Residential Architect: Is there another job that connects you so personally for such an extended period; when you take into account the design and planning process and then works on site this relationship can extend for years.

And yes, it does get very personal. You get to see people in their best (and sometimes) their worst lights. But this is what the residential architect signs up for. It can be frustrating but the rewards at the end can be immense. As @architectjohn recently tweeted:

“Some clients are so awesome you don’t want the job to end, I have one of those right now.”

But that’s what I enjoy, that personal relationship you have with people, being able to channel their dreams and aspirations and to translate these into a built form. I was speaking recently to a fellow architect and it was this personal relationship that he found so hard and because of this he tended to prefer commercial work where it was a simple numbers and design game without any personalties (mostly) getting involved.

The image shows what sometimes can happen; I’d already written a small piece on ‘Architect as marriage counselor’ and sometimes you get caught in the middle of some right ‘humdingers’ of “discussions” between husband and wife and yes, sometimes the architects role is partly marriage counselor and to be the intermediary that resolves the different needs of each party and then to propose a solution (design) that is perfect for both (or at least a good compromise).

If you think I can help you with your design then please CONTACT ME…