When a building or site design project is part of your future, it is essential that you gain a full understanding of the journey that you are about to start.
If you are considering developing a new building, renovating an existing building, a tenant improvement, or a full site development project you will need to engage several design professionals.
The process begins with finding the right team to bring your vision to life. As an Architect with CSHQA for over 35 years, John Maulin, AIA has seen many ways that design professional services are procured and engaged. Here’s his list of 10 crucial questions to ask potential professional designers or design team:
1. Do you have the experience or expertise that my project needs?
What you are looking for in this answer is how long the design professional has been practicing in their field. Can they provide examples of projects that are like the one you have in mind, and are they experienced in dealing with government agencies such as planning and zoning, building departments, or health departments? Of course, you want to be sure that they are licensed and registered in the state where your project is located.
2. Can you describe how you would approach my needed design?
This question seeks to understand the design professional’s planning and approach to the design process. It aims to explore their design philosophy, influences, where their passions are centered, and whether they can envision the project and describe how they will engage you in the process. They may answer in various ways since not all projects are the same. You should provide enough context and background about your project before asking this question.
3. Can you help me understand the steps in this process and your thoughts on the project timeline?
The intent of this question is to prompt a discussion or narrative, rather than just a simple answer. It centers on navigating the design process and considering the project timeline. The response should guide you on how to initiate the process and provide details on each step, seeking advice and actionable concepts.
For example, the answer might sound like this:
Your initial conversations with a design professional should delve into the specifics of your vision. Once the feasibility of the site for your project is established, the journey begins with the predesign phase; a collaborative stage where you conceptualize the design with the professional designers and your team. As the process unfolds, the design professional should also elaborate on the progression from a conceptual stage, layering in more thought and detail, to the point where a comprehensive set of construction documents are created. The project schedule can be monitored as the design process is conducted.
The design professional should be able to clearly answer this question with all the nuance that may be required for your project. A great follow-up question could be: How often can I expect updates on the progress of my project?
4. How do you see communication being conducted?
This question is centered on how the designer intends to foster/create effective communication throughout the design process. The response should include a detailed discussion of a structured approach that emphasizes regular interactions. The designer should elaborate on various meetings integral to the process, such as: project kickoff, design workshops, owner reviews, progress meetings, and key milestones.
They likely will also discuss contemporary communication methods that may be utilized. Owners, architects and engineers, and contractors have software solutions that leverage centralized platforms for secure access to project-related files, drawings, and specifications. It is reasonable to expect the designer to use communication via email for quick updates and documentation purposes. Considering that design professionals produce a variety of deliverables such as renderings and videos, they might also utilize platforms like MS Teams for efficient file transfer.
5. How do you structure your fees?
In my experience, the answer needs to be comprehensive, clear, and detailed. The information you are likely seeking pertains to how the project design fee is structured. The response should provide insight into whether it’s based on hourly rates, fixed fees, or a percentage of the project cost. This question is crucial for understanding the fee structure, enabling you to anticipate budget requirements and ensure transparency.
The design professional should be capable of clearly defining the scope of work and the services they anticipate providing. The fee should be commensurate with the scope of the work, ensuring a fair and reasonable compensation arrangement.
6. How do you collaborate with other professionals involved in the project?
This question assumes that the design professional is collaborating with other design professionals and consultants. What you are seeking is an understanding of the various design professionals expected to be part of your project and how they will be engaged. Typically, the design professional should answer the question by describing the process of how the team will work on your behalf. There are several ways to contract various design professionals, including: A. You engage and hold contracts for all design consultants, where the agreement with the lead consultant notes that they shall collaboratively manage the design workflow for you; B. You engage the lead consultant, who then hires all or most of the other design professionals to work as a team; C. You provide some of the services yourself, while the lead consultant offers some of the other design services.
The answer may also discuss the typical design professionals needed for your project.
7. What is your approach to sustainable and eco-friendly design:
This question aims to gain insights from the design professional regarding the approach to integrating environmental considerations into your projects. Addressing environmental design concerns has become increasingly prevalent across various project types. A comprehensive response from the design professional could encompass strategies, methodologies, and specific practices employed to ensure the incorporation of sustainable and environmentally conscious elements in the project’s design and execution.
8. Can you provide references from previous clients?
This question is rather straightforward and should be easy to answer. You may want to indicate that you are looking for references that are relevant, current, and aligned with the type of project that you intend to be working on.
9. What will be included in our contract?
This question assumes that you are open to various ways of contracting your design professionals. There are various industry contracts available, and your design professional may offer you a few options. If you intend to use your own internal contract, then the question should be related to their ability to accept your contract format. Contracting is an important process and will require a collaborative approach to ensure that all details are outlined and aligned with the intent of the project scope of services.
10. How do you handle unforeseen issues or changes during the project?
You are looking for several answers to this question. A skilled design professional is adept at navigating such challenges, employing a proactive and adaptive approach to ensure the project’s continued success.
They should discuss what they typically do when faced with unexpected issues. Some of these steps may be as follows: conduct a thorough assessment to understand the nature and scope of the problem. This involves collaborating closely with the project team, contractors, and other stakeholders to gather diverse perspectives and insights. Keep up clear communication. They may discuss how they will leverage their expertise to propose viable solutions and how to integrate their other design consultants into the process.
Since the question is focused on what the design professional creates, they should comment on identifying how to approach this process: Effective collaboration with the design professional that specifically created the work, providing transparent communication with the client, and updates to those involved. They may offer alternative options that they have used in previous projects.
You should hear that the design professional will be proactive in managing potential impacts on the project’s timeline and budget.
The most successful projects are those where expectations are clear and communication is strong. By asking questions like these, you can make sure your project gets off to the right start, with the right people on your team.