ᐅ Initial Consultation with the Architect

Hello dear forum community,

we are planning to build our captain’s house next spring.

This afternoon we have our first meeting with an architect.
Since this meeting is free of charge, the question is, what should we expect?
Or even better, are there any do’s and don’ts?

Of course, we want to gather as much information as possible without putting the architect off right away.

Best regards
Raiko

Hello Raiko,

Kapitän schrieb:

This afternoon we have our first meeting with the architect. Since this meeting is free of charge, the question is, what can we expect?

How about understanding the meeting for what it was agreed to be?

An initial meeting with an architect primarily serves to get to know each other.

• Are you able to get along with each other or not?
• Do you like his demeanor?
• Do his references appeal to you?
• How does his cost structure look in case you decide to work together?

Kapitän schrieb:

Of course, we want to gather as much information as possible, but without putting the architect off right away.

"Does the chemistry fit?" That will develop naturally; however, if your gut feeling says "No" right after the greeting (this takes just a second), then you should trust it.

Best regards, Bauexperte

Bauexperte schrieb:


An initial meeting with the architect primarily serves to get to know each other.

That is probably true; building is a matter of trust, and it has to be the right fit.

Beforehand, we sent our architect the three classic questions by email: When / Where / What we want to build. This way, the first meeting already included initial plans, drawings, and a defined building structure.

Time is money, and if you spend time socializing with five different architects, you can quickly lose interest in the whole process.

Many skilled architects are not strong salespeople. Getting to know each other and being able to assess one another requires more than just one meeting. While the "salesperson" might be "unmasked" in follow-up conversations, a truly good architect can demonstrate expertise in these subsequent discussions.

Therefore, I would not rely too heavily on the first impression and, if possible, place more trust in good references and the appearance of past projects.