Top 10 Reasons to Hire an Architect

Construction is a complicated process. Not many people understand how complex it is to construct a new building or renovate an existing one. They realize it when they get stuck in the perplexity of design proposals, building rules, and regulations, construction materials, building technicalities, contractors, subcontractors, and many other aspects.

Feelings of unease and uncertainty while hiring a reputable architect are not unfamiliar as it is an effort and an enormous investment of money to hire an architect. It is a big decision to make by the client. There is no single shortcut way to construction as no two construction projects are precisely the same. Hiring an architect can help this process finish efficiently.

An architect is a skilled professional who acquired the knowledge, training, expertise, and vision to design buildings and supervise their construction. An architect leads the whole process from the initial concept design to the completion of the project at the construction site of different kinds of projects such as residential, commercial, industrial architecture, and infrastructure architecture.

According to Reports and Data, it has become essential in the digital world and has transformed the architecture landscape by integrating advanced Information Technology and cloud solutions and using Architecture Software.

An architect may be known as a home designer when given the responsibility to design a residential project or a modern farmhouse architecture. Architects have diverse responsibilities throughout a project from developing the design to supervising the construction at the site. There are several famous architects of Lahore (architects Inc. Lahore) with some of the amazing architects in Lahore Cantt and architects in DHA Lahore.

Architects have a great vision. They not only design floors, walls, and roofs, but they create astonishing spaces and delightful ambience in both interiors and exteriors. They fulfil functional requirements and build dynamic environments to live and work. Architects work closely with structural engineers, mechanical engineers, contractors, and other construction experts and assist you in finishing a thoughtful and efficiently designed project that satisfies your design requirements and is within your budget.

Architects design a varied range of projects such as residential architecture including residential villas, house architecture, residential apartments & residential complexes; education buildings including schools, colleges, universities & kindergarten architecture; religious architecture; healthcare architecture including all health buildings; retail architecture including commercial architecture & shopping centres; mixed-use buildings; office architecture; hotel architecture; community clubs; sports complex; factory architecture; urban planning projects; bridge architecture; interior designing projects; landscape projects and many others.

Many top architecture firms in Lahore, Pakistan produce brilliant architectural designs in the country for the community.

Here we will discuss all the important things you need to know while appointing an architectural professional for your project.  

1. Architects create your dream house

Architects have a unique vision and creative design aesthetics. They listen to clients’ design requirements. They integrate a list of these requirements as well as other complicated factors and understand them thoroughly. They interpret and think of innovative ideas. Architects sketch these ideas in their minds before even drawing them on paper. They spend a huge amount of time communicating these ideas to you through thoughtful visual presentations.

They create designs that are unique to the site keeping in mind the proportions and scale. They work on diverse themes following the client’s needs and surroundings such as:

Minimal architecture, modern house architecture, tropical architecture, historical architecture, colonial architecture, colonial revival architecture, classical architecture, classical Greek architecture, Doric architecture, Ionic architecture, column architecture, European architecture, English architecture, Elizabethan architecture, Mediterranean architecture, French Baroque architecture, French Renaissance architecture, Romanesque architecture, Romantic architecture, modern Gothic architecture, Queen Anne architecture, Victorian architecture, steampunk architecture (merging of Victorian architecture with innovations), Stalinist architecture (Soviet architecture), Socialist architecture, communist architecture, Spanish colonial architecture, Regency architecture, Rationalism architecture, Georgian architecture, high tech architecture (structural expressionism), religious architecture; expressionist architecture, etc.

Architects play with masses and volumes before making pleasant geometrical forms using various geometric shapes and mathematical formulations with the help of architectural rendering. They blend their balanced design harmoniously into the surroundings. They design your dream house, making sure it meets your needs and wants and realizing it into a physical reality. They prepare architectural design, architectural drawings, and architectural graphics such as architectural plans, architectural house plans, architectural floor plans, and architectural finishes schedules. Architecture companies in Lahore make your project a piece of visual art that speaks for itself. 

