Buying a house, or condo, is the biggest investment most people make. Over the years, you learn what you love about your home, and what you’d love to change. Whether it’s a bathroom overhaul or turning a basement into a home office, architects can help homeowners make the most of their existing spaces.
Working with an Architect
“It doesn’t have to be a big project to work with an architect,” said Cynthia Williams, AIA of
Cynthia Williams Architect. “One of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on was the renovation of a bathroom. The extent of the project may be one room, but having a space that serves you well makes a huge difference in your quality of life. I feel like I can help people have a more calm and ordered life by giving them the space that they need.”
Most people have never worked with an architect and may not even know one since there are far fewer architects than other professionals like lawyers and accountants. Finding someone who will help you reimagine your home involves talking about how you use your spaces, from the bathroom to the closets. It becomes a much more personal relationship than hiring someone to draw up a contract or file your taxes.
“You want to like and trust your architect,” said Christopher Kepes, AIA of
Kepes Architecture. “All our work is on the internet so people can look at that and get a feel for what we’re able to do, but you also want to make sure the architect you hire is listening to you.”
Depending on the size of the project, you’ll be spending months or even years with your architect, so finding the right fit is important. Homeowners can, and should, look at work samples, ask for references, and meet with a couple of different architects. Working with an architect is more than getting drawings, it’s about engaging a professional with a unique set of skills essential to the success of your project.
“Like most things, you get what you pay for,” said Andrew Schaub, AIA of
Alto Design. “People should hire based on compatibility not cost. People want to use square footage as a price gauge, and you can do that, but only to a limited degree. A Hyundai and a Mercedes weigh the same, but there’s a lot of differences in what they each include. You might think you don’t need much for your project, but you can’t trade it in like a car, you have to live with it.”
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RVP PhotographyAddition to the Boehne residence designed by Christopher Kepes, AIA of Kepes Architecture.
What Homeowners Should Know
Home design, remodeling, and construction TV shows can set unrealistic expectations for real-world projects. TV timelines and budgets are not what homeowners should expect. Media can be good for understanding the breadth of available options, and even some design inspiration, but architects can help homeowners get the most bang for the buck.
“It’s important for homeowners to know how much they’re willing to invest in a project,” said Williams. “It’s hard to know the cost of things without having the drawings but when I see the house, when I know the list of things they need or want, and what the existing construction is, I can give them a general idea of the cost range for their project.”
Each town, city, and county have different regulations and incentives for residential construction. Architects can help homeowners navigate that process. With their knowledge of the building and zoning code, architects can identify issues in a project, like septic systems, hillside overlay, and historic district regulations, that impact design. Early identification of anything that might require a variance is critical for the architect and homeowner as it can impact the cost and timeline of a project.
“On an existing structure, if there aren’t plans, the first thing we do is measure and document everything so we’re working from reality,” said Schaub. “We get to know the house pretty well – where the bearing walls are, where the HVAC runs are, what we can open up – so we don’t draw things that are impossible or super expensive.”
At the start of a project, an architect will ask a homeowner about the must-have elements and their would-like features. Some architects have a questionnaire to help homeowners think through those items.
“I encourage people to write down what it is that they want,” says Williams. “If it’s a new kitchen, what does that mean? Do they want two sinks or one? Then we have a deeper conversation about how they’re going to use the space and what they need from it.”
Architects also help homeowners who’ve collected aspirational pictures of what they want, define their project.
“It’s rare that they can have exactly what’s in a picture,” said Kepes. “So, we talk about the pictures – what do they like, what specifically is appealing, how does the image make them feel? Then I work toward a design that meets those needs.”
For homeowners, coming in with ideas is important but being open to visualizing what’s possible can result in a better project. Projects involving updating existing spaces especially benefit from having an architect’s perspective.
“When we walk through the house, the owner talks about what they’re thinking and what they want for the project,” said Kepes. “It’s easy for me to point out things they haven’t thought of. I’m looking at circulation – how you get from one end of the house to the other, how you get from level to level – how light gets in, and the location of more public versus private areas of the house.”
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Dana Trilk"One of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on was the renovation of a bathroom," said Cynthia Williams, AIA of Cynthia Williams Architect.
Kitchens and bathrooms and mudrooms oh my!
While the pandemic seems like a distant memory, it did change people’s relationships with their homes. A tight housing market and high interest rates also make it more challenging to find a new home when the existing one isn’t quite ideal. The combination of family needs and wants with market forces means renovations may be the best solution for homeowners.
“There is always a steady stream of kitchen and bath remodeling,” said Schaub. “A lot of older houses don’t have mudrooms, or if they do, they’re tiny. Sometimes we can create that space by expanding into the garage, or we look at how you come into the house and create a separate area for coats, lacrosse sticks, and the rest of the family’s stuff.”
In addition to finding smart solutions to make tricky spaces function better. Architects can also help a homeowner with the dozens of decisions required on any home project.
“There are 1,000 different kitchen faucets out there, but only ten are really good,” said Williams. “One of the main reasons to have professional help is what’s in the showrooms and internet can be overwhelming. I find samples of what’s appropriate for the project that is also durable, practical, good quality, and serves the aesthetics of the house, and we look at them together.”
While an architect might not be top of mind for an outdoor project, many residential architects do these projects frequently.
“A lot of outdoor spaces are actually a building – a porch, a gazebo, a pool house – or they have a building component like fireplaces or retaining walls,” said Schaub. “Hard surfaces are generally in the architect’s realm: deck, terrace, patio, or driveway. We think of it holistically – how the house connects to the outdoor spaces.”
Having that perspective is important to ensure your new screened-in porch doesn’t block the view from the picture window in the family room.
Getting it Built
As a project moves from ideas into plans and drawings, architects can help with choosing contractors to do the construction, they can also help homeowners manage the project. Having the whole team together early on can help evaluate and manage costs and ensure good communication among the team.
“On renovations and additions, it’s especially important to have the architect involved during the construction,” said Williams. “You never know what you’re going to find when you take something apart. Having a second set of eyes on the job site is a value for the homeowner.”
“There’s a lot of design decisions that have to be made as construction goes along,” said Kepes. “To have an architect on hand that the contractor knows they can call and work it out, makes it a much better, tighter project. On a lot of projects, I’ll lead weekly meetings with the client and the contractor, taking and publishing notes so everyone knows what we talked about and what’s happening next. It helps communication and keeps expectations in line.”
“Architects are constantly being educated on materials and building techniques,” said Schaub. “We bring a broad scope of knowledge to anything that’s built, whether it’s a doghouse or a condo tower.”
“We’re not just drawing up a set of plans for a permit,” said Kepes. “We see the big picture and the details at the same time, and understand the sequence for a project to happen. We help people organize and prioritize what they’re looking for in a remodeling project.”
Save the date to continue this discussion in person:
When: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Time: 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Where: Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery, 4805 Kennedy Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45209
More details coming soon.
If you’ve never worked with an architect before, the
American Institute of Architects has resources to help you through that process. Architects understand homeowners may be nervous about engaging an architect for the first time and will explain the process and how they work. On any project it’s likely something will go wrong. Having a trusted team of professionals on board to solve those unexpected problems can ensure the space you want is the space you get.
The series, Architecture Matters, is supported by AIA Cincinnati. Learn more at aiacincinnati.org.
The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the American Institute of Architects or the members of AIA Cincinnati.