Why should you hire an Architect?

In this post, I want to explore what seems apparent for any architect but rarely articulated with any real conviction or clarity; why would one want to hire an architect for a residential project when they can have a builder’s draftsperson do the plans for a fraction of the cost? In Hawaii, there is a full range of residential architecture from the small ohana to the 20,000 sf. custom homes on the coast. Inevitably, unless the client is a veteran of the construction process, the question will arise. The architect will tell the clients that they should hire an architect to produce superior design, protect their interests and make sure the clients get what they are paying for. The builder will argue that they can do the drawings for free “in-house” and can do whatever the client wishes. This seems to be the toughest issue to for new homebuilders to get over. The spending of 7-10% of their construction budgets on design, drawings and construction administration rarely is understood until they have been through the process.

Here are some recent statements I have found;

“The Architect is the one professional who has education and experience to guide you through the entire design and construction process, from helping you define what you want to build to helping you define what you want to build to helping you get the most for your construction budget.”

“Architects can see the big picture. They don't just design walls and a roof, they create total environments, interiors and exteriors, that satisfy functional needs and can be exciting, dynamic spaces in which to live.”

“Whether you are remodeling, adding on, or building from scratch, the architect can guide the way. Working with contractors and other construction professionals, architects can help you end up with a well-designed project that meets your needs and works with your budget and time frame.”

“That is what architects are trained to do—solve problems in creative ways. With their broad knowledge of design and construction, architects can show you alternatives and options you might never think of on your own. “

“The architect's services are a wise investment for the money, not an added cost to your project. A well-conceived project can be built more efficiently and economically. Architects plan your project with you. As your ideas evolve, changes can be made on paper—much less expensively than later on when construction is underway. Thorough drawings also make it easier for the contractor to accurately price and build your project.”

“A good architect will anticipate your needs - even if you are not sure how to express them.”

“Architects provide a broad range of services and can provide value at every stage of the design and construction process. By working directly with you and assessing your requirements in great depth, the architect tailors the design to suit your personality, needs, budget, and lifestyle. The architect’s extensive study of design alternatives allows you to choose the design most appropriate to your needs. An architect’s knowledge of site-planning and natural energy processes helps accommodate your project to the site characteristics and neighborhood context. By overseeing construction, your architect helps to make sure that your project is built according to design.”

So each of the above statements makes sense and is true in most cases; however they all have a sense of a sales pitch. I have yet to come across a really compelling version of these reasons. In addition, there are always bad architects and bad builders that negate any of these above arguments.

Most of the examples residential architecture in Hawaii that I have personal experience on has had an architect. Many have had major change orders as well. The word “change order” has somehow become a pejorative term associated with architect’s failure to perform. In reality, rarely are change orders the result of architect’s negligence. More than likely they are from the client’s wishes to change something under construction, which is costly. This is typically caused from a client not thoroughly understanding the design prior to construction and can be mitigated through using an architect. A good architect will effectively convey the actual design early on in the design process so that the client is not surprised when it is built. Current software makes three dimensional presentations a simple and effective way to achieve this.

So in the meantime I will continue to research this subject and provide updates. I would welcome any comments from the peanut gallery…

Sustainable Architecture in Hawaii

Sustainable Architecture in Hawaii

I recently came across the farming technique of Aquaponics. I think it has real potential to augment the fishing component of the ahupua’a* in Hawaii, as well as alternative architectural solutions. It is a quite remarkable system, the dual cultivation of crops and fish (typically) in a re-circulating environment. Fish waste builds up in the water as a by-product. The effluent-rich water becomes poisonous to the fish.

Crops are grown in a way that enables them to utilize the nutrient-rich water. The crops take up the nutrients, reducing or eliminating the water's toxicity for the fish.

The water, now clean, is returned to the aquatic animal environment and the cycle continues. Aquaponic systems do not discharge or exchange water. The systems rely on the natural relationship between the aquatic animals and the plants to maintain the environment. Water is only added to replace water loss from absorption by the plants, evaporation into the air, or the removal of biomass from the system.

