Hiring a professional architect is normally one of the first steps towards designing your dream home. Ideally, an architect’s sound advice and careful mapping should lay the foundation of your home’s design. And based on the experience of many homeowners, you should never ignore hiring this specialist. Especially if you’re hoping for a personalised and beautiful house design in Pakistan.

How to design your dream home

We all carry a picture in our mind of how our dream home will look like. Translating that image into a brick ‘n’ mortar structure is where an architect can figure into the equation.

Unfortunately, most of us only have a limited understanding about what an architect does. People are only familiar with the simplistic concept of sharing their home design requirements with an architect, and getting a skilfully rendered map in return.

But the process goes deeper than that. And in addition to the said specialist, a home construction job requires several professionals working together.

You need to begin your home design project from a certain point. With an architect’s professional support, you can get started more smoothly.

In this blog, we’ll cover following points in detail:

• Why you need an architect?

• Step-wise process of designing your home

              – Ask yourself why

              – Appointing the design team

              – Preliminary discovery

              – Five stages of planning

• Architects in Pakistan

• Architect charges in Pakistan

So you’ll know just what to expect before making a hire!

Why you need an architect?

You must first understand the exact role that an architect plays in a home design gig.

Let us begin by elaborating on the basic question: what does an architect do?

In all actuality, an architect’s role extends way beyond designing a building. For starting their public consultancy, these professionals first need to earn a licence. This comes after rigorous education, training, and experience.

The architects oversee the construction of a building right till the end. It is their job to ensure that the building will be safe for inhabitation or public use.

For working on a house design in Pakistan, you need an architect’s services for three basic purposes. These are, namely, the:

• design
• documentation
• construction

processes.

For designing purposes, the architect first gets familiar with the client’s layout concept. He (or she) will tailor the proposed design in line with building safety regulations and other construction standards. Given the location of the prospective house construction, the architect will also take local restrictions into consideration.

Nowadays, the environmental impact of tentative developments is also taken as an area of concern.

During the documentation phase, the architect draws the design on paper. This stage also includes the use of technical software. These methods allow the specialist to check for a particular design’s construction feasibility.

Finally, the architect produces the required construction documents. These drafts are meant for the use of contractors, engineers, and other construction professionals. They lay out the design appended with specific technical instructions and specifications. The issues to remain wary of, in short.

When the construction begins, the architect employed will make frequent site visits. He will hold meetings with other experts concerned, and sign any documents which require clearance. Any problems arising during the construction process also fall under the specialist’s area of responsibility.

Step-wise process of designing your home

For building a custom house design in Pakistan, you and your chosen architect will need to follow a step-by-step work process.

Home designing and construction requires careful attention and dedication. The more organised you and your architect are, the better the anticipated results.

Why you need a home design?

Before you start, you need to ask yourself why you need a custom home design. Nowadays, readily-built homes are easily available, so why exhaust yourself through an elaborate construction process?

A firm conviction will get you by on some of the challenges of the process that lie ahead. If you are clear about your own house designing goals, then it is easier to turn them into a reality.

For you, there could be multiple reasons for hiring an architect than choosing an already-built house. Many homeowners require a personalised design to cater to their growing family needs. Others may be interested in energy-efficient homes.

Throughout the process, ensure that your ‘why’ for the development process is given a priority.

Architectural firms in Pakistan will need a brief from the client to start the design process. During this phase, the clients can share their home concept and goals. Don’t hesitate to be thorough. You can even use rough sketches of your own to get your point across.

Your design team

Constructing your dream home requires the cooperation of more than a few experts. These professionals will make up your design team. To transpose the home’s design from paper to land, the architect will need constant help from these specialists.

For starters, your design team must include energy consultants to determine the project’s energy demands; planning consultants to resolve planning issues during the design implementation stage, etc.

From start to finish, and depending on your design’s particular needs, different professionals will keep adding to your team. An expert architect can actually help you choose the best specialists for inclusion.

For the ease of prospective homeowners, architectural firms in Pakistan usually recommend a number of trustworthy contractors. But overall, it is the client’s word that dictates design team dynamics.

Preliminary discovery

During the preliminary discovery phase, you and your architect agree upon the size and shape of the house. In the field’s jargon, this is the design brief you will discuss with your architect. It will include the number of rooms and their expected layout.

In this initial stage, you can also choose the architectural style that you fancy for your home. Contemporary and traditional styles are the default popular choices, but homeowners can broaden their horizons. For example, one can choose Italian or Scandinavian architectural themes for a Mediterranean or Northern European touch.

