You Deserve More

Go to an architect first when planning your dream home

Whether building a new custom home or vacation house, many people ask, “Do I need to hire an architect or a builder first when planning my dream home?” Though as you can imagine, I’m biased, here are three good reasons to go to an architect first:

#1 You get a home designed just for you and your family.
Ninety-eight percent of all new housing in the US is built by developers and/or builders without the direct involvement of an architect.  The primary reason is that they can deliver a completed house at a lower price than an architect-designed home … because they are recycling old “one size fits all” designs.

With a builder model, the homeowner gets to pick out the bathroom tile or upgrade the flooring but can’t choose where the house sits on the property, how rooms relate to one another or the relationship of the inside spaces to the outside.

What’s missing in the builder model is a comprehensive approach to design that responds to the homeowners’ specific wants, needs, and emotions.  You have a unique vision of how you want to live, and an architect can turn that vision into a reality.

An architect’s superpower is imagining what doesn’t currently exist. Architects take a holistic view of your home design. In addition to the layout of spaces, the architect considers the special characteristics of the property, how to position a breakfast room to maximize morning sunlight, how to frame views of the surrounding landscape.  The result won’t be just like your neighbor’s house.

Find out the other two reasons you should go to an architect when planning your dream home: https://kriegerarchitects.com/you-deserve-more/

About the author

Jeff Krieger

During thirty-five years of architectural practice Jeff Krieger has acquired extensive experience in all aspects of the building process, from design through project management and construction administration. He has designed, detailed and managed numerous commercial, residential, and institutional projects throughout the United States and abroad. Prior to founding the firm in 1992, Jeff worked for several well-known architectural firms, most recently with Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates in Philadelphia. He has been a registered architect since 1985 and has taught architectural design studios at Drexel University for thirty years. A Pittsburgh native, Jeff found the architecture of the iconic steel mills an early influence.