‘Citizen Starchitect’ is not an Oxymoron
Existing Floor Plan of One-Story Ranch Home
“Design Attendants, Prepare!”
A former project manager/co-worker had once told me about a bumpy flight her fiance had endured upon returning from a trip out east back to southern California. She was trying to console (convince) me not to worry about a long flight I was preparing for by recounting this horrendous story of how her fiance’s airplane suddenly lost altitude and unexpectedly dropped 200′ (or was it 2000 feet…?) due to bad weather and air patterns. Wide-eyed, I asked her how he reacted? What happened?
Apparently, the pilot had notified the stewardesses only moments before with a quick announcement over the PA system, saying: “Flight Attendants, Prepare!”
As one stewardess grabbed a blanket off a passenger nearby, another quickly threw it atop the beverage cart and held it down. “Why’d they do that?” I asked. “To keep the hot coffee from burning the passengers!,” she said patiently. As I continued dissecting every detail of the the unfortunate (and hopefully rare) event, I was happy to learn that her fiance and all the passengers were fine. Apparently, these incidents happen when hot air meets cold.
The roughest flight I’d been on was an American Eagle flight from Vegas to central Ohio in which the plane shook uncomfortably side to side and we experienced severe turbulence the entire way there. All I could think of was my other friend (a structural engineer) who had also tried to quell my fears of flying: “All you have to really worry about is wind shear.” Wind shear? Yikes! This was L A T E R A L movement I was sensing…isn’t that, no it couldn’t be. Anyhow, at one point, the male steward ran through the whole cabin, slamming both of his hands simultaneously on each overhead compartment’s closed doors. I couldn’t help but think he’d done that just to rid of his frustration, as if using them as punching bags (while maintaining the otherwise expected professional composure). I myself had sat white-knuckled the whole flight, barely taking a breath. The lady at the terminal had been right, we were definitely in for a rough ride that night! She had just come in from the East coast and had experienced rough air.
What does this have to do with this blog post? You’ll soon find out.
Client Expectations
Astute clients sometimes request certain computer technologies be used in the preparation of their building projects. A client who knows about the latest computer technology is impressive; one who can employ the technology him or herself is rare, in my estimation.
A few years ago, one of my prospective clients who’d been referred by an interior designer was one of those rare individuals skilled in the use of computer-aided design. The client wanted me to look at their 1980s builder spec home to determine if it had merit. Could it be transformed to meet their needs with minimal structural work? Or should they just move to a new place?
The Client Meeting
Digital Camera, Measuring Tape, and Notepad
I drove out to meet with the client and his wife in their home. He had told me on the phone that he was an aeronautical engineer (yes, a rocket scientist) and his wife was in the medical profession. Their one-story ranch-style home was nice, it had some curb appeal with its all-brick exterior and big front yard. But I would soon discover that it had a large, awkward L-shaped kitchen that meandered on the periphery of a good-sized family room (that was made small by a corner fireplace and too many openings).
Upon entering the home, I noticed the foyer was also a bit small, but it opened up to a nice, large (yet empty and unused) formal living room which felt isolated from the rest of the house by the wall between it and the family room/kitchen area.
Many missed opportunities were present in the design, but these could be fixed; the challenge was going to be finding a way to increase the size of the kitchen without encroaching on the family room or the sideyard setback. The only other nice-sized room (which was being used as a hobby/crafts room)– about 12′ x 14′– was completely secluded and only accessible from the kitchen by a door between the refrigerator and the cabinets; it’s best feature, however was that it looked onto the front yard and had good daylighting.
The living room was on the other side of it and the client suggested removing the wall between them, joining them together for one big library.
Touring the Rest of the House
From the front foyer, the living room was to the righthand side of the house and the hallway leading to the bedrooms was on the left; the family room and kitchen area was straight back and toward the righthand side. The bedrooms were small and the kids’ shared bathroom was very tight, with no window for natural daylight, and minimal counter space.
Existing Interior Kitchen Elevations
Checking the Structure
My trip to the attic revealed stick-looking truss-joists that didn’t look very well-built. Tons of insulation, which was a great thing to see. My primary concern was wind– the house was in a hurricane zone and after seeing the shoddy trusses in the attic, I didn’t have the heart to design a superior streamlined modern kitchen only to lose the investment in a hurricane, God forbid. That the house was still there post other hurricanes gave me some assurance; however, another Katrina and who knew what might happen? Lesson learned here: bring in a structural engineer and/or a construction manager and discuss your concerns to get the straight scoop.
