A commercial building project is complex. It often involves a large team of people with different skills, time pressures and communication styles. When you add the worries any entrepreneur has when building a new business or revamping an old one – local competition, market changes, permitting issues and environmental requirements, to name just a few – the headaches and sleepless nights can start to add up.
In my 30-plus years as an architect working on both residential and commercial building projects, I’ve found a few things that can help clients get through it without tearing out their hair (too much.).
Hire the Right Architect for a Commercial Building Project
Look for someone who is licensed in your state and has the relevant experience and expertise. An architect with knowledge of your local business environment can provide valuable advice at the beginning of a project and knows the right contractors and how to speed up permitting (a frequent source of frustration) in your area.
A good architect is also a good communicator. She listens to your needs and can articulate your vision rather than trying to sell you on hers.
Be Honest (with Yourself and Your Architect)
It’s natural – and desirable – to have big dreams and grand ambitions for your new (or newly renovated) business. But these dreams need to be tempered with reality.
Your market, the competition, building requirements and consideration of local attitudes should all be a part of planning your space. If, for example, your dream is to build an upscale clothing boutique with lots of natural light and a minimalist design, but the only space you can afford is in a working-class neighborhood in a dark building with no windows, you may need to adjust your expectations.
This is where your architect and contractors can help. With knowledge of your area and industry, they can help you see potential in spaces that seem impossible.
If you have budget constraints – and who doesn’t? – be honest with your architect up front. She can make suggestions that you might not have considered that can help you create a space you’ll be thrilled with without breaking your bank account.
The same is true for timelines. If you have to meet a specific timeline – say, to be ready for business by a certain season – tell your architect at the first meeting. Ask her if there’s any reason to believe you won’t be able to make the deadline and realize that she may need to talk to other contractors to determine availability in order to give you a realistic answer.
Most importantly, communicate openly and respectfully. If something seems wrong, or if you want to change something, tell your architect right away rather than letting doubts and worries keep you awake at night. It’s part of her job to either allay your concerns or provide potential solutions to problems.
Let Your Architect Act as the Team Interpreter
When you have architects, contractors, designers, permit officials, suppliers and business owners all working on one project, communication can be tricky. Sometimes, it might seem as if everyone is speaking a different language. I firmly believe that your architect – assuming you’ve hired the right one – is the best person to act as the interpreter, making sure each team member is on the same page and is communicating effectively. Here’s why:
- As the building’s designer, she is the professional who has the big picture in mind;
- She’s usually the only team member with the training and experience to understand all the aspects of a commercial building project;
- She understands how even small changes in one element can affect the others;
- She best understands the client’s vision and overall needs.
Understand Local Building Codes Before You Start
Building codes, especially for commercial building projects, are complicated. If you have a basic understanding of local requirements at the beginning of your project, you can avoid a lot of problems and potentially expenses down the line.
Fortunately, you aren’t on your own. Your architect should be familiar with all applicable codes and regulations and should be able to give you a list of them and estimates of how long the permitting process should take.
Don’t Do It Yourself (or Hire Cousin Ralph)
Among the mistakes that cost clients the most hassles (and money) is the understandable urge to cut costs by taking on too much of a project themselves or engaging a friend or relative who may not be the best person for the job.
Because there are so many considerations involved in designing and executing a commercial building project, it’s especially important to use contractors and suppliers with the right expertise. Someone who is not a professional – or who doesn’t have the right experience in commercial building – can make costly mistakes or create delays simply because they don’t know what they don’t know.
Even buying materials and supplies is best left to the professionals, who know about the requirements and can judge the quality of the materials. They also have the knowledge and connections to fix things quickly if there’s a problem.
With a little thought, some planning and the right architect, you can make it through your commercial building project with your sanity fully intact!
This post first ran in 2019.