What an architect brings to your project
An architect acts as the coordinator for your building project and is typically hired as the prime consultant. They guide you through the design and construction process and, together with you, help manage your budget. Retaining an architect helps ensure your project's requirements and expectations are met.
Ways to engage an architect
Quality Based Selection
Most often used by building committees representing institutions, corporations, or public and private agencies. QBS matches your project with the best-qualified architect — someone you can build the kind of professional relationship with that allows for the in-depth discussion a complex project needs.
Selection uses pre-determined, value-based criteria: the architect's history and capability to perform the work, relevant experience on similar projects, familiarity with the local area and facilities, project-management skill, and design approach. Two or more architects are compared, and the client chooses the one most likely to deliver the project successfully.
Direct Commissioning
Most often used for smaller projects. You choose an architect based on the expertise your project needs, their reputation, familiarity with the location, a personal acquaintance, or a recommendation — sometimes because you admired a similar project they designed. The decision often comes down to rapport and your comfort level with that particular architect.
When you're clear on your objectives, requirements, budget, and desired outcomes, good results follow more easily.
Request for Proposals
Many public organizations need a selection process that's transparent and competitive, to show they've chosen responsibly. An RFP is either open to all professionals or follows an Expression of Interest (EOI) stage that produces a short-list.
Because hiring a prime consultant isn't like buying a commodity, the RFP is a critical tool. Building projects are complex, multifaceted undertakings with many unknowns, and a qualified team brings the creative, technical, and management skill to address them — the result is long-term value. A thorough, fair RFP lets you compare the professional services on offer. The AANB office can provide an RFP content checklist to make sure your RFP meets both your needs and those of the proponents.