Tag: architect

The relationship between architects and tradespeople is sometimes less than congenial. Today Tim tries to fix that. He’s invited Stephen Pollock, a Toronto-based architect with more than 20 years experience, onto the show. Tim asks all the questions every tradesperson has wanted to know about they guy behind the drawings.

First up is a discussion about how an architect figures out what to charge their customers. The rule of thumb is that an architect can expect to be paid between 5 to 7% of the total project cost. “I’ve never seen a project go under budget,” Tim says. People always want more than what they can afford. Stephen says the art of architecture is reconciling those differences. An honest architect will tell the client when they are not a right fit for a particular project.

Architects are expected to wear a lot of hats on any job. They need to be able to make a drawing that is on-budget and up to code Then they need to be able to work with every imaginable trade and act as advisor and therapist to the client. It’s not an easy gig.

Stephen dreams of building his firm and being able to mentor the next generation of architects. He has had plenty of bad bosses in his past and he wants to make sure that he doesn’t repeat the past.