As a Boston homeowner seeking a major home remodel—how does one find a good architect in Boston? Good question.
Maybe you’ve recently purchased (or are in the process of purchasing) a new home and want to redesign and remodel it into your dream home.
Or maybe there’s a home on the market that just might be the one…but needs some work. Or possibly you already own a home you love and are ready to take it to the next level.
But you need and want a good architect in Boston…so how to find one…?
There are several ways to go about this—I’m going to give you my straight advice based on twenty years of experience within the industry.
Many of our clients are seeking certainty—they don’t way to be caught in a hurricane of confusing communication, lack of accountability, budget overruns, inefficient organizational structures, and impractical creativity.
Boston homeowners seeking a major remodel often want a certain path forward which is enhanced by extraordinary creative design, based on experience, complete planning, minimal change orders and a smooth transition from design to construction which is completed on time and on budget. This is my advice:
STEP ONE. Educate yourself.
After I graduated from Tufts Architectural and worked in an international design studio I went on a deep give into both the trades and the actual origin and role of the Architect throughout the course of humanity.
What I found amazed me.
The actual definition of the word “Architect” is as follows:
The root of the word architect breaks down into “chief” or “master” (arkhi) and “builder” (Tekton).
Archi and Tekton come from the ancient Greek language, which originated as far back as 3,000 BC.
ARCHITECT = MASTER BUILDER
The Architect’s true heritage is that of Master Builder—a legacy nearly lost in today’s industry.
Since time immemorial the architect was responsible for every aspect of a building project—beginning with conceptual design and extending through all planning as well as the execution of the actual building process.
Full responsibility. From start to finish.
Architects were the top of the building hierarchy and fully responsible for every aspect of their project’s ultimate success. Those designing buildings were trained as builders, had worked in the trades and were familiar and professional with deep, practical roots.
As a creative case in point, Ken Follet’s bestselling Kingsbridge series beginning with Pillars of the Earth is set in 12th century England and touches on the intrinsic relationship between design and the trades as the majestic cathedrals and structures of this age were created.
Further roots of the architect/builder can be further found thousands of years BCE in northern Africa in the creation of some of the astonishing structures of this time—some of which are still standing.
In the early to mid 1800s the role of the architect was arbitrarily fractured—moving away from the trades and more fully into the realm of design. The motive was primarily social and political. Training regimens in major colleges were altered to support this shift and the industry creating the built environment took a major hit.
Today the role of the architect has become design centric, and this is what is generally taught in today’s hall of learning. The building aspect of a project is now often handled by an entirely different entity (a contractor) who is responsible for executing the planning of the architect to the result of a quality and lasting structure.
As such there is no single, responsible individual or entity.
We have had clients come to us after spending six figures on architectural planning which when bid to a contractor vastly exceeds their envisioned financial expectations for their project. The planning was unreal.
When those who are doing the planning are not experienced builders this is a liability which can occur.
Something is clearly wrong:
In summation, if you are seeking a major home remodel in Boston, you likely will need an architect—one who can actually build.
I cover the true meaning of an architect in this short film:
ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN BUILD VERSUS DESIGN BID BUILD:
There are two primary approaches to a major home design and remodel. While this can be made very complex as a subject, the natural creative process is fundamentally simple. I will cover both here:
Design-Bid-Build is the process that has been introduced over the past 150 years or so whereby you as the client directly hire an architect to draft plans and design your project — to then have it bid out to multiple contractors seeking to win the bid and perform the project. This approach has been generalized as mainstream over the past decades and sold to homeowners, often creating client stress and potential loss of both client funds and time. This approach has many liabilities for the client due in no small part to the fragmented spheres of responsibilities which this system and method creates.
There is no single person or entity fully accountable to the client for the entire project’s success.
This single factor alone can create a host of problems for the client.
By default the client is ultimately responsible for both Architect and Builder as well as the ultimate success of the project. Thus one can have impractical and expensive design work, impractical planning, numerous change orders, shoddy craftsmanship, and projects which are off timeline and over budget. In the end, the client can be left damaged. You or a family member or friend may have experienced this in the past. We have many clients come to us after poor experiences with this approach.
Architectural Design-Build (also Design Build) is the natural approach to creation of the built environment and has been used for thousands of years to create many of the beautiful structures of earth. Architectural Design Build is the route of choice if one desires to save on time and money, reduce stress, and eliminate a fragmented sense of project responsibility in the people working for you.
Architectural Design Build is a model that stresses single-source accountability with the creative design, planning, and remodel executed start to finish by one firm.
Architectural Design-Build in Boston is currently being turned to by professionals, families, and individuals as the cutting edge of efficiency, aesthetics, practicality, and accountability when it comes to designing and remodeling a home. This approach packages architectural design and interior design services with artisan-level building and remodeling services. This natural synthesis makes for a simple, efficient, and accountable creative process followed by a streamlined and responsible build phase, reducing cost, time of execution, and client stress throughout. With the Architectural Design Build approach, the client is dealing solely with one fully accountable firm.
New England Design and Construction specializes in Architectural Design Build with a specific focus on sustainable luxury homes. We are extremely mindful of environmental impact and passionate about project efficiency and client comfort.
NEDC – WHO WE ARE:
At NEDC we are a creative team of 24 architects, interior designers, and experienced project managers dedicated to the legacy of the architect as a master builder—and the exceptional client experience this provides.
Formed nearly 20 years ago (next year is our 20th anniversary) after I graduated from Tufts Architectural, NEDC is an award-winning architectural design build firm with a focus on sustainable luxury home design and build.
We deliver architectural design build services across Cambridge, Somerville, Weston, Wellesley, Waltham, Wayland, Natick, Sudbury, Lexington, Brookline, Newton, Chestnut Hill, Back Bay, Beacon Hill, the South End, the North End, Jamaica Plain, Boston’s Metrowest and the Greater Boston Area.
You can see some of our beautiful projects here:
Download our 2024 Cost Guide here!
This is a cost guide we have put together to assist Boston homeowners and luxury real estate consultants in their planning and decision making. We pride ourselves on straight talk when it comes to costing and this guide lays out projected costs for each home space based on real projects over the past 20 years. It also covers costing connected to whole-home gut remodels across Boston. We hope it helps!
WHAT’S INSIDE THE GUIDE:
• 18 pages with individual project images and final costs
• Cost information on remodeling kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and more
• 2 luxury whole home renovation projects with cost breakdowns for each
• Cost summary sheet for a quick look
• Contact information if you want to move forward
NEW ENGLAND DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION CONTACT INFORMATION:
DAVID MUNIZ SUPPLE – FOUNDER/CEO
-
DAVE@NEDESIGNBUILD.COM
-
617 474 0309
AURELIAN DALLASERRA – SALES AND MARKETING MANAGER
-
OZ@NEDESIGNBUILD.COM
-
781 502 5006
Comments are closed here.