Multi-family planners and developers are constantly battling rising construction costs. In fact, according to a recent Rider Levett Bucknall cost report, construction costs rose by 7.42% in 2021. Amid the rising costs, some multi-family developers are willing to compromise expert architecture for lower fees, but this can be risky. Inexperienced architectural firms often cut corners, ultimately putting a strain on the project’s timeline and budget.
Architecture is not only about drawing. It’s a science that encompasses a building’s lighting, and ventilation and ensures that a building conforms to national building regulations.
So what does the right way in choosing your multi-family architecture firm for your next project? Read on to find out.
Steps for Choosing Your Multi-Family Architecture Firm
1. Research Different Architecture Firms
When searching for the right multi-family architecture firm to partner with in your next project, the first thing you should do is research various architecture firms that interest you.
Browse their website to see what services they offer, their pricing, location, the projects they previously designed, and any other useful information that can help you make an informed decision. Upon completing your research, create a list of the firms that seem to have the attributes you’re looking for.
2. Determine Whether You Have Shared Values
To further narrow down your lists of potential architectural firms, check if any of the firm’s vision, mission, and value align with yours. However, you should keep in mind that a company having written values doesn’t necessarily mean that they put those values into practice. You can look for alignment by calling them up to see if they are who they represent themselves to be.
Partnering and choosing your multi-family architecture firm that shares the same value as your own will ensure that you are working with a like-minded partner able to create fulfilling and meaningful projects that meet your specification and preference.
3. Check their Experience and Credibility
Architecture Firm
Another important aspect you should check when choosing a multi-family architecture firm is credibility and experience. Find out the years of experience the firm has and whether they’ve worked on a project similar to the one you’re thinking of actualizing.
Check the clients the firm has previously worked with to verify their credibility as an established architecture firm. If possible, talk to its previous clients to ascertain whether they were satisfied with the services they received from the prospective multi-family architectural firm. Interviewing previous clients can give you valuable insights into the working relationship and quality of services you should expect when you partner with a given firm.
Also, you should take a tour of the firm’s previous projects. Check for any similarities in material motifs, design, and other factors that can give you a rough idea of how your finished product might turn out.
The more experience a multi-family architecture firm has with the type of property you’re looking to develop, and the more credible they are, the higher the chances they will deliver a successful project.
4. Determine Whether They Have a Good Reputation
It’s important to partner with a multi-family architecture firm with an excellent reputation for establishing a productive relationship with clients and delivering high-quality work on time and within budget. Ask for recommendations, check online reviews, and contact previous customers to ask about their experience working with the architecture firms you are looking to partner with. In short, you should find out if the firm delivers high-quality services to their clients—they navigate budget sensitivity without cutting corners, deliver excellent drawings that are free from errors, and ensure that the building project runs smoothly.
Choosing your Multi-family architecture firm with a good reputation is trusted by professionals across different industries, so people are more willing to partner with them. After all, when you partner with a firm with a good reputation for delivering high-quality services, you will be more confident of getting the same.
5. Schedule a Meeting with the Top Candidates
After conducting your research, evaluating each firm, and narrowing down your list of candidates, you need to schedule a meeting with the top three firms to gain more insights about them before making your choice.
During the meeting, pay close attention to how each multi-family architecture firm interacts with you. How a given firm communicates and treats you during the meeting will paint a picture of who they are, what they stand for, and what you should expect from them.
Identify the firm with which you have an excellent rapport and have the same values as your own. Remember, multi-family projects are huge, so it’s important you feel you can trust the firm you choose to partner with.
Also, before making your final choice, you need to ask each of the firms about other projects in their pipeline. If a firm isn’t working on another project at the moment, your project will be at the center of their attention and are better positioned to deliver high-quality work within the specified deadlines. However, if an architecture firm is working on other projects apart from yours, there’s a likelihood that the level of service on your project might diminish.
6. Choosing Your Multi-Family Architecture Firm for Your Project
Selecting the right multi-family architecture to partner up with for your next project is a process that requires extensive research and evaluation. Partnering with the right architecture firm will enable you to deliver excellent property developments for investors, clients, stakeholders, and everyone involved.
Are you a new planner looking to partner with a multi-family architecture firm for the first time or a company that’s dissatisfied with its last architecture firm and is looking for a better one? Look no further than Ted Trout Architects & Associates Ltd. We specialize in the multi-family industry, from affordable to luxury housing. By offering practical and vital to our clients and giving them realistic design strategies depending on the type of project and market conditions, we help our clients actualize their projects and meet their financial goals. At Ted Trout Architects & Associates, we believe in creating homes that people want to live in.
Contact us today to learn more about our services.
