Short Listing Architects

 Choosing an architect is a process that takes time, careful consideration, and deliberation. Once you’ve put together your proposal, we recommend choosing between three to six architects to be on your short list, then narrowing it down from there. But if you’ve never gone through this experience before, how do you know what to look for? How do you determine who is the best architectural firm for the job? What qualifications should the successful firm have?

We’ve put together a list of helpful criteria to guide you during the shortlisting process:

  • Send out a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to all the architects you are considering hiring. A RFQ is commonly used to shorten a long list of potential firms, and in addition to as much detail as possible about your project, including desired timelines, budget, and a detailed list of all services required For example, do you also need your architect to provide landscape architecture services? Make these things clear in the RFQ. 
  • Review the qualifications statements you receive in response to your RFQ. Do all the firms have the necessary qualifications to take on your project?
  • Ask around about the reputations of the firms you’re considering hiring. As the saying goes, word of mouth recommendations are very valuable, so it’s definitely worth doing a bit of investigation into reputation before making a decision.
  • Review portfolios to be sure they’ve handled projects similar to yours before. Have they handled a project the same size as yours? Do you think they are aligned to your creative vision? Do they have designs in their portfolios that are similar to what you want?
  • If possible, try to choose a local architect. Distance can sometimes delay timelines and impact your project in other ways that could become costly.

The best NJ architect for your build 

While commercial builds and residential builds often have different criteria, both have one thing in common: it takes time to find the best architect for the job. In addition to the above suggestions, we also recommend keeping a list of buildings or homes you like and contacting the architects when it’s time to start your project. 

After you’ve created a short list of architects, we recommend conducting interviews with each firm to get a feel for their working style, personality, and to talk in more detail about your project. Speaking with the architects will give you a good idea of what it will be like to work with them throughout the duration of your build.

For more information about how we can help you with residential and commercial architecture projects, please contact us today. Discover why so many people in New Jersey choose us as their trusted architect. 

Originally posted https://leeb-architecture.com/short-listing-architects/

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