Discerning the Clients’ Expectations
As we sat down at their kitchen table, while I rolled out some “butter paper” (yellow or white thin opaque roll of sketch/trace paper- also called “bumwad”) to sketch some preliminary concepts, the client nonchalantly unfolded his own pristine plotted sheet of floor plans that he’d recently drafted himself using AutoCAD.
Okay, I thought. That’s different. I guess this is what rocket scientists do in their spare time? So impressed by his AutoCAD drafting ability, I wondered: will he appreciate my freehand sketches?
Did I mention that he was also a pilot? Well, he had built his own plane and kept it stored in his garage.
He took us out to look at it while I was doing my initial consultation (I had brought my family with me, with their advance permission). It was on a Saturday.
Then, he told us that he takes his then 10-year old son with him for plane rides on the weekend, over the nearby lake and tourist areas. My eyes quickly darted to his wife. I would personally be freaked out by that, but she acted like it was a trip to the grocery store. Nothing more, nothing less.
A plane he built himself??? Yes, indeed. And it was amazing.
This was a very important factor/clue into the client’s desire- having an airstrip is not a typical lot feature. Perhaps it would be worth it to rebuild on this lot.
Right, that took a few days to really sink in!
The Schematic Design Phase and Following Up With the Client
Scheme 1- close up image
After discussing various ideas, and getting a better a feel for their priorities, I went home to draw out some solutions. Somewhat thwarted by the limited budget of 30k and how far that might go (they wanted a completely new kitchen with updated appliances, a laundry room addition- situated such that it would not block the view from the breakfast room window out to the pool, I decided to bring in my friend, who is also an architect (and who was very proficient in CAD at one time) for one hour of brainstorming. Nothing concrete resulted from that meeting. She had her ideas and I had mine; no clear solution presented itself. Now, I was downright frustrated.
After sketching out a few different options, it was becoming more apparent that the house would require extensive remodeling to bring it up to modern day living standards of scale and proportion and I wasn’t sure the neighborhood warranted such expensive additions. During a phone update (as they lived over an hour away), I suggested they meet with a real estate agent in the meantime to get some comps in the area and get a better idea of the value of their house. He did that.
So, long story short, I put forth a few concept sketches and sent them via mail for review along with a bill for my time, preliminary sketches, and initial consultation. They paid the bill promptly; his wife signed the check. No questions asked. It was great to get paid! However, there was no note attached either; reading between the lines of what was not said, I assumed they must not have liked the schemes.
Lesson learned here: I could have taken the opportunity to call them to thank them for their payment…and to inquire as to what were their plans. Instead, I hesitated, not wanting to be a “pest.” While we creative types like to be paid, sometimes feedback is more valuable!
First Pass Schematic Design
The Conclusion
Unfortunately, I didn’t “make a sell” as the project did not progress any further. I’m not sure if they knew what they really wanted to do with the house. It remains unclear to me even now.
In hindsight (and revisiting the client file), I became stuck in my thinking and could not make a firm decision on how to move forward; I did not act quickly enough and let the moment pass by.
I did call the client a few months after sending him the initial schematics and he said they still hadn’t made any decisions as yet.
Lesson learned: Go with your gut instinct. If trying to get information out of the client is like pulling teeth, then perhaps this indicates this is not a good relationship fit. Understanding client expectations is paramount to a successful project. I can attest that dealing with a smart aeronautical engineer requires a certain finesse; maybe that’s why the original interior designer had sent him my way in the first place… (I mean, who turns away business?) However, she was correct to realize that the house needed so much more than a superficial interior decor makeover- it needed a major renovation.
Option 2- with Perspective sketches
The bottom line question that needed to be answered was: how much money were they willing to spend to create their dream house on what would seem to me to be a rare lot indeed, one with an airstrip.
Lesson learned: seize the moment! Don’t hesitate to go for it. I had two choices- offer a milque-toast, safe design idea based on his small budget of 30k OR go all out with a big bang-up display, showing awesome kitchens (images pulled from magazines), and making a model of the new layout. But,
I didn’t do that. Why? I guess because I sensed that my time wouldn’t be well-spent as their budget was simply too tight; and he seemed unwilling to budge from that budget.
