Interview Questions For Architecture Firms
By M. Walker
We get hundreds of inquiries through our website each month from folks looking for everything under the sun. It’s provided us an interesting snapshot into the zeitgeist of design and construction markets. Some folks are looking for resources to help them improve their existing home’s performance, while others are looking to connect with others in the high performance AEC community. Some folks want to learn more about passive house (surprisingly few of them have actually looked at any of the Passive House websites out there). We get inquiries about potential design work and we get inquiries from folks who “just need 15 minutes” of our time to get some free advice on a waterproofing detail or an HVAC strategy. But one of the most interesting trends we’ve noticed in these inquiries are the number of folks reaching out who want to build a custom home (often to retire in), are ready to hire an architect, but have no idea how to navigate the process of finding one and are nervous that their high performance priorities will get lost in the shuffle. After all, for most people, this endeavor will be one of the largest financial transactions of their lives. They want to feel like they’re putting their effort and money with the right designer, but they need some help making sense of the landscape.
Anybody can take a look at an architecture firm’s website and compare it to their own Pinterest mood board, but how do photos translate to project performance? How do you establish trust in the architect’s process? How do you “get on the same page”? While we have a list of Friends & Partners available for all to explore, it can feel a bit daunting to dive into that list and begin the interview process.
Architects are required to hold an immense amount of knowledge across a number of topics and execute on the implications of many factors in a design. Translating the vagaries of a concept into a buildable set of documents is an extremely tall order. It’s important to remember that there are many ways to do this and each architecture firm has a unique strategies for design. The interview process with an architecture firm will involve their team pitching those strategies to owners and opening dialogue to see if it’s a good fit. But what questions should an owner be asking in these discussions?
We surveyed the Positive Energy staff and asked them what questions they would ask an architect if they were looking to have a custom home designed. The results naturally drifted into three categories: 1. Ethos, it’s important to find an architecture firm that fits your worldview and interests; 2. Process, an architect who can clearly articulate how the design process works and why it works that way can go a long way in preventing unwanted surprises that emerge late in the game; and 3. Technical, there’s no way around the fact that an architect who knows how to deliver a high performing building is engaged in both the aspects of form and function as interlocking features of design.
This list of questions is by no means exhaustive, but we think it’s a good place to start having meaningful and honest conversations. Solving big problems in design is the biggest lever we can pull to improve building performance in our society. Finding architects who have risen to the occasion is a powerful way to honor their hard work and perspective.
Here’s what we came up with:
Ethos
Who are the philosophers, artists, and designers who have inspired you the most?
What does sustainability mean to you?
Do you feel an ethical obligation in your role as a designer of buildings to help mitigate climate change through your work? If so, how are you fulfilling that obligation? If not, why not? (AIA architects have a code of ethics that specifically covers this)
How important are healthy indoor environments?
Have you ever not paid a consultant before?
What’s the biggest architectural mistake you’ve made and what lesson(s) did you learn from it?
Have you ever been fired from a project? If so, what happened?
What kind of clients are your favorite clients?
How important do you find it to be trustworthy in your professional relationships?
When you professionally photograph your projects, do you photoshop out infrastructural details like air diffusers or outlets?
Who is the least paid employee on your staff?
In what ways are you involved in your local design and construction community? (What organizations are they affiliated with?)
Process
How do you convert your clients needs and wants into a design?
Can you describe your typical project workflow or design process? (This will vary depending on the architecture scope, for example they might stop design at Construction Documents and have no Construction Administration scope)
How early do you involve consultants in your process?
What is the most important phase of design and why?
Who are your preferred contractors to work with? (Ask for those contractors’ contact information. Ask those contractors who their preferred architects are to work with. If the architect in question didn't come up on the contractor's preferred list, ask for their opinion about that architect.)
Technical
Are you familiar with high performance building standard certifications such as PHIUS or Passive House? Have you been involved in one of those projects through the CD phase? (We’re not talking about LEED here).
Have you worked on a project which has installed solar, rainwater collection, wells, batteries, or other resilient systems? How did you accommodate those systems into the design?
Has your firm established a process through which you can quantify (with relative certainty) how long your buildings will last?
What are the ways we can reduce carbon intensity through the home’s design?
What are your go-to wall and roof assemblies in your climate?
What do you consider an appropriate window-to-wall ratio to achieve both thermal comfort and sufficient daylighting?
How does your firm address thermal bridging issues?
What is your firm’s strategy for designing healthy indoor environments?
What kinds of MEP systems do the majority of your projects feature?
How do you ensure sufficient space for all the infrastructural needs of the home? (You’re looking for answers about mechanical equipment, ducts running through structure, batteries and outdoor units, etc.)
What is your favorite construction detail you’ve ever designed and why?
There is a lot more to say about owners going through their own criteria establishment process by writing an Owners Project Requirements document, but there are plenty of other resources on the web on that front. Having such a document will help guide your search for the right architect and help make sense of the questions we’ve offered here.