The Client's House

The Client's House

Community values might be the hardest to grasp in this situation since this house will be setting the precedence for the rest of the neighborhood. Of course the client will want to maximize the site and building height with regards to this particular lot. It is the architects responsibility to filter out what is not important and explaining that to the client in terms that they are comfortable with. The hardest part of any project is dealing with a client. Hopefully the client has hired you for your previous work and not for any other reasons.

Knowing that this client has many important contacts in high places, it is imperative to deal with the clients demands in a very professional manner and tend to any of his needs or concerns that he may have, as long as they don't go against of the firm's philosophy.

Building on such a rare and special site while being the first to do so, comes with much responsibility and will set a standard for the remaining community and its values. The firm will also be looked at under a microscope and will most likely be scrutinized for any design flaws or lack of compassion for the site, both future and past.

The architect should go back and design again trying to integrate the client's concerns about the design. They should also talk to the client about trading off some of his ideas with important issues such as community values. If the client requires anything against the firm's philosophy, the architects should tell the client that they are unable to perform the necessary tasks and they will offer some other architect that might be interested in working with him. This is a case that seems to ask who will sell out first.

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