There are certain kinds of work this firm will not take on, and it’s better to make that clear from the outset.

Statutory Permissions

I will not take up the responsibility for obtaining permissions from government bodies such as the municipality etc. for any project. The reason for this is not hard to guess if you live in India.

I will, however, provide whatever agency is appointed for such a purpose, with all the necessary information and drawings.

Turnkey Projects

I firmly believe that as an Architect, I must maintain an unbiased position between the clients and contractors and must impartially settle any dispute between the two with regard to matters such as cost and quality. If you ask me to become a contractor for any project, that immediately makes me an interested party and, therefore, deprives me of objectivity in the matter. I’m aware that a lot of people don’t see this as a problem.

I do!

Cost Contracting and Tendering

As an architect, I try to keep costs of project execution as low as possible without compromising the design in any way. Estimates are, naturally, made once the design is agreed upon.

However, if price is the only consideration and the design and quality don’t matter too much, then I’m not the right person to contact.

Oh, and please don’t call me if you only want an estimate to compare with others.

The Client-Architect Relationship

Any project is a collaboration between client and architect and it is extremely important that they be on a similar wavelength. Designing is a creative process and if the client and architect are thinking in totally different directions, the process becomes stressful and the design suffers.

For this reason, if I find a potential client whose viewpoints are so different from mine that there is little common ground, I prefer to refuse the project than go against my design philosophy.

Not for Sale

The client-architect relationship is much like a partnership — with each one accommodating the other’s point of view when necessary. Unfortunately, some people make the mistake of assuming that, if they are paying you, they own you. With due respect, I’d request them to please go buy someone else.