It was a weekday late luncheon meeting with this high society auntie, at this understated restaurant somewhere in Makati. Fashionably late, Auntie arrived. She looked stunning as she came in with her season’s blue number, vintage croc tote, and studs of offensive carats.
Indio: Hi Auntie you look so fresh!
Auntie: Really? It’s the Katrantzou. My daughter bought this for me so that I won’t look old and these Aquazzura’s, aren’t they divine?
Indio: Yes auntie! Looks perfect on you. You should get more.
Auntie: Tell me about it, Architect told me the same thing! He said, since he’s building me a new house, he only wants me wearing these, some Celine, and some Antwerp. My kids speak Demeulemeester so they love Architect for that.
Nodding and nodding, lunch was fun and delicious. Forgetting that heavenly white truffle tagliolini, at the back of my mind I was thinking, “Architect, for real? You’re requiring a dress code for designing the house?” I know that this particular architect is just beyond whenever he’s handling projects (a story for another article). I asked Auntie about these crazy prerequisites, she answered, “If that’s what he wants, let it be! We’re lucky I got him designing my house. My amiga, the owner of this giant grocery chain, was begging me to persuade the architect to do their vacation house. The architect wouldn’t and I don’t know why. She even gave me a check for the architect, like a signing bonus.”
It must be fun to be like this architect. With a check that could buy him an Aquanaut, he must have a very good reason to turn it down. This led me to wonder how to hire an architect or an interior designer. Auntie’s story proved money can’t buy everything. This leads me to the question, what is the best way to approach these talents to make our dreams come to life?
Before anything else and just like you would in life, you must know these two things: first, know what you want/need because your architect isn’t God. Second, know your budget because your architect isn’t your financier/money lender.
1. Trust your architect, and your Instincts.
When hiring an architect, TRUST your instincts. Any relationship, marital or professional, should be founded on trust. Designing a house takes months, even years of planning. This is followed by a construction period that will be for another 12 to 24 months. Meeting your architect or designer every week may be inevitable. If one would have a gut feeling that this professional isn’t on the same page as yours in any way; design inclinations, philosophies, professional values, ditch him as soon as you can. It’ll save a lot of time and energy. The architect would understand. I know somebody who discarded a real talented design consultant all because of unpleasant hygiene.
2. Respect your Architect and his Fees.
You get an architect because he’s the expert in this department – design, construction, and all of the works. It’s like referring to a doctor if you feel strange about your stomach whenever you have a cappuccino in the morning. He will give you prescriptions, you will buy and intake these as per his or her instructions. You don’t ask too much, you just follow because you want to get better. The same thing goes for your architect. He knows what he’s doing and he’s all for the betterment of the project. After all, you trust him, right?
So, this physician, after the checkup, will bill you. Sometimes, it could be expensive but one thing you never do is to go back to the secretary and ask for a discount because you found the bill too pricey. You honor and respect the doctor too much. Once again, the same goes for your architect. It takes tons of creativity, experience, and taste, to deliver the output you expect. Professional fees may be subjective. There is nothing wrong with asking for a discount but never lowball. You will always have a choice, just like your coffee – you can have 3-in-1’s, or Nespresso, or something from St Helaine’s. Everything will be up to you, and you will get what you pay for.
3. Review your Architect – past, present, future.
As you eye on the architect that you like, you may do a little research on how was it like to have this architect for your project. Will he be capable of doing the scale? Is his aesthetics comparable to yours? Is his site visitation costs affordable enough on top of his professional fee? You may ask all these questions to your architect during your preliminary meeting, as you should when checking out his previous works as well. You may also ask him for a draft contract for the said project. Just in case that you have any disagreement with his proposal or any additional billings, have the courage to discuss it with him. Through that, you will know what to expect and the thought of terminating your architect in the midst of a hustling construction period will be avoided. At the end of the day, what will matter most will be the time spent, because it’s something you cannot gain back.
4. See your Architect as the Master Thinker.
A very rich celebrity hired this architect for his billion-peso project. The meeting was held in a mall one late afternoon. This famous architect tried to deliberate the project. The client said to wait for a while. Instead, this primadonna was busy checking out Zeitwerk’s, wasting time. After three hours of mall tour, the architect said his goodbyes excusing himself for an important family affair. The project continued, even if the architect had a bad experience.
You are hiring an architect because he will be compelled to think about the project and make it worth every penny. He is not your EA, pet groomer, accountant, or worst, therapist. You may be paying a premium, but it doesn’t mean you have bought his soul to be of service to your insanity. Time is money. For every work-related discussion, best to set between work hours only, weekdays. Texting your architect something like “Architect, sorry for messaging you this late, I might forget this tomorrow…” at around 1 am is just irrational.
5. Love your Architect, and he will love you back.
As you’re about to engage with your architect for your project, he may be super talented, always bear in mind he’s still a human being. He gets hungry and drained whenever construction meetings would last up to six hours. Just because he was commissioned, it doesn’t mean his “eight hours five days a week” belongs to you. What you need from him is his work, to be delivered with flying colors. Do to architects what you want to be done unto you. Everyone deserves respect, regardless of status in life. Love your architect, and he will love you and your project all the more, that’s 1000% proven.
When hiring your architect or interior designer, he doesn’t have to be a big shot. That person could be your high school batchmate or best friend’s brother. As long as that individual is somebody you can trust and work with harmoniously and can deliver all his submittals beautifully and promptly, your project will be a happy project and successful as well. Take my word for it. Ultimately, above all the exquisite marble floors and perfect furniture selections, things money can’t buy matter most, all the time!