Another important factor to consider is the cost of the design chosen. If you define your budget to the architect in explicit terms, he will be able to alter your design in a manner that fits it. An experienced architect can even offer cheaper layout alternatives that still keep your design goals intact.

The Five Stages of Planning

It is the job of the architect to conduct a thorough assessment of the design concept shared by the client, and plan the workflow accordingly. For this end, architects normally follow a detailed planning process based on five stages (listed below).

Each stage has its own significance in the home design/construction process. But the general aim is to pay attention to the most minute design details, while keeping a wider perspective in mind. At the end of this process, the architect will produce a refined design concept. This is the final design draft ready for implementation.

A typical house design concept undergoes the following five stages of planning:

1.    Schematic design

This is the most basic phase of the planning process. In this stage, the architect designs the size and shape of the house. It also includes making allocations for spaces and openings.

For example, the design schematic will show the spaces allocated for different rooms, and the positioning of doors, windows, and skylights.

To facilitate understanding, the schematic clearly defines the use of indoor and outdoor spaces.

2.    Design development

This phase takes the schematic design development venture a step further. It adds the materials and finishes required for the venture. It also brings includes the house systems. For example, plumbing, heating, air conditioning, ventilation, utilities, active & passive solar systems, and house shading arrangements; among others.

Aesthetic features are also part of the design development phase. These include choosing the right styles for balconies, terraces, landscaping, patios, decks, etc.

3.    Permit documents

In this phase, the architect will produce a set of drawings and notes. These will be based on the client’s home design instructions. The drafts will include technical information like building and land use codes.

This information is meant for the building department, which will review and approve the house’s construction accordingly.

4.    Construction documents

As mentioned earlier, these documents form a crucial part of the planning process.

In this phase, the architect transcribes the agreed-upon design for the contractors, engineers, and other professionals hired for commencing with the actual construction.

These set of instructions are fleshed out in the form of drawings. Only these compositions are more comprehensible for the other experts employed.

The drawings include demolition plans, plans for the foundation, floor & roof, wall sections, elevations, interior elevations, reflected ceiling plan, etc. They also comprise mechanical and electrical plans, along with details on structure and the framing of the building.

5.    Construction administration

This is where many people get confused about the role of an architect. And although construction administration is the final phase of house planning, it does not bring closure to the architect’s work.

By this point, you and your hired architect have invested a lot of effort into designing the desired home concept. It now becomes important for you to ensure that the contractors deliver on the designs communicated to them.

Of course, the construction process – in itself – is by no means a simple process. Several problems may arise during it.

For this reason, the architect’s constant involvement becomes a must. Right to the end, the home design expert will need to track the complete construction process, provide alternative solutions in cases of building roadblocks, and ensure that the final product is what the client asked for.

Types of architects in Pakistan

Now that you know what an architect does, you really should seek one for designing the home of your dreams.

Fortunately, Pakistan boasts a number of highly seasoned architects.

Some of these specialists offer one-to-one services. Others work as the coordinating link between popular construction companies and the client.

There is no harm in working with a solo architect – all things considered. But an architectural firm is normally in the position to offer complementary services too. For instance, they can provide land surveying, contractor services, engineering, and interior designing facilities. All under one roof!

To name a few well-known local firms, Pakistanis have Amer Adnan Associates, Edwags, IHA Design Works, and MAA’WA Architects at their disposal.

The country has also produced several renowned individual architectural experts. People who are largely reckoned to be institutions unto themselves. Nayyar Ali Dada, Yasmin Lari (Pakistan’s first female architect), Hammad Husain, and Nazar Abbas Kazmi are some notable examples.

A word on common architect charges in Pakistan

Realising your ‘own home’ dream is not an effortless task. Nor is it inexpensive. And even if you ignore the costs of actual construction, architectural services are still pricey.

But on a cautionary note, you really need to keep in mind the benefit of hiring a Pakistani architect for your home design.

A well-designed home means you will enjoy increased personal convenience and property value. Your home will have fewer design problems – such as those associated with its structure, interior & exterior spaces, energy efficiency, etc. And if you ever plan to expand or remodel your home, it will be a far easier process to manage.

So whatever you end up paying to an architect, you can totally expect a good return on investment.

In this write-up, we have discussed the role and significance of architects in the home design process in detail. Now if you do decide to hire Pakistani architects for your home design purposes, you will be more informed about the entire layout planning process. In summation, a good architect will be your support right from the get-go of design visualisation – and on to actually seeing your dream home standing.

Tell us what you think about hiring an architect in Pakistan. Share your opinions and experiences in the comments section below.