Integrating a Contractor Early at the Castaway House

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet A lot of times designers and architects tend to dream big and forget about the budget. And important part of making realistic plans is to put numbers to the design as early in the game as possible, so you know you’re not way off track. So at Castaway House, now that we have solidified a schematic design for the house, both interior, exterior and landscape, we are getting bids from contractors. There are two reasons to do this early in the game rather then when the drawings are complete and into the city for permit review, which is the…

March 30, 2010

Why Architects Have Lost Their Relevance and How to Get it Back

by: Taz Loomans

Tweet Architects have a reputation for spending their client’s money to live out their design fantasies. Admittedly, there’s a reason for this reputation. It happens. This is a big problem and it’s one we in the design industry need to address. This reputation has led to our marginalization. No wonder architects have little clout when it comes to convincing municipalities or developers to build smarter, better, efficient developments that work well. People with money who want to build something have lost faith that architects will spend their money wisely. This is only because it’s true for the most part. Many…