Met History wrote:

> In a message dated 1/6/2005 10:11:16 AM Eastern Standard Time,
> [log in to unmask] writes:
>
>     I have had several projects in the past, small and large, where an
>     architect was expressly NOT wanted by the client.
>
> I've been thinking about the House of the Waxed Screens.  It was built
> in the 1770's and rebuilt in the 1950's - both times without
> architects, I am certain, although the 1770's center hall arrangement
> was quite noble.
>
> So - in contemplating a revised kitchen and additional bedroom - what
> is it, exactly, that makes it seem that hiring an architect is a sine
> qua non?
>
> Christopher

The answer is in legal and aesthetic issues.

If the bedroom is an addition to the existing structure then you will
need to deal w/ code and likely filing with one-or-another governmental
body... for this an architect who knows the local system is not only
invaluable, but likely indispensable particularly for stamping of
drawings to be filed. If the bedroom is a conversion of an existing room
to a different use, likely there is not a problem not having an
architect as all you may be doing is painting walls and moving furniture
around, though if there are any structural changes, as in taking out a
wall or putting one in, or installation of windows or doors where they
had not been previously, it is recommended that you seek professional
advice. At issue I think is not only knowing if you need an architect,
but knowing what you need them for if you do and then being able to
communicate your need to them.

As to kitchens. I myself would not hire an architect to design a
kitchen... but I have a friend who did not really want to sit around
trying to figure out if the cabinets would fit, or not, or the flow of
pedestrian traffic, or the appropriate and standard layout of stoves &
sinks etc. and so he hired an architect for his kitchen revision (one
more kitchen in one more house in a long series over decades). The
architect took a bit of time, which is not always the case, and the
first go round came up with a design that  my friend did not like, but
eventually they worked it out. My friend also had custom cabinets built,
which is not exactly how most middle-class people go about doing a new
kitchen. I must admit that having seen the completed kitchen I was
impressed with the feel of it, and the line of sight and sense of
elegant utility that it presented... something that is NOT felt in a
Home Depot designed kitchen.

For some lifestyles an architect is as indespensible as a lawyer,
accountant or financial adviser.

][<

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