I would be interested to hear from those who started doing commercial/institutional projects and successfully transitioned to residential projects. Is there a large learning curve when it comes to designing homes? How easy is it to make the transition?
i was sitting at the dining room table with a husband and wife when she casually remarked "it's a wonder we've stayed married this long" when characterizing their differences of opinion.
i was telling my boss about a side gig (small addition) i was working on and he gave me this advice: "make you sure you get both husband and wife to sign the 'approved' preliminary drawings"...
I actually really enjoyed dealing with the neurotic residential clients. I think if you can handle a meddling wealthy housewife and a husband with a large pocket book, corporate clients are a cinch!
I learnt a lot about running a small business, detailing and getting lots of stuff built when I worked in residential. Its a wild fun stressful ride.
i'm still waiting for the lawyer to call to set up part 2 of my deposition: the suit between my last residential client and the contractor, still not resolved after 2+yrs.
part 1 was about four hours.
i started this project in summer '04, construction started jan '05, construction completed with the second contractor sep '07.
i loved residential arch...of course, it is great to be more on the design/build rather than just design(i have done both)! you can get into a lot more and understand that whole organism of a building and its relationship to the landscape...
BUT don't in anyway think it is easier. it is much more into the details amd dealing with the odd clients, but it all is amazing when you find the perfect fit for them. to see even their furniture come and work with the house and their personalities (i hate those that have to be photographed with rented furniture).
one of the worst things is that they (all clients, contractors,realtors, int. designers, developers, etc) believe they can do better than you and your an idiot that they HAVE to work with! when you get the good one...oh what a dream!
We have a repeat client who is a builder. He builds a semi-spec house, moves his family in for a couple years, then builds the next one and moves on. He has FINALLY realized he is paying us for a reason and things will go better in the end if he listens to me. He'll say things like- "this would've worked a lot better the way you designed it." Ummm, yeah.
Although I think every project ends up with some non-code, post-C.O. bootleg stairway to a kids play room in the attic or similar.
basically everyone else working in res construction thinks architects are idiots.
part of it is the fact that you don't do much CA, so when the builder finds a drawing conflict or error, instead of calling the architect, he just solves it in his own f**d up way, and then complains to everyone about what a dummy the architect is...
1) Learn as much as you can about human pyschology. If you have a therapist already who can help explain to you how everyone is feeling / thinking, the irrational way that clients (and "general contractors") in residential construction behave will make much more sense. Be prepared for a lot of emotional stress.
2) Learn how to talk about money in very detailled ways with people who attach a lot of emotional feeling to the subject. Be prepared to be firm with people who don't pay on time. Remember to always show you are the professional and you are in control--this is invaluable when they inevitably question how long it takes / should have taken for you to produce a drawing or design.
3) Get a lawyer now, right away, who will tailor a specific small project contract for you. This should include very specific details about what is considered to be a "design change" (definition) and who pays what for any design changes. This should also have very strict clauses regarding construction observation that are linked to the length of construction -- ie, when the project invariably runs 3 months long, you will still be paid for your additional CA hours. Describe all of this up front to the client, without scaring them away--be very matter of fact and understanding about it, but also very firm. Tell them that once they have made a design on a design or finish, and it is approved in the meeting minutes, if they want to change it later they will have to pay for your time--this includes paint colors. :)
4) Be prepared to show them a world they never even dreamed of! :) The two great things about residential design, from my observation, are that you can really have a lot more leeway to get great designs and details accomplished--but they client will be just as conservative (if not more so) as your commercial clients to begin with. This just means you have to bring them along with you in your vision. But in the end you can end up with some absolutely gorgeous design and clients who are amazed by you and love you for making their lives so much better. It is so rewarding to get the client who just loves you for the difference you've made in their life--and that is a feeling you never get from commercial clients. Enjoy it!
I was doing a small master suite renovation for friends of my parents. During a discussion on Kohler fixture cut sheets I brought in I suggested we search some other options on the Kohler site on their computer. What a shock when we walked over to the machine and a gay porn website was loaded. Needless to say I pretended like I didnt see it and just acted like nothing happened. This may have explaineed the heavy drinking the wife did during our meetings.