Perhaps inviting a lender into the picture would have been an appropriate next step.
I doubt they’re going to move anywhere else. Unless he’s going to be willing to park his plane at a local airport.
As all good real estate agents say: Location, Location, Location! (i.e. Airstrip, Airstrip, Airstrip!)
Tara, first of all, I’ve lived this same story. You were professional and creative. Unfortunately it didn’t work. I’ve gotten the same empty envelope with only a check…go figure.
Regardless, I love the sketches! There is energy and thought and they can be read as a progression of ideas that speak volumes over AutoCAD drawings. People need to see more of these to better understand that we don’t just “draw us up some of them plans.”
Thanks for being transparent. It helps.
Hi Tara,
I read this particular blog entry because of Lee.Thank you Lee and Tara.
For me,it gave an american experience of a real client-professional relationship and what goes on between them.Something which happens in my office too much but with indian touch and mentality.
It was nice reading.
Hi Lee,
Thank you for your comments and compliments, I really appreciate it!
I, too, much prefer freehand sketching to Autocad…
My next Client Case Study is going to be about that very idea, so please stay tuned. I am still open to learning how to use my iPad for schematic design; I’m interested in multiple media.
I’ve been receiving similar feedback on Twitter– that this project scenario is one many architects can relate to.
Hi Sagar,
Thank you for stopping by my blog site and sharing your comments!
It seems architectural challenges are the same the world over. 🙂
I’d love to hear one of your stories. Do you have a company website or blog I can visit?
I hope you’ll visit again soon…
Thanks,
Tara
Thanks for sharing this case study, Tara.
Even a modest project can be full of characters, suspense, plot twists and unanswered mysteries. Your tale here supports my proposition that “architecture holds a thousand stories”.
For your sake I hope there’s no sequel!
May your next story have a happy (and well compensated) ending!
Collier
Hi Collier,
Thank you for reading my post and commenting! 🙂
I actually do envision a potential positive outcome. One possible scenario: client is bequeathed an unexpected large sum of money from a distant uncle and decides to tear down the existing “builder special” and replace it with a new, modern, LEED-certifed, green home complete with Platinum airplane hangar and infinity pool. In this scene, act II, I would be hired to not only design the new home- a modern 2- story with loft studio, but I would be asked to help furnish their temporary diggs at the new lakeside condo they’ve purchased. And everyone lives happily ever after as the final payment clears the bank and the client moves in and sells his condo for a profit. 😀
Tara, thanks for sharing this story, and I am sure we all have many similar stories out there. I am always very careful with how much work I will do for clients (or potential clients) before we have some formal agreement in place. I wonder if you have under valued your own design skills by letting them have something so resolved and workable before formalising an agreement? Engineers are funny types to have as clients, and often they can’t see the value of creative design – I wonder if this is a result of their training or personality?
One tip that I may suggest if I was in that situation is to sketch in your preliminary meeting some rough perspectives – you obviously know how to use butter paper and a pencil, which is becoming a rarer skill these days. The beauty of hand drawn perpectives is that they can convey a better feel for how a space may work, especially if your client has trouble reading plans.
It is enough information to assure them that you know what you are talking about, but without giving them the whole story. Hand drawn perspectives are allowed to look a bit rough and sketchy, and they will always look more creative and artistic compared with an sanitised AutoCAD plan! Please post more of your client stories they are good reading – Secret Design Studio
Nice sketches! even if it did not work out this time, I like your approach. Recently I just meet the client to get scope of work and give them a proposal of roughly how much I think what they want will cost, I also send an estimated fee. I feel most of the time first question I get asked is how much do you charge for…
I used to do rough sketches after first visit, but I had too many people not do anything in the end, and I just wasted my time (didn’t get paid) turns out most of the time budgets didn’t match expectations. Good luck with your projects, hopefully the economy keeps improving and loans start flowing so people can pull the trigger on their projects!
Thank you for your helpful comments, Adriana. I really appreciate your input and great advice. I will definitely try your approach the next time I’m given the opportunity. It’s great to hear you’re keeping busy.
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
~Tara
Hello Tara: Your openness, honesty and integrity do not go unnoticed. I sense you put your best effort forward in a professional manner. Thanks for sharing.
