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------------------------------------------- Thomas Casey AIA Architect Thomas Casey, AIA, Associates Bend OR ------------------------------------------- This sounds like Design Counseling - collaborative meetings in which the client presents his or her needs and the counselor helps identify and solve problems. providing information and resources to meet those needs. Design Counseling is essentially Pre - Design offered as a stand-alone service which may lead to full basic architectural services eventually. But that is not its purpose; it's a limited service in which the necessary work is completed in one or two meetings. I believe most people without much if any experience in building are wary of engaging an architect unless or until it is absolutely necessary, particularly in the residential field. The popular notion is that we are an expensive and unaffordable luxury. In the initial stages of project inception they are not ready to commit to "blueprints" and therefore believe they do not need an architect. They are more likely to talk to a realtor, banker, contractor or interior designer before an architect. The critical fact is that the very first decisions to be made, before the first sketches, are frequently the most important, such as space requirements, site selection and evaluation, zoning constraints, approximate comprehensive costs and budget, market consideration, building performance targets etc... Significant mistakes can be made in this phase that dog the project throughout and cause unnecessary, often crippling expense. Architects are uniquely equipped to address these subjects and provide information. Design Counseling is an effective way for architects to be involved in the early planning stages of residential projects. If the clients know the architect will work to minimize costs and give fully objective information and advice, and they know the tme and costs are limited to a simple amount clients will be willing to seek us out sooner rather than later. It is a way to make the architect's ideas and specialized information and resources available to clients who don't want or need the full spectrum or delivery of architectural design services, thereby expanding the population to which architects have relevance. For the architect this can be great filler work, as the time requirements are relatively small, and it is a way to be paid while possibly developing executable projects. It is also a way to manage the inevitable disbursement of "freebies" resulting from the informal piece-meal requests for information and opinion. But more importantly it is a way for architects to make a significant contribution at project inception to the benefit of the client, increasing value for the profession in the eyes of the public.
Show Original Message
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-26-2012 09:14
From: Eric Rawlings
Subject: Fwd: $349 for three hours of architectural consulting, plans & a 3-D image of your design
Although I find 3 hours of time to be very short to come up with a meaningful design for any renovation project, this designer isn't lowering their hourly worth. They're still clocking over $100/hr. If they can entice their potential clients with $349 worth of bait, then good for them. They aren't claiming this $349 fee will pass for permitting. Where would these clients go anyway? A plan book for custom home renovations? A builder? Pay a firm $20K for a commercial grade set of house renovation plans and a spec book? Are they really degrading the business or taking work from YOU? If we don't recognize our profession's devastation and react in a way that we evolve with this new day and age, then we run the risk of marginalizing ourselves even more than we already have. Regular people can't afford tens of thousands of dollars for residential designs. If we can't figure out how to express our design ideas for a price they can afford that doesn't diminish our worth, then we'll always remain a very small group with little influence in the construction industry and how the law is written that effects the profession as a whole. Reduce your services to reduce your fee! Don't just take a pay cut. Get creative about offering your skills to the people we priced out of our products over the last 100 years, i.e. 97% of America. It's amazing we have survived as a profession this long by designing for so few. If you want the average American to appreciate good design, then YOU need to figure out how to offer it to them in the first place. What good is it doing us to stubbornly insist that Architectural houses can only be designed for a price that only millionaires and billionaires can afford?
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Eric Rawlings AIA
Owner
Rawlings Design, Inc.
Decatur GA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-25-2012 10:18
From: Allen Neyman
Subject: Fwd: $349 for three hours of architectural consulting, plans & a 3-D image of your design
A friend forwarded an unsolicited email, the content of it appears below, names of the innocent removed. It came with multiple other solicitations for couch cleaning, power washing, and bed bug removal (by other vendors, apparently), from the "Service Alley". Has anyone ever seen anything like this? And does it sound like a good deal to you?
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: $349 for three hours of architectural consulting, plans & a 3-D image of your design From: Service Alley <deals@servicealley.com> To: [deleted] The Service Alley Deal $349 for three hours of architectural consulting, plans & a 3-D image of your design Offered by: Buras Architecture http://tracking.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=4063490:1169BA9FBA5A86F9B8CD4DDDFDE0AAEA238FC43D82B6DEA4& $900 value 61% discount $551 savings Check out this deal: http://tracking.whatcounts.com/t?ctl=4063491:1169BA9FBA5A86F9B8CD4DDDFDE0AAEA238FC43D82B6DEA4& Details: In this deal, Buras Architecture will first provide one hour of focused discussion with you about your home and architectural needs & desires. They'll then spend two hours performing design studio work and will then give you a final design plan, including a simple 3-D image of the design. This is a great chance to explore some of the remodeling thoughts you've had and get some expert guidance on the possibilities. Plus, you'll come out of it with some actual designs! The Service Alley Deal #2
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Allen Neyman AIA
Principal
StovallSmithNeyman and Associates Architects
Germantown MD
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