The 2% solution
When the lot purchase closed, I was no longer pressed for time to conduct a feasibility study so I began talking to architecture and design-build firms to see what other options I had besides a prefab home. I found a list of locally renowned architects in a magazine, and shortlisted those whose designs appealed to me. I met some architects and builders at my lot, others at their offices. All of them were excited about my project, and they shared their initial thoughts on the opportunities and challenges of the site.
Most of the architects I spoke to charge by the hour while some were willing to set a maximum amount of fees they would charge. Fees are expected to be 10% to 20% of the construction cost. In comparison, the prefab builder’s design fees were less than a fifth of that.
Apparently, only 2% of homes in the United States are designed by an architect, despite advice from the American Institute of Architects. Given the many years of training it takes to get certified as an architect, there must be something special that an architect would bring to my project that those 98% didn’t get. However, if I chose to work with an architect from the start, how would I know whether the architect’s special sauce was worth the extra fees? If I could somehow work with the prefab builder’s designer and an architecture firm in parallel during the initial design phase, I thought, I could get a sense of the added value an architect would bring.
The mini design competition
I posted a question on the Houzz forums asking if others had worked with more than one design firm simultaneously to produce the initial design for a new home. Apparently it’s not that common but also not unheard of. Design competitions, when undertaken for residential projects, tend to be on larger homes with much bigger budgets than mine. Many of those who responded think this would be a wasteful and expensive approach, akin to renting several cars before choosing which one to buy, which actually sounds quite sensible to me. I was also told that working with several architects in parallel during the initial design phase showed “a lack of trust” and “a lack of understanding” on my part regarding how architects work. Some people did like the idea, and a lively discussion ensued.
No matter what the skeptics on Houzz said, I knew that the typical approach of choosing one design firm from the get-go wasn’t going to work for me. Before choosing a designer, I wanted to experience first-hand how different designers worked, what types of questions they asked to inform the design and how receptive they were to my ideas. Working with two designers in parallel over a span of six to eight weeks to produce preliminary designs for my new home, with each costing between 1% and 3% of the construction cost, to me seemed like a reasonable investment of time and money to make sure I chose the right partner.
I asked the architects and design-build firms I had spoken to whether they were willing to produce a preliminary design for my new home in parallel with other firms. I was completely transparent with them and I explained my reasoning above. I also told them that I would pay for their time so even if I didn’t end up building their design they would be compensated for their work. All but one firm agreed. After some convincing, the prefab builder also agreed to have their in-house architect prepare a preliminary design without a full production agreement in place. That gave me two designers working on my project over the next few weeks.
The Bespoke Home 