In terms of flying, the small aircraft can be rough, however so can the large. Once upon a time, I instructed candidates for commercial pilot certification. It goes this way, the small travel at a lower altitude and are subject to rising currents from the earth. Whereas the large travel often higher and miss the currents. Yet they sometimes encounter turbulence at high levels. Clear air turbulence is the most feared yet seldom experienced. The best advice is keep the seat belt fastened even under good conditions.
When it comes to client consultation for an art commission, I must admit couples often present a challenge. Even through they appear to share common interest, not so. After the initial meeting in determining subject for the painting, I return with 2 options by way of pencil conceptual drawings. I leave and later return to find both on the same page.Providing choices helps them.
Like the previous writers I too believe the hand drawings can influence the influential.
You did well and remember WIN,WIN, lose, WIN……
Best regards, Bruce
Hi Bruce,
Thank you for sharing your experience as an artist on how best to work with clients to earn their trust and secure the commission! I’ve seen your work on your online portfolio and it is beautiful!
I had no idea you were a pilot instructor in a previous life- my ex-step-sister was working toward becoming a licensed pilot (her dad was encouraging her to do so as her grandmother- his mom- had been a pilot way back when). She finished several hours, but ended up not completing them all, unfortunately. She left her lucrative (but boring job) as a bank executive and is now running her own successful interior decorating business.
I only know one pilot (also a member of my former step-father– one of his brother’s kids). Work is very difficult to obtain here in the states, so he’s been flying for a company in China (and now in Indonesia- I think)… which makes it hard on his family.
Back to the case study, I have another case study I want to share about doing some work for my brother and his fiance (as they say, “never work with family…” ;)). The point of the story is whether a house is worth remodeling or selling and how to make the decision to stay or go when you love the area but are unhappy with your house. It seems to be a dilemma many people are facing today.
My dream has always been to basically renovate homes and resell them– not a ‘mere’ “houseflipper”– something more meaningful than that which brings sustainabilty and economies of scale and maintains/improves aesthetics. My husband keeps telling me to be patient. Meanwhile…”Rome is still burning.” I try to tell him that suburbia is seen as an evil dystopian wasteland by knowledgeable designers and planners– but to no avail. Like the general public, he seems intentionally oblivious to what I’m talking about.
Your last line is well-taken. 😀
Thanks for your wisdom and shared experiences…
Kind regards,
Tara
Your complimentary remark about my art is received and much appreciated. It’s a life of constant learning.
Pleased to hear your ex step-sister’s career shift is paying off particularly during the economic recession.
Yes the aviation industry in Canada is experiencing some difficulties as well. As a consequence, many pilots are working overseas like Americans.One of my son-in- law’s who I am proud of,is a captain with Air Canada and doing well. He travels all over NA and Mexico.
I neglected in my previous remarks to mention how impressed I was to hear that you inspected the clients attic. Assessing the structure, roof loading and factoring climatic history and potential for damage demonstrate know-how and thoroughness. No compromising on your part and in keeping with professionalism.
Yes working for relatives is not always advisable, yet under the current economy, why not? Relatives can later provide great testimony about your services. It’s more about maintaining objectivity.
It seems buying is more sexy here and likely the same there. And we understand real estate there is well underpriced. While seemingly attractive to purchase, it presents issues for selling your home. Also remodeling can result in great dividends. A good solid cost / benefit analysis for both options will help.
It,s difficult to be patient when you feel confident about transforming dreams into reality. People I believe commission the services of an architect for their imagination( oh yes all the other as well) and in your case applying this to your homes can lead to happiness and prosperity. My late aunt was highly successful as a interior designer and decorator. She started with little and tackled high end residential, theatres, churches etc.But key here is she worked from her homes(many over time) which were showcases of her talents. The homes were tough to pay for as well as decorate but main stage for selling her services. This also elimated the high administrative costs of having an office and shop. She travelled to places like Hong Kong to purchase furnishings and placed in her home to attract clients and then place in their homes. I wish you success with this as it is a worthwhile goal.
Always a pleasure to communicate with you and please keep us briefed on your progress.
Very truly, Bruce
Dear Bruce,
Please forgive my tardiness in responding to your very kind note. It’s been a very hectic week as we’re getting ready to attend a special wedding of one of our nieces.
I really appreciate your post and especially enjoyed hearing about your late aunt’s success as an interior designer using her home as her showcase to get business. Great thoughts.
I’ll be in touch soon.
Kind regards,
Tara