Like most of you, I have had to deal with the public misunderstanding of what architects do, why it's valuable, and the frustrating issue of little or no support from AIA. Here's my most frustrating story to date.
I wrote a book called
Designing Your Perfect House that is an Amazon #1 bestseller. It is essentially a summation of the discussions I have with my clients. It probably resembles your conversations, I suspect. In the book I clearly explain the value of what we do and why a house designed by a competent architect is going to be a lot better than any stock plan. It also helps people understand design principles, develop a good program for their house, see how the house should fit the site, and lots of other issues that go into a house that will be perfect for the owners. I discuss how to select and work with an architect in terms people can understand and not in the usual "We're so wonderful" way the AIA pamphlets have in the past.
Here's the astounding part. I have tried for two years to get AIA to simply
carry my book in the AIA Bookstore. They say they can not afford to do that. Why they can not afford to carry a book with a great sales record is beyond me. I am totally puzzled. Not only has my book won a number of awards, it has garnered terrific reviews. Look it up on Amazon and read them for yourselves. People find it very helpful. And most importantly, it tells
our story. It explains why architects are valuable and important in residential design.
The book is already in its second printing. So someone out there is designing and building houses even in this terrible economy. We just need more of them to understand why they should use an architect!
As a self serving note, let me say this. If you encourage your potential clients to read
Designing Your Perfect House, they will be much better prepared to work with you, they will appreciate why they should hire you, and they will feel it is a worthwhile investment. A $27 investment in the book will save them thousands of dollars.
Now if someone can get AIA to put it in the bookstore, I would greatly appreciate it.
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William Hirsch AIA
William J. Hirsch Jr. Architect
Cary NC
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