Finding an architect, or finding anyone in any given field for an upcoming project, is increasingly easy thanks to the internet. That may not always be a great thing, though. The information you can find online is never a substitution for human connection, and so you should never hire someone without first meeting with them. And honestly, you should meet with multiple people before you select someone for your commercial building project.
Ask around within your field
One of the very best ways to make sure you’re hiring someone who is up for the task, is to ask your friends and colleagues for their experiences with architects for their various projects. Even if they constructed a building for a different type of business, if they have experience with a local architect and it was an overall good experience, that architect is definitely worth at least an interview. Word of mouth is still one of the most reliable ways to find a contractor.
Meet with candidates and try to make a connection
Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential architects for your project, set up interviews with each of your candidates. Try to stay relaxed during these interviews. Get to know them and their previous projects, as well as what their vision and ideas are for your specific project.
Ask lots of questions
Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions during the entire process. You wouldn’t want to get far into a project and then realize that you had different ideas of how the project was going to move forward than your architect did. There are never too many questions, no matter the stage of your commercial building project.
Make sure you have similar visions
Even the very best architect won’t be a good fit for you if you have starkly different visions for the project. You want an architect who is excited about your project and has a similar vision to you. Their ideas should build off of yours and complement them, making your already great commercial building project, even better.
