Like designers, drafters often work alongside licensed architects or builders. You might consider any one of the above individuals to help you in designing your remodel.

Architects are trained to see the possibilities in every structure and are experts at translating those possibilities into detailed plans that your builder can execute with precision.

You want an architect who is not only skilled in designing the type of remodel or addition you want, you also want an architect with whom you communicate well, and whose cost model works for you. Ensure the cost of the architect is factored into your overall home remodel budget.

Many people use and consider fixed-rate personal loans to cover all or a portion of project costs, including the architect. Plus, funds can be sent as soon as the next business day once you are approved and accept the terms of the loan, which is critical when unexpected project costs come up or you go over budget. Sites such as HomeAdvisor.

Many state chapters have membership lists on their websites. A final note: Word of mouth is often said to be the best way to find an excellent professional. An introductory phone call will enable both you and the architect to determine if the fit is promising and you should proceed to an interview. Plan on interviewing several architects before settling on one. At your first meeting, you can expect to talk about ideas you have for the project, your budget, and timetable.

The architect will be looking for the same thing. Bring to the interview any inspirational photographs or plans you have for your project, as well as any plans or photographs you have of your existing home.

Come to the interview prepared with questions to help you understand fully what you can expect from this partnership. These might include:. But fees can be much higher than that, depending on the size and complexity of the job. Your best gauge is to speak to several architects in your area about the cost of designing your specific project.

As with any professional service, the cheapest quote is not necessarily the best one. Some architects charge a fixed rate by the hour. Fees in some parts of the country, particularly urban areas, will certainly be higher.

If yours is a small project and you already know what you want design-wise and expect little back-and-forth, this may be the way to go. Because they involve dealing with existing problems, remodels are often more complicated than new builds.

Some architects charge by the square foot. Again, this rate varies considerably and again, the price will be hard to pin down in the early stages. Some architects combine methods, charging hourly until plans are established, and then charging by the square foot. Others calculate a fixed fee for the project as a whole.

That will be spelled out in the contract. The contract will typically include the scope of the work, what services the architect will provide, the schedule for the project, how much the architect will be paid, and when. AIA has developed standard contracts that many architects use. Site surveys, 3-D modeling, and other services might incur additional costs. Most residential architects follow a similar path when designing or remodeling homes.

The following steps are typical. Architects will tell you that the more engaged their client is, the better the results. Finding the right person to help you bring your vision to life is an investment in not only your property but your happiness and satisfaction occupying it.

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By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. By This Old House. Pinterest Email Pocket Flipboard. Sponsored by Discover Personal Loans Does a new addition to your family have you thinking of a new addition for your house?

You have a problem with your house and have no idea how to solve it. Maybe your laundry room in the upstairs hallway creates a traffic jam every time you open the door. Or you need another bathroom, but every square inch of your house is accounted for. In cases like these, a good architect can help you sort through the possibilities and come up with creative improvements that fit you, your budget, and your lifestyle.

Beyond that, the software offers several tools for automating complicated processes. For example, it has an inbuilt library of stair and rail designs. Better yet, you can match these resources to the building you have created. Many architects agree that designing staircases can prove difficult in large projects. ArchiCAD removes much of this difficulty through automation. Grasshopper allows architects to use parametric design to improve the efficiency of their workflows.

So what does this mean for you? Well, Grasshopper has several tools that help you automate menial tasks. In most design software, you will need to copy and paste basic elements, such as lines, if you wish to use them again.

Some software use matrixes to reduce the time this tasks take. Even then, it is often annoying. You only need to enter a number into your variable to create the desired number of elements. Better yet, you can create modules centred on these common tasks. Over time, Grasshopper allows the designer to create a full library of previously used ideas and elements.

You can access these modules with the click of a mouse. Grasshopper also benefits from being an open source software. It has a community around it that constantly develops new plugins. Coupled with that, Grasshopper links closely with Rhino 3D.

This integration eliminates the need to understand coding when using Rhino 3D. Dynamo often comes as a free plugin for use with Revit. However, there is also a standalone version of Dynamo. This means you can choose to use it independently of Revit, though this requires payment of a subscription fee.

Much like Grasshopper, Dynamo is an open source software. This means it has a large community around it that constantly builds new features for the studio. Dynamo is well regarded for having one of the best geometry engines of any design package.

This makes working on complex elements easier. Further, the software slots well into the BIM workflow. Dynamo allows you to make quick changes to your designs. Further, it allows you to customize your designs on the fly. This saves a lot of time that you would otherwise spend on editing designs and saving them as separate files.

The software also works with a large number of file types. As such, you can use it as a support tool for a range of other software.

One of the most common uses of this is exporting Revit design information into Microsoft Excel files. Fusion has gained popularity due to its versatility.

The software offers an all-in-one solution. Beyond designing and testing, you can use the software for fabrication. Further, Fusion supports collaborative work environments through its use of the cloud. This allows you to bring together professionals from several sectors to work on projects. This cloud-based structure has other advantages. You can use Fusion on many devices. For example, you could create a design via a desktop computer and then show it to others away from the office using a smartphone or tablet computer.

Fusion is one of the few tools that will help you create realistic renders of your designs. This proves useful when making presentations or helping clients visualize your work. Fusion is also one of the most well-supported design software. You can expect to see updates every two months or so. As such, new features get introduced into the software on an almost constant basis. Each of the ten pieces of software in this article can help architects realize their visions.

Which is best for you depends on your needs. These software offer lower prices and more flexibility than many others. Others prefer more established architectural software. AutoCAD, for example, has been an industry standard for many years.

Revit is reaching the same status. Beyond this, software like Grasshopper and Dynamo prove effective for those who want to create more comprehensive design packages. The choice is yours. There is also plenty more information out there. You can also purchase each from ArchiStar Academy website at industry-best prices. Archistar Academy offers several courses across the spectrum of digital design software. Get in touch with the ArchiStar Academy community via Facebook.

Architecture studio Space Popular has teamed up with Sir John Soane's Museum in London to create an exhibition that looks at "the magics and mechanics" of virtual travel. Architecture firm Stride Treglown has installed a sculpture of a bright red "sinking house" in Bath's Pulteney Weir to draw attention to climate change. Designer Yinka Ilori has worked with Lego to create the Launderette of Dreams, an installation in London that reimagines the everyday community space as a children's play zone.

The Design Museum 's latest exhibition Waste Age has a carbon footprint of 10 tonnes, equal to what the average UK person emits in a year, according to a sustainability assessment by environmental collective URGE. London-based artist Lakwena Maciver has painted a rarely used rooftop in bright colours and geometric shapes as part of a redevelopment of a London Underground station.