The Players' Roles

Architects offer three advantages over working directly with a builder:

1. Creativity — A builder is responsible for a wide range of tasks, with design relegated to a minor role (if any). Architects, however, spend all of their time thinking about the aesthetic and functional questions of how people interact with their buildings. They bring a wider range of possibilities, and draw upon a deeper vocabulary of forms and details to create your unique design.

2. Client Interaction — An architect's fundamental responsibility is to develop a design solution that is customized to your needs. Rather than "customizing" a stock plan, architects start with your functional requirements and aesthetic preferences to develop a solution that fits you and your family. The process allows for numerous revisions based on the client's input. The end result is a home that will provide a higher level of satisfaction than with an "off the shelf" design used by builders.

3. Construction Oversight — Working directly with a builder puts you in a difficult position of having to supervise a process you may not have much expertise in. A variety of questions will undoubtedly arise, from scheduling to workmanship to design, and you will have little leverage to control the process. An architect serves as your advocate during the project, while creating and maintaining a process that is fair to all parties.