Never ignore a pain in the gut
Three months ago my husband had a pain in his chest. Of course he went straight to the doctor. He had all the blood tests but apart from a mild vitamin D deficiency everything seemed normal. He improved and on life went.
Then last month he got a pain in his gut. Bad pain. The kind of pain that wakes you up at 4am and you don’t know where to put yourself. A day went by and it wasn’t getting better. So, on a fateful Monday, he found another doctor near work and went in looking a lighter shade of pale. That doctor said:
You’d better get yourself to Emergency.
With the doctor’s permission he came home to get his toothbrush first.
Within 6 hours he was admitted to hospital and put on IV antibiotics.
Within 24 hours he was on the operating table having a bariatric appendectomy. (What's an appendix even for, anyway??) Since then he has recovered well and is back to his lovely self.
Thank goodness he trusted his gut (excuse the pun) and got the advice he needed.
The ethics of seeking a medical second opinion are well established. In the UK, the USA and here in Australia, it is an important aspect of patient care and agency. There are any number of stories of people who, after putting it off, say “thank goodness I trusted myself!”
So why is Architectural practice, and building design more generally, lagging behind this standard? It makes me wonder why the benefits of seeking the opinion of other experts is not commonly offered to homeowners. I don’t know for sure, but maybe…
Clients feel they are bound to their architect or designer?
Designers see it as bad for business and that clients should be held onto?
Because designers are sensitive creatives who can’t take constructive criticism? (pffft! toughen up!)
Because designers don’t see it as part of their jobs to help clients give them constructive feedback?
Because design is just a subjective battle of aesthetic opinion?!?! (it’s not!)
Maybe there are shades these. But I think it mainly because...
No one has told homeowners that such a thing is possible and offered it to them! Until now.
Why would you seek a second opinion on your design? Well, there's a few benefits.
If you have a standard floor plan that you’d like to improve, you’re probably working with a company who isn’t thrilled about doing multiple revisions. An independent expert can identify the best tweaks and fixes with you so you can return confidently to your primary team with a clear plan for improvement.
Discussing your design or ideas with an independent outsider can let you voice your concerns without fear of damaging your relationship with your primary designer. Stop stressing and find out from an independent expert if your concerns are founded.
An independent architect can help you give better feedback to your primary designer. A second opinion can help you communicate what you really intend and get the language right, at at stage in the process when your team is most receptive.
A second opinion from a specialist (i.e. architect vs draftsperson, or from a passive house expert) can provide more in-depth knowledge and experience to resolve problems and improve the outcome.
When sought early, a second opinion can reveal different design strategies and options. This will be valuable if the original design was too large in scope, too costly, losing too much of the home’s original character, or if you feel uncomfortable with how the current design is progressing.
Design and construction can be stressful and overwhelming. A second opinion can provide peace of mind, knowing that you've explored all avenues and made a well-informed decision about your home.
Seeking a second opinion encourages homeowners to be active participants in the decisions affecting their most valuable asset. It can help to foster partnership and improve the quality of communication between the homeowner and their original design team.
Still, you might feel conflicted. If the second opinion differs from the course you are currently on, it might create uncertainty and make it harder to decide on the best course of action. And maybe you’re already feeling overwhelmed!! However, change is usually easier to accommodate that you think, especially if the issue is identified early.
The benefits of getting your design strategy and decisions right before you commit to a build cost and construction process, outweigh any disadvantages of a minor time delay.
An a nutshell - an eraser and a pencil is a LOT cheaper than a wrecking ball.
That’s why Architect GP created the Floor Plan Review Workshop. It’s for when you feel like your current plan or design isn’t yet a perfect fit for your needs, and you would like the support of an expert second opinion to make it better.
Improving a design is not “just” subjective. You know some homes feel and work better than others. The great news is that there is a process for this work. It starts when your Architect GP listens to your needs and concerns and then investigates the most important things for your circumstances, such as:
Site factors
Environmental design, including Passive Solar Design
Individual room layouts
Room relationships, layout and flow
Joinery, fixtures & fittings
Services and systems
Other project specific factors
If you have a gut feeling that a second opinion could be helpful for your design, hit reply or pop me a message on our Contact form. We are real people here, there are no robots or filters between you, me and a network of fabulous Architect GPs.
