Awarding the Project: Design Firm or Individual Architect?

Many are faced with the following dilemma: Will I hire an individual (architect) or hire a top notch design firm to do my project? The answer to that depends on the scale of the project and the skill of the architect.

Usually, an individual practicing architect can do what a 10-man design firm can - from a house to a medium sized commercial building - all on his own. However, for large scale or high-rise projects such as a 30 storey office tower where huge amounts of design development is required, a design firm is needed for better productivity. There are exceptions to this argument though, since an individual architect (if project concentration permits) can also do bigger projects by assembling a team of his most trusted professionals in an instant. Although working with an individual architect or a design firm each has its unique differences, you should never forget their most important qualifications: license and experience, as explained below.

The architect is the professional who guides you through the design and construction process. Licensed to practice architecture, the architect is the only professional specially trained to design the places in which people live and work and to manage all aspects of potentially complex projects from design through construction.

Licensure as an architect is the result of a special educational process, rigorous training, and completion of a complex series of exams. An architect usually has five years of professional schooling and two years’ experience in the workplace before becoming eligible to take the licensing examination. Only licensed architects may use the title “ARCHITECT” and their project drawings should bear the architect’s seal before construction may begin.

A wide range of projects can benefit from the involvement of an architect. Most architects are both general practitioners and specialists — that is, while many have special expertise or preference for one or more types of projects, most can work on many types of buildings.