Architects are highly trained and professionally qualified to turn your aspirations into reality. They will guide you through the design, planning, and construction process, whether you’re building a new structure or adapting an existing property.

Architects apply impartial and creative thinking to projects large and small. They add value, whether by maximizing light and space, adding functionality, or achieving the best return on your investment.

The architect should have a working agreement with terms under which they will be engaged, as well as all the necessary resources and competencies before any work is undertaken. It is in the interest of both parties to understand this agreement, which should clearly define the scope of the architect’s services and identify the associated terms and conditions.

It’s best to have an initial meeting with the architect to discuss your project plans, and they can explain the scope of their service.

In addition to the role of designer for your project, an architect may provide complementary management services:

– Project leader, facilitating the appointment of the design team and managing the project to meet program, cost, and quality requirements;

– Lead designer, coordinating design by consultants, specialists, and suppliers and communicating with you on important design issues;

– Contract administrator or employer’s agent, inviting and evaluating tenders, administering the construction contract, reporting on progress, and certifying payments due.

The fee is a matter of negotiation: there is no “standard” or “recommended” basis for calculation. The fee will reflect the project’s complexity, the scope of services to be provided, applicable stages, procurement method, construction cost, and project program.

When proposing a fee, your architect will provide the professional and financial resources necessary for your specific project and their conceptual skills and specialist knowledge, on which the project’s success will be based.
Complex projects are likely to require the highest level of resources, but larger projects may offer cost-saving and efficiency opportunities. When setting the project budget, consider that fees will be influenced by:

– the scope of the architect’s services and the procurement type

– the size and complexity of the project and any specific requirements

– works to existing buildings (renovation and extensions), which are likely to be significantly higher

– repetition – for example, a number of identical houses or warehouses/industrial units with the same design produced at the same location, in which case the fee may be adjusted to reflect the lower level of resources required

– if the design must be repeated in other projects or locations – when, for example, a design for a type of house must be repeated later by a contractor, an additional fee may be required.

Your architect’s fees will be related to the professional resources required to provide the services required at each of the stages.