Architecture and the common homeowner


So I was at a dinner party tonight put on by some friends of mine; it was an easter/spring/purim party. While there I got into a discussion with two other friends who are in the process of renovating/constructing a home. In the course of discussion I was reminded fully just how little most homeowners know about the construction of their dwelling. I made sure that they had contracted for CA services from the architecture firm who is doing the work for them and assuaged their fears of rampant contractor poor behavior (I reminded them that if they have CA services stipulated it becomes the architect’s responsibility to make sure the contractor does the job right otherwise they can make the contractor re-do the work and that they as home owners would not be liable.)It just made me think, banks impose classes on some homebuyers on mortgages and finances, I wonder if architects should have courses for clients/owners about moisture protection and insulation – the two areas of construction contractors mess up on the most frequently – before the owner awards a contract and construction starts. The reason I say this is that the major problem with CA is that the architect can never be there all of the time to catch all of the mistakes. If it is a renovation, a lot of the time the Owner is still occupying the space and is in a unique position to serve as a triage observer to check for the most vital issues.

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