Why can’t an architect get a break?

We must be doing something wrong. It seems that architects always have to fight to justify our value. Perhaps we don’t do a very good job illustrating our value proposition. Or, perhaps others have done a better job bringing down the expectation of what a design professional can do. Consider all of the do-it-yourself home improvement shows. After a while, you begin to think anyone that has the motor skills to swing a hammer or pull the trigger on a drill can complete construction. And what the construction is to become is just a matter of preference. And as I found on my past vacation watching cable television with my wife, I can't help but look at approaches others are taking with owners that inevitably costs them more money, to end with a final product that looks nice, but most maddening to me is knowing they could have got more for those construction dollars if they invested in an architect at the beginning (we have subsequently decided not to watch those shows together for a while, my comments were a bit too distracting).

As an architect, we do bring that sense of design which has been taught and practiced to be more than just what we prefer. It is what has worked in the past, an understanding of scale obtained from completing prior projects, studying complete environments, and knowing the history behind architecture and why we enjoy the spaces we enjoy. But, more importantly, one of the architect’s best values is their extensive understanding of laws, codes, building regulations, zoning ordinances, and what design elements are hot points, while others could be submitted for variance. Nonetheless, we have to constantly explain to an owner why a fee of 6-7% is very reasonable when considering how we are the one team player that coordinates all of the other team players and can oversee the design and construction to be sure the owner knows what to expect before starting, and to know it won’t be shut down later because it was an illegal structure or missing critical life-safety items. Have you considered to the cost of not hiring an architect?

What blows my mind from a business standpoint is the fact a building owner doesn’t seem to bully the realtor to reduce their commission. Perhaps they do and the realtor is able to stand his ground, he knows no one else is going to do it cheaper, that 6% commission is sacred. But with architects, there always seems to be another cheaper designer who is willing to take a chance, not perform the due diligence, and really doesn’t care about the owner or the public, but just wants to make a few bucks. Yes, that seems to be one of the most challenging aspects to defining our value proposition, explaining why every apple isn’t the same. Just because she is licensed and I am licensed doesn’t mean we will give you the same service, or bring the same value to the table…