Are you looking for an affordable Architect?
Based on Google search terms data, we know that many people are looking for an affordable Architect in Brisbane. In this article, I will explain why finding the cheapest designer or Architect may not be the best idea - and how EVER fights to delivers real value for our clients.
A false dawn
Look, I completely understand the thought - that whatever saved in the design stage can be ploughed straight into the build instead. Makes sense. We’re young creatives, with our own aspirations and dreams to renovate and build. It’s not just lip service. We know, live and breathe this tension - it’s real, and we get tempted by it all the time.
The thing is, to pursue a project this way would mean making the design process as quick and efficient as possible, and engaging the Builder with a very low, simple level of documentation.
Things can be worked out as you go right? What could possibly go wrong?
Why we want to be prepared
As a studio, we always tie our work back to the people that we strive for - starting with the clients, the people that they demonstrate generosity to, building users, those who live in and around our work. The architectural expression is for the purpose of serving people - and any beauty, innovation, moments of calm or rest, any work done, any creative, any resolution and collaboration, are ultimately to serve this purpose. We don’t take our role as Architect lightly. We want to see people thrive, and our buildings are our craft and passion to make this happen.
We pour our hearts into our buildings because we care for the people that we touch.
With this in mind, we think being unprepared - or indeed underprepared - is a costly trap.
Like every major endeavour in life - whether planning a long trip away, training for a marathon, pursuing studies, practising an instrument, perfecting a craft - time spent in preparation has a direct effect on the outcome. The issue at hand isn’t what goes wrong when the preparation is short - that is a risk that you may choose to bear - but the cost of the unrealised potential of a home. This may be a subconscious cost - “things could have been better, and we may never know the difference” - but it can also be a real financial cost, if the building does not perform, deterioriates due to poor design, or is costly to heat and cool; or if a suboptimal outcome means that substantial renovations are sought within a short few years.
Delivering value - the EVER way
Firstly, you must understand that when it comes to costings, Architects deal primarily in area. Where we can help is producing good, functional, life-giving spaces that are structurally simple, effective and efficient in terms of services, and is as concise as possible. In today’s market, every square metre saved is worth literally thousands of dollars. Area is where our skills can have the biggest impact in terms of a good-value build.
To achieve such outcomes means committing to a good level of design testing and resolution. We don’t just design for the sake of creating beautiful or cool things - but, like practising on a piano, we strive and fight to strip away the unncessary noise and incohesion, and leave the essential elements that actually make the whole complete.
Good, resolved design has positive effects on the comfort and running costs of a building, and the wellbeing of its users, over its entire lifetime.
We also believe that an essentially good design can be fitted out in a simple way - ie. when the design is right, we don’t need fancy taps or expensive fixtures to “dress up” a drab or uninspiring space.
Extensive drawings are an integral part of your contract with the Builder. It allows projects to be more accurately priced, sets a general expectation for quality and outcome, and provides a better basis to assess any changes or variations that may come during the Construction process.
A well resolved design also means less risk of costly or imperfect on-site fixes or compromises. While we’re not perfect, we want to foresee as many potential problematic junctions or challenges as possible.
As part of our service, we typically obtain Trade Quotes for our clients for appliances, fixtures and selections. We want there to be transparency and fair pricing for clients and contractors alike.
Let’s talk value - not just low upfront costs
We understand that the Architect’s fees can still feel like a huge impost, especially at the beginning of a project. We want to reframe the conversation however - not about the cost of fees, but the value of what we deliver as Architects.
On purely monetary terms, a recent University of Melbourne study, as cited by this Domain article showed that
every $1 spent in architectural fees brought $11.40 in capital appreciation
for a $1.2 million house, over a decade the home-owner who employed an architect would be $256,000 better off than one who didn’t
While it’s arguable whether Melbourne data can be applied here in our Brisbane context, my personal opinion is that the general “gist” of the findings hold true. There is an upside to an architecturally designed home. The work that we put in is not worthless - it yields real outcomes and benefits for those who live, inhabit and use our work. The benefits are in the everyday lived experiences - and the financial win is a cherry on top.
How EVER approaches pricing in a fair and transparent way
Transparency and accountability is important to us. For this reason, we manage our projects using the Monday.com online platform, and our clients are able to access their project at any point. As we track our time accurately through this platform, we typically average 6 to 6.25 billable hours per day for each staff member - ie. clients will not be paying for our coffee-making downtime, or when we are answering small queries for other projects.
These systems allow us to structure our fees on an "Hourly Rate Cap" basis. That is:
Like most architectural practices, we provide a flat fee quote for each stage. Traditionally this was calculated from a percentage of the Cost of Works. Our flat fee caps are generally somewhere in the middle of the market, but better value than other established architectural firms.
We track our time accurately using Monday.com platform, and would be happy to charge you by Hourly Rate if it is lower than the equivalent Flat Fee claim. Our Hourly Rates are also very competitive when measured against our established competitors.
Our logic is that our client’s won't pay more than a fair "market rate" for their project, but if we reach the Hourly Rate Caps it's because we have put in more hours than our competitors would have budgeted for.
Let’s talk more about what value we can deliver for you
The process always starts with a free consultation. Get in touch today - I’d love to have a chat about how we can help you with your project!