RESIDENTIAL - WHERE ANYTHING CAN AND WILL HAPPEN.
residential work can be amazing, but it is a completely different learning curve than commercial. prior to working in a residential firm, all of my experience was commercial, including construction and design/build. i really knew nothing about residential construction, so it was a learning experience, complete with a lot of contractors thinking i was some kind of idiot. residential architecture is obviously completely different than commercial, and in my mind both structurally and aesthetically single family homes are a lot more finicky. and don't get me started about the clients. i don't mean to be overly negative, it can be amazing, but if you are transitioning to residential work, do so with some variety. do single family, but also multi-family, lofts, and renovations. after doing a dozen or so high-end, single family residential structures in a row the details, the forms, the materials, and the client issues can become monotonous, even when doing projects of different scope, aesthetic or scale. i think myriam was about spot on with her analysis.
One of our residential clients gave us a $2000 bonus because, as they put it, "You were the best part of the project." I haven't had a commercial or institutional client do that yet.
That being said, sometimes residential clients make you want to bang your head on a wall or other hard, unyielding surface.
5) Be prepared to be a sponge for construction methods. Everyone's right--the contractor will definitely think you're an idiot--and in some ways, you WILL be. We don't get near enough actual building knowledge in the profession, especially in the commercial side of things. In residential, every little part of a building--from the way the gyb bd. is hung (screwed & glued, spacing of screws, etc) to the way the dryer vent is installed (did contractor remember the backdraft damper?) has about 8 different ways it can be installed, some of which are perfectly acceptable rival methods, some of which are the cheaped out, incorrectly installed method. Until you form a solid partnership with a builder you can truly trust--and it will take you a while and a lot of mistakes to find that rare gem--you will have to oversee the most minute part of construction, and you will have many many many conversations with the contractor on the proper method of installing something vs. his idea (or your idea) of how to install it. Many times he will actually be right, and you will have to learn how to recognize those times and listen and respect him, and most of all LEARN FROM HIM. Write down all the various methodologies and which ended up better and which ended up problematic. You really learn a ton about detailing in residential construction--that's the plus side--the downside is that you HAVE to. It's fun, but it's also a huge learning curve, or is for me at least, because I am just starting out. Perhaps it is easier for those who have been around a long time. The thing that gets problematic is that every Joe Blow contractor has a really strong opinion about the way he does things, and it can be difficult to convince him to do it otherwise, especially if he thinks you're a dolt and/or a prick. So make friends with Joe Blow contractor early, listen to him and appreciate his nuggets of wisdom, learn from him, and then don't be afraid to tell him what to do. You can only do this if you have learned as much about building as you possibly can.
Also, in residential architecture the Bid Set is a lot more important than it (so far) appears to me to be in commercial arch. The Bid Set is truly the golden standard--in some ways even more than the Construction Set, a lot of which will actually end up being shaken out in construction sketches during CA. Make sure your pricing drawings are TIGHT and extremely well spelled out. That way even though the contractor will miss a million things in the drawings and you'll have to go through all the bids for days with a fine tooth comb, at least in the end when he bitches that something wasn't in the drawings and he needs a change order for it, you can point to them and have the upper hand. Tight Bid Sets are invaluable.
Ok I think that's it. Sorry to ramble on! It's obviously something I've thought a lot about...
The best part of residential is that once you have done a lot of it is realitivly easy to transition to design/build.
We got sick seeing bad builders rape our clients and now do 1 or 2 db projects a year. other things to be mindful of is that when the builders hire you they, not the homeowner, are the client.
before you venture into the builder role make sure you have your trades are well schooled.
