Q: How do Architects add value to my project?

Remember this adage?

"If you think education is expensive, you should see how much it costs you to go without it."

The same applies to architecture: You may think it's a drain on your budget,but the truth of the matter is: it will cost you more to build without an architect.

While there are some overlapping responsibilities, architects provide significantly more services, services which add actual value to a facility. "We are trained to solve problems, to look at what people do within their living and work spaces, so that we can design facilities that function well, cost less to build and maintain, and last longer," says Daniel Tideman, principal

Tideman gives an example: The city of Waite Park wanted to build a municipal facility that combined their fire station, police station and city hall. GLTA worked closely to understand how and when all the different users interacted and occupied the building spaces. The final design included flexible spaces that could be used for one activity during the day and another one at night. "We saved square footage and enabled the city to create a very impressive facility that conveys its image," observes Tideman.

Aesthetics -- how a building looks and feels -- are an important ingredient in successful buildings. To explain the value of aesthetics, GLTA Principal David Leapaldt uses an example. "Any number of cars will get you where you want to go, but people value comfort and style. The same goes with buildings: One conveys a positive impression while another conveys a negative impression. What organization can afford to have a building which doesn't accurately portray their image?"

Architects are also current on new materials and building techniques and provide accurate cost projections to clients. "Budget overruns, change orders, and other surprises -- we are trained to try to avoid these," says Leapaldt.

"Our clients don't hire us to carry out their requests," he continues. "If they want that, they can simply hire a drafting service. Our clients hire us to create the most building for their investment, a building that will function the best for the longest period of time. That requires us to collect as much data as possible about their organization and use that information to come up with creative solutions that fit their budget."

Leapaldt says that architects look at every aspect of an organization and use their problem-solving and creative skills to address everything from the mechanical and electrical systems to the human systems."