Builders Changes To Architects Drawings May Impact The Design
As the principal of a small Adelaide Architectural Practice I have dealt with many residential projects. As a project commences I commonly get asked by my clients if they should change their plans or details because the builder has suggested that they have a "better way of doing things" or because what is on the plans isn't "standard". This happened with a client this week. What sounded like good advice actually would have had a severe impact on the serviceability of the building as well as significant negative aesthetic impact. Small changes can have a large "knock-on" effect. A simple suggestion of running a roof at 90 degrees to what I had designed (in order to save a bit of timber) would have reduced the ceiling height from 2700mm to a mean and pokey 2400mm.... In addition the significant change this made to the front of the building would have required a new Planning Consent. Due to my clients near miss I thought it may be a good thing to pass on the cautionary advice.
Do I Listen To What The Builder Suggests Or Just Insist They Follow The Plans?
Builders will commonly recommend lots of changes as you progress with the works. My golden rule is to always listen to what the builders have to say just in case you or your Architect has missed something. Do not assume that what is on the drawings is always the best way of doing things. Experience counts and if your builder has been around a while he may very well have some great ideas that you can take advantage of. The problem is that a Builders advice can come about for other reasons. Often a builder wants to make a change because it is their standard way of doing things and not because they have analyzed all possibilities. Sometimes this doesn’t matter & I let them go ahead…sometimes it does matter & there can be consequences and design issues far beyond the limited immediacy of what they have considered.
Builders May Not Place The Same Value On The Aesthetics Of A Project As You
In summary: Aesthetics are not usually the highest priority with builders. Cost and time-frames will often skew their opinions. The architect is usually the best person to answer the builders question as the architect has the greatest familiarity with the design intent & as such will be able to see if the Builders suggestion has any merit. As long as you are fore-armed with this information and have a good think through what is suggested (including financial implications) before agreeing to changes you will have a successful build that ends up the way you planned it.
