What Vadim Podrobinok Architect is all about
What are we doing here? This isn’t some existential question but still comes with a complex response. What are we doing as Architects?
Let’s start by having some fun.
My kids were watching an episode of Let’s Go Luna and my inner child and outer Architect caught a glimpse as I was making dinner. If you don’t already know, Luna is a “moon” character that travels the world and experiences different cultures along the way. In one episode, they were in Russia and my kids were smirking at the words they were using, since they themselves speak Russian.
In the latest episode they traveled to Sydney, Australia for a show at the famous Sydney Opera house designed by Architect Jorn Utzon. When the guys traveling with Luna asked “Arch-I-tect? I… don’t… know what that means.? The following explanation was pretty solid : An Architect is someone who designs buildings, even though it takes many people to build a building, but its the Architect who comes up with the idea of what it will look like. So, an Architect is like an artist and the Sydney Opera house is like a work of art.
For a very simplified explanation, I say they did a great job. They do a better job explaining what Architects do than I believe Architects themselves do.
Let me explain. In my practice, I typically run into two types of clients. Those who have experience with construction projects and those who have never embarked on such an endeavor. Both come with their own unique challenges so lets explore both.
Clients with no prior construction project experience:
Request info regarding process for developing a construction project based on their needs.
Have no frame of reference of the value Architects provide and how that correlates to fees.
Require our expertise in design and understanding permitting and construction.
Guidance from the start of the project all the way through construction.
Breakdown of to main components, time and money to complete the project.
Uncertainty due to inexperience which causes frequent changes in decisions.
Clients with prior construction project experience:
Are process oriented and follow procedures based on previous project success.
Have a better understanding of an Architects value and how it correlates to fees.
Often have unrealistic budget expectations for the overall cost of the project.
Drive the project based on their own understanding of deliverable milestones i.e. design drawings, plan sets, permit submittals etc.
Know what it takes to start and finish a construction project and are aware of hiccups that are typical along the way.
Now where does that put us in the picture?
The initial meeting is the most critical and lays the groundwork for whats to come. We like to approach our prospective clients with an equal level of optimism as well as practical solutions. We like to spill the beans at the initial meetings and put all ideas and recommendations on the table. Sometimes, we go to far and actually sketch something for discussion purposes. After all, Architects are visual learners and typically go that route while speaking and simultaneously sketching the ideas that come to mind.
In our practice, we never go into a new project with any assumptions. I just don’t believe in thinking that I know any better than the prospective client. After all, we are entering their domain and the reality is, they know much more about what they want and what they envision.