Hi there,
Have to say this is a bit of a subjective question, but hopefully the
information below will help act as a guide.
This is an article written by 'expert' Marty Wilson who talks about
how and why architect fees can vary as well as various ways of helping
decide between multiple offers:
http://www.thespaceplace.net/columns/wilson0697.htm#architect
While this next link may not directly apply to your question, I find
that it really provides insight into how larger organizations go about
the process of finding architect, contractors, etc. To summarize the
article, this is an overview of the Alabama Building Commision's
process for hiring these types of people. The main points are:
1. Only include architects who will be involved in the
building/construction process
2. Set guidelines for the project
3. Use the guidelines to take bids from architects (since ABC is a
large organization, the bids come to them. You may have to go
searching for bids; the main thing to remember is that you need to
provide the architectural firms with identical "hard copies" of
information that outline the project)
4. After taking all bids you feel necessary, evaluate based on
criteria such as "related experience on similar projects, general
experience and competence of the firm and its principals, and
financial stability and resources of the firm. "
5. Conduct interviews, where you gain additional in-depth criteria
information such as "past performance on similar projects in regard to
quality of work, timely performance and ability to meet budgets. The
interview also gives the agency a feel for the personalities to be
involved in the project and how they might work with its organization.
Based on the discourse between architects and the public agency in the
interview, it is recommended that the firms be ranked by the selection
committee. "
6. Select the best group, and negotiate an agreement; "this acceptable
agreement includes the fee basis for the project, which cannot exceed
the basic fee rates as determined by the Building Commission
schedule."
http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2002/06/03/focus4.html
Now you can see that hiring architectural services involve more than
finding the cheapest price (usually measured as $/sq ft). The article
above mentions also that "warehouses and industrial projects have a
lower fee basis than elementary and secondary schools or correctional
facilities. Projects requiring extensive renovation are allowed more
fee." It really depends on the complexity of the building design.
You notice in Step 6 that basic fee rates are provided by the Alabama
Building Commision. Note that these are MAXIMUM prices per square foot
for various types of designs. You goal should be to lower this as much
as possible without compromising the quality of the project. "The
services of a qualified architect delivered at a fair and reasonable
fee, that provide the level of services necessary to translate the
agency's program requirements, life safety concerns and budget into
the design, are most likely to produce a project that exceeds the
owner's and the public's expectations."
I'm sure you're interested in the actual basic fee rates laid out by
the Building Commision schedule...since these vary by governing
region, why don't you tell me where this project is being done (using
a clarification) and I can hunt down the contact infomation or web
resources that will apply to your situation.
I hope you found this helpful...in summary when looking for an
architect it is important to not only consider fees, but also past
experience in similar projects, complexity of your desire design, size
(sq ft), firm reputation, and so forth.
Thanks for your inquiry; if you have any problems understanding the
information above feel free to post a clarification :)
Cheers,
answerguru-ga |