Oct 14, 07 7:55 pm ·
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transitioning to residential architecture
I would be interested to hear from those who started doing commercial/institutional projects and successfully transitioned to residential projects. Is there a large learning curve when it comes to designing homes? How easy is it to make the transition?
learn to deal with neurotic people
residential work kicked my a__. everybody gets crazy when it's their own place.
type 5 construction
clients asking you to account for your time (why did this take 3 hours?)
no c.a. sometimes
be prepared to become your clients psychologist / marriage counselor / etc...
word mdler.
i was sitting at the dining room table with a husband and wife when she casually remarked "it's a wonder we've stayed married this long" when characterizing their differences of opinion.
i was telling my boss about a side gig (small addition) i was working on and he gave me this advice: "make you sure you get both husband and wife to sign the 'approved' preliminary drawings"...
I actually really enjoyed dealing with the neurotic residential clients. I think if you can handle a meddling wealthy housewife and a husband with a large pocket book, corporate clients are a cinch!
I learnt a lot about running a small business, detailing and getting lots of stuff built when I worked in residential. Its a wild fun stressful ride.
i'm still waiting for the lawyer to call to set up part 2 of my deposition: the suit between my last residential client and the contractor, still not resolved after 2+yrs.
part 1 was about four hours.
i started this project in summer '04, construction started jan '05, construction completed with the second contractor sep '07.
i loved residential arch...of course, it is great to be more on the design/build rather than just design(i have done both)! you can get into a lot more and understand that whole organism of a building and its relationship to the landscape...
BUT don't in anyway think it is easier. it is much more into the details amd dealing with the odd clients, but it all is amazing when you find the perfect fit for them. to see even their furniture come and work with the house and their personalities (i hate those that have to be photographed with rented furniture).
one of the worst things is that they (all clients, contractors,realtors, int. designers, developers, etc) believe they can do better than you and your an idiot that they HAVE to work with! when you get the good one...oh what a dream!
raj- you nailed it with that last sentence.
We have a repeat client who is a builder. He builds a semi-spec house, moves his family in for a couple years, then builds the next one and moves on. He has FINALLY realized he is paying us for a reason and things will go better in the end if he listens to me. He'll say things like- "this would've worked a lot better the way you designed it." Ummm, yeah.
Although I think every project ends up with some non-code, post-C.O. bootleg stairway to a kids play room in the attic or similar.
raj has it
basically everyone else working in res construction thinks architects are idiots.
part of it is the fact that you don't do much CA, so when the builder finds a drawing conflict or error, instead of calling the architect, he just solves it in his own f**d up way, and then complains to everyone about what a dummy the architect is...
Tips from my observation of the field:
1) Learn as much as you can about human pyschology. If you have a therapist already who can help explain to you how everyone is feeling / thinking, the irrational way that clients (and "general contractors") in residential construction behave will make much more sense. Be prepared for a lot of emotional stress.
2) Learn how to talk about money in very detailled ways with people who attach a lot of emotional feeling to the subject. Be prepared to be firm with people who don't pay on time. Remember to always show you are the professional and you are in control--this is invaluable when they inevitably question how long it takes / should have taken for you to produce a drawing or design.
3) Get a lawyer now, right away, who will tailor a specific small project contract for you. This should include very specific details about what is considered to be a "design change" (definition) and who pays what for any design changes. This should also have very strict clauses regarding construction observation that are linked to the length of construction -- ie, when the project invariably runs 3 months long, you will still be paid for your additional CA hours. Describe all of this up front to the client, without scaring them away--be very matter of fact and understanding about it, but also very firm. Tell them that once they have made a design on a design or finish, and it is approved in the meeting minutes, if they want to change it later they will have to pay for your time--this includes paint colors. :)
4) Be prepared to show them a world they never even dreamed of! :) The two great things about residential design, from my observation, are that you can really have a lot more leeway to get great designs and details accomplished--but they client will be just as conservative (if not more so) as your commercial clients to begin with. This just means you have to bring them along with you in your vision. But in the end you can end up with some absolutely gorgeous design and clients who are amazed by you and love you for making their lives so much better. It is so rewarding to get the client who just loves you for the difference you've made in their life--and that is a feeling you never get from commercial clients. Enjoy it!
Nice post, myriam. Residential / small offices can be great, no doubt about it.
