Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Professionals

[Philip Proefrock (psproefrock]

I think Denise Cote had some good ideas about dealing with design (and 
other) professionals in a project.

Having a clear idea of what you want is not only a good thing for 
building the community, but it will also lead to a clearer 
relationship with the professionals in question.  Knowing that you, as 
a group, want to emphasize passive solar before you hire a designer 
enables you to seek out someone with expertise (instead of just hiring 
someone, and then adding design requirements later on).  

Not everything will be worked out beforehand, and some things may be 
modified or changed.  Architects are consultants, not directors, or at 
least they should be, and it is their job to advise you in your 
process of building your building(s).  It is important that you have 
some specific, realistic ideas of what you want (in order to best 
utilize the professionals you are working with.

Philip Proefrock
(freshly minted {May 96} graduate architect)