ᐅ Searching for an Architect in the Paderborn Area – Timber Construction

Hello everyone,

can anyone help me find an architect in Paderborn? Somehow, I can't find anyone who truly specializes in timber construction or has experience in this area.
We would like to have the first three service phases planned (up to the design development stage) and then use this to invite bids from different construction companies.

Best regards

Bauen1899 schrieb:

Can someone help me find an architect in Paderborn? Somehow, I can't find anyone who is really specialized in timber construction or has experience in that area.

Yes, but could you explain your preference for timber construction?

Bauen1899 schrieb:

We would like to have the first three service phases planned (up to the schematic design) and then tender with this to various construction companies.

I would already start inquiries during the design development phase and also, at least for comparison, ask those specializing in masonry.

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Would you consider contributing to the threads you started once again? ... At least you stopped by here from time to time ... but without responding to follow-up questions or suggestions, it’s hard to make real progress in helping you :-(

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We have been considering for a while whether to build with wood or traditional masonry. Both options have clear advantages and disadvantages, but a decision needs to be made before the design planning and tendering phase.

We generally have a preference for wood and also feel that the often mentioned "great" indoor climate in wooden houses really appeals to us more. However, as said... there is no absolute better choice; it is more of a matter of personal preference. Financially, it currently doesn’t seem to make much difference.

Opinions on the service phases vary widely as well. Some say you should at least complete service phase 5, otherwise the offers won’t be comparable. Others argue that depending on the builder, there might be good reasons to make changes later, so it would be problematic if the building permit / planning permission had already been submitted, and so on. As a layperson without many builder contacts, I find it difficult to decide. But maybe, like with many other topics, I am overthinking it, and there are simply many ways to reach the goal—you just have to make a decision (like choosing the wooden house) without knowing for sure if it’s the right one.

There are also providers like bauträgersuche.de (am I even allowed to mention that here?) who promote offering free design planning plus tendering to construction companies and comparison of offers, recovering their costs through the builder. But that’s probably a simplistic calculation, and the cost is likely just added on by the builder, right?

Do architects always charge according to service phases? I heard from a distant acquaintance that he only had a house draft (a sketch of the floor plan, etc.) created for a few thousand and then tendered. In my previous inquiries for service phases 1-3, I tend to end up around €12,000.

I will be going out again shortly and will probably be able to respond in more detail this evening – maybe you could respond to my post in your other thread in the meantime (?)

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Bauen1899 schrieb:

We have been thinking for a while about whether to build with wood or masonry. Both options have clear pros and cons, but you definitely need to decide before the design planning and tendering phase.
[...] But maybe, as often with other topics, I’m overthinking it and there are simply many ways to get to the goal, and you just have to make a decision (like choosing a wooden house) without knowing for sure if it’s the right one.

You clearly recognize that 1. both construction methods are equally valid, and 2. the decision should be made before the design planning phase (tendering comes much later). That’s why I also recommend making a preliminary decision during the waiting period (between "Module A" – see "A house-building roadmap, also for you: the HOAI phase model!" – and stage 3).

Bauen1899 schrieb:

We generally prefer wood and have the feeling that the often-mentioned “great” indoor climate in wooden houses really suits us better. But as I said... there is certainly no “better,” it is more of a matter of personal preference. Financially, at the moment, it probably makes little difference anyway.

[E]ither[/E] it makes no fundamental financial difference (meaning depending on the specific design, sometimes wood is better, sometimes masonry) [E]or[/E] there is a difference regarding the “great indoor climate.” The “flesh balance / fruit content in the juice” – how much the wall truly deserves the label “wood” – is laughably low in wood frame panel houses, but it is cost-comparable with masonry houses. The ecologically sustainable genuinely wooden house, however, is clearly a premium option price-wise for those with private insurance.

Bauen1899 schrieb:

Opinions on the contract stages vary widely. Some say you should at least do stage 5 because otherwise the offers won’t be comparable. Others say that, depending on the builder, there may be good reasons to still make changes, and it would be unfortunate if the building permit was already submitted, etc.

I recommend not skipping stage 5, first because it pays off and also makes technical sense, and second, that it be done by the planner responsible for stage 3. Stage 5 is also the basis for tendering but is not alone sufficient as a foundation—especially in the hands of non-experts. Feel free to clarify what you heard in your last sentence.

Bauen1899 schrieb:

There are providers like [name omitted intentionally] who advertise offering free design planning plus tendering to construction companies and comparison service, covering their costs through the builder. But that is probably just an optimistic calculation, and the costs get added on by the construction company, right?

Who the generous benefactor covering these costs would be is unclear to me. In my experience, the client pays the fees, which can be kept reasonable by involving builders fairly and transparently. That means the contacted companies recognize the quality of the inquiry, which does not come from a dreamer, spoiler, or hobby price-comparison enthusiast but from a reasonably advised serious prospective builder. This significantly reduces companies’ failed investments in customer acquisition. How the provider you mentioned handles this, I do not know. Architect effort just “informally” generates costs that someone must cover. We have discussed cases here where an architectural firm had the builder pay planning costs afterward. But that requires agreements which the provider you mentioned clearly rejects.

Bauen1899 schrieb:

Do you have to pay architects by contract stages? I heard from a remote acquaintance that he had only a house design (a sketch of the living space layout, etc.) made for a few thousand and then tendered. In my previous inquiries for stages 1–3, I end up at about €12,000.

Architect fees are negotiable. A fully qualified, licensed architect is generally only required for the building permit application. Therefore, many architecture students and draftsmen offer basic floor plan drawings up to 3D presentations as side jobs instead of waiting tables or driving taxis. I recommend (see above, the quoted roadmap to be searched online) commissioning architects in modules, also varying from the mid-stages depending on construction method, and very importantly, inserting a waiting period between the preliminary design and the final design phase—which, as mentioned, is ideal for deciding on the construction method. Therefore, returning to your initial question, it makes little sense from my perspective and experience to lock yourself into an architect specialized only in timber construction already for “Module A.”

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