The farm we visited was north of Honoka’a, Hawaii. It was started by a couple in 2007 and is apparently the first to have its produce USDA certified organic. They are shipping 2,600 pounds of lettuce and 300 pounds of tilapia per month.

We recently were discussing a project in Hawaii requiring green roofs and this seemed like a perfect option for the architecture. The mass of the water would not only provide insulation, but aesthetics of the planting could be continually rotated. As an architect in Hawaii, it is our responsibility to embrace these new technologies. They could be integrated into the architecture easily and could be expressed in a contemporary way.

* a system that emphasized the interrelationship of nature and humans, the ahupua`a contained those interrelationships in the activities of daily and seasonal life. Shaped by the Hawaiian island geography, each ahupua`a was a wedge-shaped area of land running from the mountains (volcanos) to the sea, following the natural boundaries of the watershed. Each ahupua`a contained the resources the community required, from fish and salt, to land for farming, other trees growing in upslope areas. Villagers from the coast traded fish for other foods or for koa wood to build canoes and houses. Specialized knowledge and resources peculiar to a small area were also shared among ahupua`a. Although there was no private ownership of property, land tenure was stable. They paid weekly labor taxes and annual taxes to the local overseer, who collected goods to support the chief and his court. The konohiki supervised communal labor within the ahupua`a and also regulated land, water and ocean use. Stewardship of the land and its resources was formalized through the kapu system.

Contemporary Hawaiian Architecture

In this initial blog I want to explore aspects of contemporary architecture in Hawaii. It seems to me, despite the recent residential building boom here on the Big Island, there are few examples of design that really push any boundaries. Even the Legoretta house, which has some great spaces and excellent detailing, does little to inspire me. I understand the challenges with development in the residential communities here, whether it is the design review guidleines (committees), NIMBY's or a client's unwillingness to stand out from his/her peers.


These constraints tend to produce residential products with a superficial applied individuality. I have worked on a number of these homes in the recent past for an architect in Waimea. Although the floor plans usually were well designed to give potential to the massing, this is where it stopped. The floors where then quickly extruded and grappling with clumsy roof pitches that had to be tied together, formed the next design phase. Selecting the roofing material, wood species and plaster color was all that left to do.


I am not saying good contemporary Hawaii Architecture needs to be flat roofed with lots of glass and stainless steel on a rectangular lot on the ocean. If the designer considers other elements besides program area and circulation, the solutions will be much richer, embedded with consideration for isses such as; site selection, sustainability, culture, symbolism, context, views, feng-shui, spatial relationships, massing, site integration, etc...


There are a few good examples on island where some of these issues are considered, Lot 60 at Kukio and the Sato residence at Pu'u Lani. Lot 60 took a traditional Hawaiian home and expressed all the elements in a minimalist, clean approach. The effect was mixed... as an architect, I appreciated the attention to detail (mortar joints aligned, flawless semetry, material palette) however the typology was understood even before I entered the home.

One of my past projects, the Slim Alta house in St. Louis is not Hawaiian, however it does take a unique approach which could still be a valid approach to a contemporary home in Hawaii. The site was an irregular lot in a subdivision that had never been developed. An easment cut through the site and had access only to half of the site, which was on a hillside. The unusual contraints forced the stacking of the program creating a dramatic solution with the cantilevered living room and exterior views from all major spaces.

The idea of seeking unusual sites with inherant challenges can actually provide opportunity for unique contemporary architecture. I believe this approach would be applicable for Hawaii archtiects as well. Allowing the site to inform the massing, utilizing all local materials and employing appropriate sustainable practices.

more later....

Hawaii Architect getting started blogging

Aloha,

This is Stephen Green from Stephen Green Architecture, LLC starting his first blog. Actually I have to go to an engagement party now, but I promise to write more savory stuff tomorrow! Good Sustainable stuff!

In the meantime, check out www.sgreenarc.com

Mahalo!

Stephen