| Page 4 of 5 < > |
Custom Design, Off-the-Shelf Budget
Johannes Zutt, in the kitchen with Lucas, chose an architect for the 3,000-square-foot house by looking at portfolios at the offices of the American Institute of Architects, then talking with a half-dozen prospects.
(Photos By Sarah L. Voisin -- The Washington Post)
TOOLBOX
   Resize
COMMENT
 Discussion Policy
 CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging  |
Clients can also help reduce the final bill. Johannes Zutt, an adviser to a managing director at the World Bank, said that by keeping down construction costs on his 3,000-square-foot house in Montgomery County, he also kept down his architectural fee, which was based on a percentage of the final cost.
For one thing, he said, he tried to pin down as many details as possible on the plan before building, knowing that changes during construction could be "extremely costly."
He also controlled costs by using standard rather than custom materials as much as possible for elements such as doors and windows.
"The minute you start moving away from that, you really start sending the prices up," he said.
His architect, Todd Ray, a partner at Studio 27 Architecture in the District, said Zutt also saved money by using simple ceramic tile in the bathroom and concrete and wood siding instead of brick.
Beyond the costs, there's the matter of selecting the right architect. That can take patience.
First, you must get along with your architect, with an emphasis on "must," architects and clients say.
"You need to invest time in the relationship and really be part of the team. One of our members says you have to be willing to have breakfast, lunch and dinner with these people for a while," said Mary Fitch, executive director of the Washington chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
"You're allowing this person, this architect, to come into your life. It's like a marriage," said Catherine K. Henry, an architect and solo practitioner in the District.
Henry said that on occasion she has rejected prospective clients.
"The first meeting is to see if we are compatible with each other," she said. "It only takes about 15 minutes to know whether things are going to work out. If they're not, I usually get chills up my spine."
Scott Frank, a spokesman for the AIA, said it's best to talk to at least three architects before picking one.
