Dexter Architect

The answer isn’t always “immediately” but it’s almost never “later.” It’s about timing, and why getting it wrong can cost you far more than an architectural fee ever would.

The Moment You Start Making Assumptions Is the Moment You Need an Architect

Here’s something I see all the time: a committee, a school board, a church leadership team they get together, start dreaming about a project, and by the time they call me, they’ve already made several key decisions. They’ve landed on a building size. They’ve picked a spot on the site. They’ve settled on a budget number that feels right. Everyone wants to help, that’s natural, and quickly as possible.

The problem is that those decisions were made without the information an architect brings to the table. Traffic flow, parking patterns, site access, building code requirements, realistic construction costs; pieces of the overall puzzle were left out when those assumptions got locked in. And once something is settled, it can be genuinely hard to pull back, even when a better solution is right there.  People can be too close to the problem to see the best answer clearly.

I’m not saying every assumption is wrong. Sometimes people get lucky. But you shouldn’t build a $500,000 facility on luck.

A Collapsed Roof Is a Convincing Argument

A school district who I had been working had been given a softball hitting facility paid for and built by their band boosters — no architect, no engineer involved. They purchased an off-the-shelf pole barn building from a supplier, put it up, and it opened without any professional oversight of the structural design.

About three weeks after turning over the building to the school district, a major ice storm moved through. Snow and ice loaded up on the roof, and the structure rolled over and collapsed, leaving the building unrepairable.

Thankfully, it happened over Christmas holidays. No one was inside.

But they had to start completely over. Different structure, different approach, more money, more time. Everything they thought they’d saved by skipping professional services got swallowed up. Thankfully, no one was hurt.

The Earlier, The More Options You Have

Many projects start before buildings are designed with what we call master planning.

I’ve worked with churches and organizations that knew they needed something but weren’t sure what. Maybe they had aging buildings, and a congregation with competing priorities. Instead of jumping straight into design, we started by listening. We met with the people they designated, identified common ground, analyzed the property, and built a master plan: what gets built first, what comes in five years, what comes in ten.

That process does something beyond just producing a building design. It gives everyone a shared picture of the future. When you can show a congregation exactly where they’re headed with drawings, phasing, cost projections. This builds confidence and buy-in. People are a lot more willing to support a project they feel like they understand and had a voice in shaping.

Smaller Buildings Aren’t Simpler Buildings

One of the biggest misconceptions I run into is the idea that smaller, lower-cost buildings don’t need an architect. I hear this most often with school athletic facilities — small gymnasiums, batting cages, weight rooms, multipurpose buildings.

The assumption is that these are straightforward structures, and professional fees only will add costs. But here’s the reality: a building is a building. It has occupancy loads. It has ADA accessibility requirements. It needs intelligently designed restrooms, code-compliant exits, adequate HVAC, electrical systems, and access control. The complexity doesn’t disappear just because the square footage is smaller.

What can disappear, without professional oversight, is the safety net. These are buildings where kids practice, where coaches work, where the public gathers. The consequences of getting it wrong aren’t any less serious just because the budget is modest.

My Honest Advice If You’re on the Fence

Not every project needs an architect. There are situations where it’s not required and not the best use of resources. There I said it. (Some buildings must, by law, have a design professional, but more about that in a later post.)

But if you’re thinking about building, especially one you want to last, one you might expand someday, or one where where the function may change. I’d encourage you to at least have a conversation before you start making decisions. Most architects, me included, aren’t going to charge you for a first consultation. We want to hear about your project. Sometimes that conversation alone can save you from a path that would have cost you significantly down the road.

The best time to bring in an architect is before your assumptions harden into a plan.