Should I hire an Architect?

Do I need an architect to design my home?

This question is usually the first big hurdle for anyone building a home. It’s a loaded question because the service an architect can hold has a lot of value depending on how you approach it. Most people think its just about getting a set of drawings to hand to a builder so they can get a permit. But thats like saying you only hire a chef because you don’t know how to use your stove.

Firstly, do I HAVE to hire an architect (legally)?

This depends on where you are. In Ontario, if you’re building a single-family home under a certain size, you don’t need an architect, you can use a qualified designer with a BCIN. In BC, you can usually get a way with hiring a draftsperson or technologist, but if there is a tricky topography you need to hire an architect. In Quebec, if your house is less than a certain footprint you can hire a licensed TP (Professional Technologist). It’s easy to establish if you need one or not, the harder question is figuring out if it has value for you.

Stop thinking about it as just a deliverable.

One thing to keep in mind with architects is that they are obsessed with what they do. If you give the opportunity to an architect to design your home they will put in a lot of effort to make it right, for your situation specifically, and if you set up the right environment they will make it perfect. It is truly an art if you allow it to be. So, you need to ask yourself what you are really looking for. I would simplify it into two simple options: Do you want the architect as a service or do you want them as a specialist?

Hiring an Architect as a Service Provider

If you find a design that you love, and you know that this is what you want. Don’t hire an architect to adapt it to your site, unless your municipality enforces this (in that case, you have no choice.) If you are able to hire someone that is a professional technologist, draftsperson, architectural designer (the name varies depending where you are) then hire them as a service to adapt the design to your site. This will be cheaper, and they will understand the constraints of your demand, versus an architect is often over qualified for that service.

Hiring an Architect as a Specialist

If you have a vision for what your life has the capacity to become, and there are no existing designs that reflect that vision, hire an architect. Their expertise combined with your vision and desires will equate to a final result that will last generations. It will be more expensive, and it will be an investment, but the reason you do it is because the value it brings to your life is infinite. I have heard clients say that their new house makes them feel as if their “finally living” their life. I have heard that multiple times, and it wasn’t until I started to see projects match the quality the clients needed, that is started to really make sense. You are allowed to have a vision of your life, it just takes assistance from a specialist to bring it into existence.

Here are a couple tips to help make your decision more clear

Your site is a nightmare: If you’re building on a cliff, a swamp, or a tiny urban infill lot with weird setbacks, you need a specialist. These aren't jobs for a "basic" plan.

You’re overwhelmed by choices: Picking out handles is one thing. Deciding on the structural integration of a cantilevered roof is another. An architect acts as your advocate.

You want something unique to you: If you want a home that is unique to your situation, your family, your needs, etc.