2. Architects are professionals

Architects have professional education and extensive knowledge of design, planning, and construction. They are trained individuals and experts in various disciplines of architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, building codes, construction technology, materials, and sustainable architecture. An architect keeps in mind the building rules and regulations of an area and thinks out of the box before creating the design.

Architects are highly qualified and trained professionals. Architects evaluate complex planning issues through their extensive knowledge and experience before implementing a project.  

3. Architects communicate well

Efficient communication has been of great significance in almost all professions. Architects collaborate with concerned specialists and consultants from different segments. Architects interact with individuals from various sectors such as clients, structural engineers, electrical engineers, MEP engineers, environmental consultants, landscape architects, lighting specialists, contractors, subcontractors, site surveyors, quantity surveyors, material suppliers, civil defence, and other planning authorities.

Architects build teams of highly skilled people and eloquently deliver their ideas to them so they clearly understand the architect’s vision for the successful completion of a particular project within a time frame and budget.

They can share design ideas and related opinions with them properly through verbal communication, written content, graphic presentations, and detailed drawings. They create 2-dimensional plans, computer-generated 3-dimensional models (3d models), details, and materials specifications.

The preparation of precise working drawings and accurate details no doubt decreases the chances of mistakes in the planning. They use various design software including Autodesk AutoCAD, 3ds Max, Autodesk Revit, Adobe Photoshop, Google Sketchup, Lumion, Adobe Illustrator, Autodesk Maya, and many others.

This software helps them to prepare drawings, 3D models, and schedules in a much faster manner compared to conventional means of drafting. As the design ideas develop, it is much easier to make changes using this design software. A range of architecture companies in Lahore, Pakistan, and worldwide are working on these principles to guide and communicate their ideas to clients. Architects also assist clients in preparing tender drawings and documents to bid and negotiate with the right contractor and prepare construction contracts.

4. Architects solve problems efficiently

Architects design buildings that are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. As designing and construction are complex processes, various problems, and unexpected issues may arise during the design and construction stages. These unexpected problems may cost a huge amount of money and time to resolve. Architects foresee the architectural design problems at the design studio and construction issues at the site.

All major and minor design conflicts are resolved by revising the highly detailed drawings and getting their approval from concerned authorities before construction begins. Architects propose innovative solutions to design issues. Making changes to the drawings is much easier and less expensive than constructing the incorrect detail, demolishing, and rebuilding it at the construction site.

Architectural engineers tend to solve conflicts that may occur between contractors and clients at times. They address issues and guide clients and contractors during these unknown scenarios to maintain the client’s peaceful cooperation with the construction contractor. Architects propose alternative ways that others may not have possibly thought of to solve these problems elegantly and efficiently.

5. Architects lead the design and construction process

As constructing a project is a complex and troublesome process, architects lead the whole process of planning and construction and take all the responsibilities. They are the key decision-makers and leaders throughout the entire stages of construction at the site. Being highly trained professionals, they assist clients through design and construction procedures.

Architecture firms in Lahore supervise all the activities throughout construction, including excavation, termite proofing, damp proof course level (DPC), masonry wall or concrete wall, reinforced concrete slab or steel slab, windows, and doors openings, flooring, painting, and final finishing of the building.

They visit the site regularly to ensure the building is being constructed as per the architectural plans and drawings. They update the clients about the site's progress regularly. They keep an eye on each activity to check the work progress. Architects formulate project schedules for all design and construction activities for project coordination. This in turn makes sure the construction of a carefully designed house is done efficiently.

6. Architects design lighting & colour scheme

Architects design the interior and exterior lighting of a project. They create a dramatic aesthetically appealing ambience with the use of various lighting techniques. Creative interior designers in Lahore, Pakistan, and worldwide help choose the best colour scheme for every wall and space of your house. These interior architects suggest a colour scheme focusing on the required theme of space. They may advise some paint finish such as red, blue paint, or some textured paint surface for an accent wall to enhance the interiors. They help choose the perfect wallpapers with many varied designs and colours for your room.  

