Working with an architect 101 from David Giulietti [updated]

This Saturday as part of the Portland Architecture & Design Festival 2009, award-winning architect David Giulietti of local firm Giulietti/Schouten will be conducting a class at the Center For Architecture  (403 NW 11th Avenue) called "How (and Why) to Hire and Work with an Architect". The class, which goes from 10:00am - noon, will outline practical aspects of working with an architect, including contractual responsibilities, legal issues, and fee obligations.

Giulietti is a longtime fixture in local design, and I first met him more than a decade ago when he was just coming off a term as president of the AIA/Portland chapter. He's an amiable, veteran architect, and I've enjoyed teasingly arguing Yankees-Mets with him over the years. I've also lost track of how many of the houses his firm designed have wound up on the cover of Oregon Home magazine over the years.

Most of Giulietti/Schouten's projects are in the Portland area but there are also gems dotted throughout Oregon such as the Walnut House outside McMinnville, pictured above, or the Bozich House, pictured at right. Giulietti/Schouten is primarily known for single-family homes, but also has experience in mixed use and commercial work as well. Ultimately, though, David Giulietti is ideal for speaking about the architect-client relationship as it exists on its most basic level, between a homeowner and the architect.

Tickets to "How (and Why) to Hire and Work With an Architect"are $15 $25 or a pair for $25 $35 (available through the Center for Architecture), and admission also includes a free pass for the discussion that immediately follows, called "Ask an Architect". I'd have liked to see this admission be free, but if I were looking to build a house in the next few years, the $15 would be money very well spent.

[UPDATE: Amy from the AIA (asabin@aiaportland.org) says, "We will not turn anyone away based on their ability to pay. Feel free to contact us if you would like to attend."]

The latter talk, "Ask An Architect," will  allow audience members to meet one-on-one with local architects to answer questions and give advice on design, energy-efficiency, remodeling, and general architecture-related topics for home projects.

Comments

[Amy Sabin]

It's actually $15 per person and $25 for a couple. Sorry for the confusion!

[greg]

I think that this shows a lot about how bad the architecture community is at marketing itself. This is a wonderful opportunity for a section of the community that is on the fence about hiring an Architect to be introduced to why they need to hire one, and it's not free? It HAS be free in order to reach out to the most people!!!! How many people are going to pay money in order to be convinced they need to hire an Architect? Think about the "Architecture advice for a nickle" guy and what he did so successfully, he put out a little free community outreach and did wonders for himself and the architecture community as a whole. Lets get with the program here AIA.

[Amy]

Readers,
We will not turn anyone away based on their ability to pay. Feel free to contact us if you would like to attend.
-The Staff at AIA

[Mike D.]

Perhaps Greg should donate more of his time to the AIA since they currently operate on a skeleton crew and can only host functions of this sort due to volunteers, donations and nominal attendance fees.

Sadly, economics ru(i)n our world...