Hiring an architect is not quite like hiring a builder, and not quite like commissioning an artist. It’s closer to a working partnership – one where you bring the brief, the aspirations, the final say, and ideally a genuine curiosity about what the project could become. I bring the expertise, the judgement, and the professional accountability. The best versions of this relationship are ones where both sides are fully engaged: where the client is willing to be challenged, and the architect is willing to listen. That combination is where the most interesting work comes from.
Sometimes that partnership lasts a few months; sometimes it extends over years and multiple projects. Even when a project is short, I’ll still check in periodically after completion to see how things are going. That’s not a formality – it is how the relationship actually works.
The process is iterative from the start, particularly during briefing and concept design when there is the most contact between us. I present ideas, you respond, I revise and develop. It’s a genuine back and forth, and the quality of that conversation shapes the project as much as anything I produce at my desk. There will be quieter periods – Technical Design, in particular, involves less for you to input on, and it’s normal to feel slightly out of the loop during that phase. But the earlier stages are where the most significant decisions are made. I’ll advise on layouts, materials, and approach, but those bigger-picture choices are ultimately yours. My role is to guide and inform them, not to make them for you.
Disagreements are a natural part of any working relationship, and this one is no different. You may ask me to design something a particular way; I may think a different approach would serve the project better, or that a certain decision isn’t possible because it contravenes building regulations. Sometimes the pushback is about energy performance – a layout change that looks straightforward might compromise the building’s thermal envelope, or a material substitution might undermine what we are trying to achieve with the fabric of the building. That pushback is protective – it is there to prevent time and money being spent rectifying problems, or to bring experience to bear in a way that helps you get the best possible outcome.
It is worth also understanding the contract administration role, which is less straightforward than it might appear. When I administer the building contract I act as your agent, but I also have a professional duty to be fair to the contractor. I’m not simply on your side against the builder – I am there to ensure the contract is administered honestly and correctly, which in the long run protects everyone involved.
There are moments where I’ll hold my position firmly, and that is most likely when it comes to legal and safety compliance – not out of stubbornness, but because the consequences of getting it wrong fall on everyone: you, me, anyone who visits the building, and the contractor. As a professional I sign up to two codes of conduct: those of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Architects Registration Board. Both require me to act with honesty, integrity, and competence, and to keep the public interest in mind. That last point matters here – legal and safety compliance is not just about your project, it is about the standards that buildings are held to for everyone who uses them. That’s not a constraint I resent; it’s the foundation the whole relationship rests on.
Some relationships last well beyond the initial project, and those are the ones I value most. I’ve worked with clients across multiple commissions – designing extensions as families grow, setting out barn buildings in adjacent fields, creating gym and office buildings ancillary to an original house. The work I find most rewarding tends to share certain qualities: a genuine ambition for what the building can be, an openness to low-energy design, and a client who wants to understand the thinking rather than simply receive a set of drawings. Working with someone a second or third time is different in the best way: trust is already established, expectations are calibrated, and the work tends to be better for it.
Relationships can break down, and when they do, poor communication is almost always at the root of it. Misaligned expectations erode trust quietly and quickly – if you’re unclear about the process, unsure of your responsibilities, or uncertain about a direction things are taking, those doubts compound. They’re much easier to resolve early than late. You should always feel able to pick up the phone or meet over a coffee to talk things through. If that starts to feel difficult – if there’s something you’ve been meaning to raise but haven’t – that’s worth paying attention to. Projects take time, and you’ll spend a significant part of that time in conversation with your architect. Beyond the portfolio and the fees, the quality of that relationship is a real criterion for choosing who you work with. If you dread making the call, something is already wrong. I’m always glad to have an initial conversation – get in touch and we can talk about working together.