Architectural design is progress.
A couple of weeks ago on Mike Hosking’s morning radio show, Mike suggested that if he wanted a new house he would sit down with his builder, and they would design the house together. I was stunned and then thought he was right. He and his builder could design a builder’s house. Anybody can.
I suppose I was also stunned when a self-proclaimed snob and car aficionado didn’t see the need to use an architect. He obviously understands the difference between a Lada and a Range Rover but not between a builder’s house and an architect’s house.
It’s simple. Do you want a car designed by a mechanic – and he maybe, a very good mechanic – or a trained car designer? While the mechanic is involved with the engine, the car designer is involved with every aspect of the car design.
We look forward to a new model of car for the improvements, the better performance, more features, and the new styling.
Architect-designed houses are the same. Architects introduce new materials, new construction methods, better performance, and new styling. Builders complain about the changes but five years later those improvements become the norm.
I remember the resistance to changing 2.4m-high ceilings to 2.7m-high ceilings – and now 3m plus. The industry geared up for the changes and produced longer lengths of gib board and painter’s stilts.
Then I realised architects haven’t done a great job of promoting themselves. Builders have a great skill but there is a set of documents they are following. Those documents not only comply with building code requirements and structural elements but reflect hours of client discussions to develop a brief of what they want, what the site allows, and what the client didn’t realise they wanted before the discussions started.
paul@leuschkekahn.co.nz | 021 894 895 | leuschkekahn.co.nz
