This is a bit of a follow-up to the post & comment on: What jobs as well as architects are asked to do work for free (which incidentally got a great response from a whole host of other professions) and also draws from Isabel Barros recent blog post on Finding the right architect.

I appreciate the commenters predicament and this blog post tries to explain how I would attempt to choose an architect.

First of all, read Isabel’s article again, thoroughly as it is the essence of how you should choose your architect.

The question is, how do you know that whatever architect you choose is going to design what you want. The answer is that you don’t.

In much the same way that when you interview people for a job you don’t really know whether the chosen candidate is the right one.

My suggestion is that you approach choosing your architect in much the same way; meet with them, discuss your goals and objectives and what you’re doing in effect is essentially interviewing them for the post.

I would have no problem is meeting with potential clients in this way; I’m not being asked to produce a design for free, I’m not being asked to contribute some good ideas that the client can collage together; instead I am being treated as a professional in a professional manner.

If you have a project you would like to consider me for and ‘interview’ in such a way then please do not hesitate to CONTACT ME

It would be interesting to hear whether other architects feel the same…