Selecting and Architect is one of the single most important, and difficult, aspects of construction. There are lots of architects out there that are good at lots of different things. Some are generalists, and others specialize in certain aspects of design: like residential, commercial, or even more specifically - restaurants or religious design.
There are two main thought processes in architect selection.
Performance-based selection is when an Architect is selected based on his or her background and work history. The committee reviews and selects the Architect based on prior experience and interview connection. In residential design, it is often this connection - a natural ability to relate to one another - between the architect and the family that determines who gets selected.
Design-based selection is when an Architect is selected based on ideas they are asked to bring to the table before the project officially gets awarded. This concept is almost never used in residential design as most residential designers are not interested in "competing" for work. Sometimes in a large scale project (over $2million in construction costs), several Architects will be invited to participate in preliminary visioning, or even given a program to work with, and will provide very preliminary sketch ideas based on these criteria. Some Architects will do this for free, others will not. But a small fee in exchange for knowing that your Architect truly understands your vision before you get into a multi-year working relationship with them is sometimes very comforting, making this an ideal form of preliminary interview. An Architect Questionnaire is the first place to start in this process. This allows the committee to review side-by-side the qualifications of all the Architects without seeing the Architect’s portfolios, which can sometimes be so artfully created that the information you might be looking for may not be present. These documents describe the Architect’s education and firm experience, the team they propose for the project, list of related work, references, list of current workload, and a written commitment to attend all meetings. Once the Architect Questionnaires are reviewed and culled, a smaller group of potential Architects may be asked to submit portfolio materials.
Once 2-3 potential Architects are chosen, interview should take place, preferably on site, with entire Building and/or Planning Committee(s). You might make a list of potential questions for the Architect to answer, and send that ahead so they can thoughtfully prepare for the process. In my experience, the best interviews are not held to a strict regimental standard but are easy, flow, and might even take off on several different tangents. A great Architect will see this, and flow you right back into your next question so that they may address your concerns.
Once you have selected a preferred Architect, your chairperson will begin the process of contracting with them for their services. It is highly recommended that you use the AIA Contracting forms, which protect the rights and responsibilities of both the Architect and the Owner to the greatest extent possible. Most Architects will charge between 8-12% of the estimated construction cost for their work. A famous Architect will often charge between 12 and 15%.
