Aspiring to build a home, office, or any other dream building project of yours?

Well, this blog will convey the journey of your dream project and help to land up your destination successfully. The essential tips to communicate with your Architect, discussed in this blog will guide you in accomplishing your goal successfully.

Effective communication and a healthy relationship with your architect are crucial to unfold and accomplish your dream project. Communication, a tool to convey and exchange information helps the architects to understand your needs and expectations allied with the project. Moreover, a clear and specific exchange of information with your architect, will lessen ambiguity and place your expectations in order, to plan and execute the project.

The right input of ideas helps architects in shaping your conceptual plans into the final shape. Pushing for a joint effort and effective communication play a vital role in developing and maintaining a friendly relationship with your design team. For the success and accomplishment of your project, follow these nine essential tips to communicate with your Architect.

1. Prepare the input documents with your requirements and discuss your concept design a couple of times

Start your project plan with the project brief, a blueprint of your ideas, and a goal aligned to your project. This input document will help to communicate your needs and expectations with the design team in a clear and informative manner.

 

A formal House Project brief will include:

• Project Objective-Each individual has an objective to build a house, it may be a spacious home for the children or a comfortable house for the elders, or a house with a profit objective.
• Scope of the Project– Number of rooms, bathroom, kitchen within the project boundary
• Major Deliverables-The Site layout, Interior layout, Architectural Style (Traditional or Contemporary), and materials to be used
• Milestones– A target date assigned to accomplish each activity.
• Timing- The execution and final delivery date of the project.
• Budget – The estimated cost of the project.

 

You can develop the input documents in the form of a sketch or by using software like Sketch Up or Pinterest, to convey your ideas to get them acknowledged in the best possible way.

Based on the inputs, the design team will develop a concept design, before giving the final approval, verify and discuss the proposed concept design a couple of times to ensure it stands by your requirements.

2. Finalize the mode of communication with the architect

Technology has equipped us with several modes of communication, with their benefits and limitations. Consider these factors for selecting the mode of communication with your design team.

 

• Preference– Each one of us prefers a particular mode to communicate, a phone call, video call, email, or message. Communicate with the team you prefer.
• Availability– Clearly specify your working hours. If you are more active and reply to emails during office hours, specify that to your design team.
• Nature of the message– A message can be urgent, confidential, and sensitive. Ask your architect to give a phone call to convey an urgent or confidential message.
• Complexity– Ensure that the mode you are selecting conveys your information clearly and the design team understands the meaning of the information hassle-free.
• Accuracy– Mode should overcome barriers like language and attitude differences and be able to convey your information and instruction. Prefer emails and messages to verbal communication to reduce misinterpretation and ambiguity.

The right mode of communication ensures clarity in the flow of ideas and information, which is vital for the proper project execution and to maintain its momentum.

3. Ask your Architect to visualize and refine your input document

Planning to build a house with better indoor and outdoor connectivity, a living area, and room connectivity in a manner that maintains privacy with proper lighting. The feasibility study of the input design will give a fair idea of its rationality and its potential to get a 3D shape. Speak and ask for options if some inputs are not logical.

4. Ask your architect to elaborate on the finalized design based on your inputs

After an insight into your project brief and need analysis the design team develops a concept design.

Ask your architect to explain the final design, features like indoor and outdoor flow, internal layout, design and space, energy efficiency, roofing and plumbing, electrics and other utilities, and any other added feature and priorities specified in your home project brief. The elaboration will outline where the final design stands in meeting your needs, and health, and safety standards.

5. Cross check and verify the visualized design aligned with your requirements

The visualized design developed by the architects is based on a more practical and functional aspect, integrated into your goal and wish list.

Verify if the visualized design adheres to your space requirement, floor plans, interior layout, design style, lighting, utilities, and other needs. Be attentive and ensure your dream home is built with the appropriate technicalities, features, and design you are aspiring to.

6. Ask your Architect to finalize the project deliverables

The success of a project largely depends on its Project deliverables, as it defines the tangible and intangible items developed during and at the end of the project life cycle. The key deliverables of your home project should include

 

• Scope of the project
• Concept design(The Finalized and approved design)
• Bid documents & Contract documents with the Construction company
• Procurement of design team
• Cost plan
• Occupancy Permit
• Wrap-up summary

7. Fix a weekly or bi-weekly update meeting if it’s a long-duration project

Schedule a weekly or bi-weekly review or update meeting if your project is of a long duration. Benefits of weekly scheduled meetings:

 

• Able to track activities of the team
• Any setback or issues are addressed and resolved on time
• Achievement of milestones within the timeframe
• On-time delivery of the Final project

Remember, this is your dream project, you need to keep an eye on it, to get the best return on your investment.

8. Clarify the conditions of modifications and clarifications

Each project is a discovery and complex in its process.  The design team may come across a few inevitable changes and challenges during the execution phase, requiring your approval and clarity. Be proactive, track all the changes and review each modification before approval, resolve the issues and clarify the doubts in time, to maintain the project momentum.

9. Don’t hesitate to final the cost of the project before its commencement

The project cost is one of the vital components of the project planning phase and should get approved before the project design stage.  Based on a similar project experience the architects can suggest to you the cost tailored to your project. As this is going to be an investment for you, don’t be hesitant in finalizing the budget.

Communication and Transparency Are Crucial for a Great Architectural Outcome

An effective communication develops a friendly and cordial client-architect relationship. And a quality relationship with your architect leads to a better flow of information, sharing of knowledge and ideas, which finally helps in getting you the best architectural design.

Even if the architects are professional and skilled, it is the proper input of ideas, a systematic approach of communication, and clarity in the information that results in receiving the desired final design for your dream construction project.