aggravation on your next house project. Shannon Taylor Scarlett, Architects, is a woman owned firm located in the Boston area focusing mainly on residential projects.
“Creating a home suited perfectly to the homeowners involves a somewhat complicated process of analysis and design,” Scarlett said on her website.
She describes how a trained architect will take a client’s “wish-list,” compare it with their needs and lifestyle, and provide “elegant solutions.” Not only is the client’s lifestyle worth analysis, but so are their long-range plans. Carefully considering a family’s future size as well as their goals will yield positive results when designing a home.
Throughout the process, an architect may offer the family constructive choices, and in the long-run, may save them money, ultimately helping to offset architectural fees.
“The cost of inefficient floor plan layouts can be serious,” Scarlett said, “yet it is very common for a homeowner or builder to believe it will be more cost effective to draw up their own plans.”
