FIND AN ARCHITECT
No matter how ambitious your plans, if you involve an architect in your project early, you’ll get more than you ever projected.
Whether you’re about to expand your current facility, adapt an existing structure to a new use, or construct an entirely new building, your project represents a major investment that will affect the productivity and efficiency of your organization for years. It will define your corporate or personal image, stimulate your work or living environment, and have a direct impact on your community.
Smart decision makers know that maximizing an investment of this magnitude begins with consulting an architect. Architects have the education, training, experience, and vision to maximize your construction dollars, ease the entire design and construction process, and create solutions that raise the quality of life for occupants and the public.
The key is early involvement – as soon as possible after the idea is conceived. By helping you define the project, architects can provide meaningful guidance for design. They can conduct site studies, help secure planning and zoning approvals, and perform a variety of other pre-design tasks. When architects are involved at the earliest planning stage, they gain more opportunities to understand your business, develop creative solutions, and propose ways to reduce costs. And they can fully develop your plan in the context of its surroundings.
In short, AIA architects are uniquely prepared to help you create usability, marketability, and sustainability. And that kind of added value can do wonders for your image and your bottom line.
Click Here to visit the AIA National database of member firms; you can look for architects in a radius of up to 200 miles from your project or office zip code, specify the building type you're inquiring about (residential, retail, educational, etc.), and learn about contract documents that may be applicable to your project.
What an Architect Does for Your Community
Explore professional programs and projects that have a direct impact on your quality of life.
Center for Communities by design
Historic Preservation
Sustainable Design
Contract Documents
Click here to find AIA documents that may be suitable for your project.
Click here to watch the video "Who Needs an Architect?"
The secret to a successful project lies in the professional, business and personal relationships between owner and architect. The American Institute of Architects publishes an excellent resource booklet called You & Your Architect (.pdf) which provides guidance on how to establish and benefit from those relationships.
It's always a good idea to confirm your architect is in good standing with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners, who regulate and maintain registration for all architects licensed to practice in the state. A registered architect, interior designer, or landscape architect is required to adhere to specific standards and criteria set forth in law, including acquiring continued professional education every year. It is against the law for any individual to claim to be an architect, landscape architect or interior designer and not, in fact, be registered. Visit www.tbae.state.tx.us for general information about architectural registration, or to search their database of registered architects.