I was doing a small master suite renovation for friends of my parents. During a discussion on Kohler fixture cut sheets I brought in I suggested we search some other options on the Kohler site on their computer. What a shock when we walked over to the machine and a gay porn website was loaded. Needless to say I pretended like I didnt see it and just acted like nothing happened. This may have explaineed the heavy drinking the wife did during our meetings.
RESIDENTIAL - WHERE ANYTHING CAN AND WILL HAPPEN.
one better, the client walks in and your boss is looking at gay porn and can't close it all fast enough... doh!
residential work can be amazing, but it is a completely different learning curve than commercial. prior to working in a residential firm, all of my experience was commercial, including construction and design/build. i really knew nothing about residential construction, so it was a learning experience, complete with a lot of contractors thinking i was some kind of idiot. residential architecture is obviously completely different than commercial, and in my mind both structurally and aesthetically single family homes are a lot more finicky. and don't get me started about the clients. i don't mean to be overly negative, it can be amazing, but if you are transitioning to residential work, do so with some variety. do single family, but also multi-family, lofts, and renovations. after doing a dozen or so high-end, single family residential structures in a row the details, the forms, the materials, and the client issues can become monotonous, even when doing projects of different scope, aesthetic or scale. i think myriam was about spot on with her analysis.
One of our residential clients gave us a $2000 bonus because, as they put it, "You were the best part of the project." I haven't had a commercial or institutional client do that yet.
That being said, sometimes residential clients make you want to bang your head on a wall or other hard, unyielding surface.
Hmm, I should add one more thing:
5) Be prepared to be a sponge for construction methods. Everyone's right--the contractor will definitely think you're an idiot--and in some ways, you WILL be. We don't get near enough actual building knowledge in the profession, especially in the commercial side of things. In residential, every little part of a building--from the way the gyb bd. is hung (screwed & glued, spacing of screws, etc) to the way the dryer vent is installed (did contractor remember the backdraft damper?) has about 8 different ways it can be installed, some of which are perfectly acceptable rival methods, some of which are the cheaped out, incorrectly installed method. Until you form a solid partnership with a builder you can truly trust--and it will take you a while and a lot of mistakes to find that rare gem--you will have to oversee the most minute part of construction, and you will have many many many conversations with the contractor on the proper method of installing something vs. his idea (or your idea) of how to install it. Many times he will actually be right, and you will have to learn how to recognize those times and listen and respect him, and most of all LEARN FROM HIM. Write down all the various methodologies and which ended up better and which ended up problematic. You really learn a ton about detailing in residential construction--that's the plus side--the downside is that you HAVE to. It's fun, but it's also a huge learning curve, or is for me at least, because I am just starting out. Perhaps it is easier for those who have been around a long time. The thing that gets problematic is that every Joe Blow contractor has a really strong opinion about the way he does things, and it can be difficult to convince him to do it otherwise, especially if he thinks you're a dolt and/or a prick. So make friends with Joe Blow contractor early, listen to him and appreciate his nuggets of wisdom, learn from him, and then don't be afraid to tell him what to do. You can only do this if you have learned as much about building as you possibly can.
Also, in residential architecture the Bid Set is a lot more important than it (so far) appears to me to be in commercial arch. The Bid Set is truly the golden standard--in some ways even more than the Construction Set, a lot of which will actually end up being shaken out in construction sketches during CA. Make sure your pricing drawings are TIGHT and extremely well spelled out. That way even though the contractor will miss a million things in the drawings and you'll have to go through all the bids for days with a fine tooth comb, at least in the end when he bitches that something wasn't in the drawings and he needs a change order for it, you can point to them and have the upper hand. Tight Bid Sets are invaluable.
Ok I think that's it. Sorry to ramble on! It's obviously something I've thought a lot about...
The best part of residential is that once you have done a lot of it is realitivly easy to transition to design/build.
We got sick seeing bad builders rape our clients and now do 1 or 2 db projects a year. other things to be mindful of is that when the builders hire you they, not the homeowner, are the client.
before you venture into the builder role make sure you have your trades are well schooled.
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