Is it the cost that stops you checking in with an architect?
I'm in that stage of life where every time I sit down with a cup of tea with the hope of a few quiet moments, within 10 seconds I'll hear… “Hey Mum?”
<Pause, calm breath>
"yes my love?"
And then comes something like…
“Have a look at this!”
“Remember that time when...”
“Donald Trump is a bum head and a narcissist.”
And in all cases the answer is
“yes, my darling.”
My boys are six and nine, and one day they won't need my attention like they do now (and I'll have a bit of a grieve about that.) But right now, they need it a lot, so yes! I WILL help you look for that Lego piece! And I DO remember the time when I forgot to put the handbrake on and the car started rolling away! Here! Have a banana!But beyond such precious focus as this, our attention is in demand as never before in human history. Attention is a new currency and each of us only have a finite amount of it to give and to spend. Unlike money it cannot be accumulated. We just have what we have in any given moment. And amidst the overwhelm we still want to make the best choices. As someone who produces as well as receives email newsletters, I'm only too aware of a potential hypocrisy. There is a fine line between sincerely offering up something you really believe in, and contributing to the noise of the modern world.
I hope I get the balance right because the design, interiors, style and construction corner of the internet is as noisy as any, and it’s led me to a useful realisation. Maybe it will resonate with you too.
If something pops up that is interesting, well presented and low cost/free (an interesting webinar for example) I have little hesitation in saying “yes”. It's fun to take part in something thoughtfully prepared, probably very useful, inexpensive and, because events are recorded, I can review the content when it suits me.
The cogs in my brain got turning about some of the problems with the current offering for design and floor plan review services already out there.
They’re often offered by non-architects, so they might not be as useful because the consultant isn’t necessarily considering a broad design and construction perspective. (Will an interior designer be able to advise you on site orientation and window placement?)
Services seem to start around the $1,500 mark, and while the benefits could be huge, it’s an amount of money that you naturally want to think carefully about.
Many ask you to ‘contact us’ for a quote. Ugh. That’s hard mental work to review and evaluate, and you don’t want the consultant hassling you, right?
Many require you to book an appointment and maybe you don’t have the bandwidth for a game of calendar-tag today.
This is why I made the Architect GP Rapid Review.
At any time of day you can upload your floor plan and design drawings.
I ask you three questions about your main goals and concerns.
Within a week I will provide you with a 15 minute recording of me marking up the floor plan and talking through my architectural rationale, benefits, fixes and opportunities.
You receive a link to the recording and transcript that you can review as many times as you like and share with your project team.
Thoughtful. High potential value. Low cost. Prompt. Time flexible.
You can check out the Rapid Review here:
<www.architectgp.au/rapid-review>
We know that good things take time, but sometimes what we need is a little help right now. I want architecture to be able to fill that gap.
From Sarah - founder of Architect GP
