Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Re: architects

[Harry Pasternak (Harry_Pasternak]

Buzz
Just to add a few of my own personal experiences to your comments.
For 7 years, I headed a research and consulting group that helped communities
build community facilities--theatres, athletic facilities, swimming pools etc
etc..
One of the major issues that clients brought to us was--that they had hired
an architect and as part of the process indicated their maximum budget for
construction. Inevitably, when the project was tendered to contractors--the
lowest bid was 100% above their budget--that is, double their budget!
In one case, we gave the client some options --the clients built at 25% of
the cost that the architects proposed.
If a cohousing group feel that they want an architect involved in the
development of their cohousing neighborhood--do what other successfull
developers do--experience shows that this is the ONLY way to complete
construction projects ON SCHEDULE and UNDER BUDGET:
* Your first step is to hire a quantity surveyor/project manager.
* Then establish the budget with the quantity surveyor/project manager, as
well as the criteria for the type of architect you want.
* The quantity surveyor/project manager assists you in finding and choosing
the architect.
* Once the architect is contacted--the architect reports to the  quantity
surveyor/project manager--this manager in turn reports to you.
Harry Pasternak
Thousand Islands Institute
The Independent Centre For Housing Research & Education
(Harry_Pasternak [at] tvo.org)

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