One word of warning I will offer about architects and designers in general.
Learn how they work at your initial meeting and read the FAQ at the start of this forum on what to ask your architect at your first meeting.
Some can be very strong and border on overbearing, but its this very control and allwos them to deliver quality design and push the builder to deliver.
They will also tend to want to compromise less if you decide you need some carbuncle stuck on the side of their potentially award-winning scheme later in the day.
However some people WANT to have the design delivered, having written and agreed a compreheisive brief and being shown what can be acheived by their designer and this suits them.
Other people prefer to be more involved in the process, both during the design phase and on site.
This can give rise ot difficulties both in terms of using up the architects projected time/fees to complete the work and with changes of mind mid-build.
Some clients can't commit to a brief until the last minute, some are not good at visualizing, some cannot read drawings, some cannot think very well in three dimensions.
Most of these factors can be addressed by your architect at the brief formulation stage and they can be worked to a degree around using models, visiting houses you like as examples, providing three D sketches of interiors.
The main thing is to get most of the decisionn made before finalising a set of drawings and specification and try to stick to them - changing things on site during the programme of works costs a lot more than redrawing a line on plan at design stage.
This trend may be on the rise as budgets become tighter, but whatever the reason, you employ a professional to deliver competent work and you expect to be kept informed at all stages but at some poitn you have to put your trust into them.
But some people cannot get the feedback they need from anythign other than the build as they see it progressing on site - and that's fine as long as they are prepared to pay for it - changes on site cost money.
Its important that these squirks of behaviour are understood from the outset for both clients and designers.
This allows them to get the most out of the design process, and the build and proceed to site on a professional basis having agreed the plans, specification and agreed a reasonable price.
For the record;
The building professionals posting to AAM are not allowed to advertise their services here - if you see any, report them.
They cannot tout for business or recommend themselves or their businesses directly or through proxies.
They are not trying to be rude or stand offish and they aren't just ignoring your requests.
The user policy of the site prevents marketing or direct approaches to posters.
A website address is all that is allowed for professionals.
Thus when a poster asks for a recommendation, other posters must recommend.
Otherwise the professionals on AAM can only respond to PMs sent directly from the inquirer.
This policy encourages independent, professional replies online which supports the aim of the AAM website to be a free online resource for the public good.
Posters are thus free to ask questions and answers are given without the OP being pestered by people offering their services instead of answering the question online.
FWIW
ONQ.
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All advice on AAM is remote from the situation and cannot be relied upon as a defence or support - in and of itself - should legal action be taken.
Competent legal and building professionals should be asked to advise in Real Life with rights to inspect and issue reports on the matters at hand.
