We determined that we wanted to go “Out” to expand the living quarters and “Up” to build a master suite, but we weren’t sure how much it would be to do either or both.  The person to eventually answer that question would be our architect.

Architect vs. Home Designer - What’s the Difference?

It’s important to understand the difference between a home designer and an architect.

The architect is a licensed professional who understands how a building should be built.  They have knowledge about the structural requirements necessary to prevent your home from toppling over.  They understand all issues related to safety spelled out by the building codes in which their design for your home needs to conform.  The architect also represents you in construction matters very much the way an attorney would represent you in legal matters.  Architects can facilitate the entire process from design to bid to build.

Think of a home designer as a visual artist.  They understand all space and functional issues you may bring up about your current and future home.  They also can draft plans and elevations to describe layouts and form.  Home designers strengths lie in design and decoration and the wide variety of materials that can be used in your finishes.  Some home designers have a large part of knowledge that architects have and can come up with fantastic plans and great vision, but beware they are not licensed and regulated in understanding this crucial knowledge.

Great architects on the other hand, can and should understand everything that a home designer can provide but also understand the mechanics involved in building what has been designed.  They know what goes on behind the walls and what constraints.  The great architect combines the technical elements of home design and construction with the aesthetics of what a home designer would bring to the table.

My wife’s coworker renovated their home by adding a second story.  They hired a home designer who drafted plans for the addition and changes to be performed on the first floor to support the new story.  The plans were sent to a structural engineer who in turn described the details to structurally support the second story.  During the construction phase, the home designer had not taken into account the dimensional requirements for the HVAC.  In short, there was no way to run ducts from one end of the second story to the other.  Our friend had to bargain with their general contractor to issue a change order to put in another furnace and air conditioning unit to split the second story into two zones - a considerable extra cost due to the fact that their home designer did not fully grasp the mechanics of what goes behind the wall and in the ceilings.

Although home designers can be considerably less expensive than architects, if you are going to perform significant structural changes to your home, I would highly recommend seeking the help of an architect.