7. Architects ensure earthquake-proof buildings

Architects design structurally sound buildings with the help of structural engineers. They make sure to design the structures that will resist an earthquake. Architects coordinate with seismic engineering experts who examine the soil strata of the site in the laboratory before proposing a design for a sound seismic structure.

They also analyze a range of building materials such as concrete and steel to see how much impact they can resist during an earthquake. When an earthquake happens, seismic waves can cause wreckage to the buildings and loss of human lives. This wreckage leads to a great loss of resources and money too. To design an earthquake-resistant structure or aseismic building, seismic engineers efficiently reinforce buildings to make them entirely earthquake-proof. They design safe and sound structures to ensure their strength and durability to sustain such natural disasters.  

8. Architects create eco-friendly green buildings

Skilled architects are highly aware of the significant features of green architecture and energy conservation construction technology. Nowadays, the world is changing very fast and architects are looking into the future and adapting to these upcoming changes, bringing their vision. They create environmentally friendly buildings and sustainable projects using green materials.

While planning the project, they study heating and cooling loads, the sun orientation, wind speed, and direction to fully incorporate natural resources in the architectural building. They incorporate all these energy-efficient factors in their planning. For instance, they orient a building according to the sun's path to get warm sunlight during the winter and decrease sunlight during the summer. They provide natural lighting and natural ventilation in the space to reduce dependence on artificial mechanical means of lighting and ventilation. They provide good-sized openable windows or high-level ventilators for this purpose.

These top architecture firms in Lahore, Pakistan, and other countries design spaces by selecting and using sustainable building materials to make a building green. They employ solar panels on roofs to naturally create electricity to reduce electricity bills. They bring outdoor natural settings into the interiors to have a link between interiors and exteriors with a holistic approach to architecture. After all, a well-conceived and well-designed building is way more efficient as compared to ones that are not carefully proposed.

9. Architects help build a cost-effective project

Hiring an architect costs only a tiny fraction of the construction cost but reduces the cost of construction in the longer term. A project that is well-designed and carefully thought out may be cost-effective and economical. Architects design spaces in the most effective way making use of every inch of the project. As they predict construction concerns, they analyze and examine the drawings thoroughly before the start of construction at the site. They revise anything on the drawings which they think may bring disaster to the project at a later stage.

They use cost-effective construction materials and sustainable building technologies to reduce the overall fee of the project. They make use of natural resources to cut down the cost and complete the project within the client’s budget. Architects not only reduce the construction cost of the project but by building an energy-efficient house or building, its running costs and maintenance costs are also cut down.

Moreover, when the client wants to sell, a well-designed house can sell at a much higher rate and resale value in the market comparable to an average house. There are many highly skilled architects in Lahore, Pakistan, and other parts of the world who design and build cost-effective residences and various other projects more economically and skillfully.  

10. Architects advise and guide you

During various stages of design, planning, and construction, architects can advise and assist you to ease construction and avoid difficult situations that may arise at times. They also help in selecting a project site and obtaining approvals and permits from different authorities such as the Defence Housing Authority, Lahore (DHA); Civil Defense; Lahore Development Authority (LDA), Pakistan; Dubai Municipality, Dubai, and so on. As architects have a broad knowledge of materials, they advise in selecting and recommending building materials that prove effective for your project.

Designers also guide you to surface materials such as flooring, wall tiles, wooden decking, marble slabs, granite slabs, porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles, terrazzo flooring, epoxy flooring, and so on. They recommend durable and attractive materials being elements of timeless architecture. Architects and designers advise for the selection of electrical appliances as well such as AC split units, refrigerators, kitchen hoods, hobs, burners, storage, kitchen accessories, and others based on the client’s budget.