Process Architect Floor Plan Phase 1-4

With this thread I just had a déjà vu... only that our architect was EVEN slower and it sometimes took 4-6 weeks until a minimal change in our eyes was finally sent. My colleague's comment at the time was "these are creatives, they are all like that." Fortunately, we got to experience that this is not true after phase 4 during the detailed planning when we continued planning with the architect from the construction company; there were worlds of difference in the way of working (communication, speed, thinking along, own suggestions, etc.). But we also made the mistake of not clearly stating that we wanted to be finished by a fixed deadline, then during the planning process we tried to speed things up with inquiries and subtle to clear hints, and what can I say, it didn't help at all :) The man worked so slowly and was as stubborn as a mule, simply the wrong choice in retrospect. What often helped to avoid misunderstandings and reduce some rounds: When we knew exactly what was to be changed, we drew it directly into the plan (moving doors, changing walls, swapping rooms, etc.) and then only asked if it was structurally feasible. And a general tip: Always listen to the architect's suggestions or concerns but never put them above your own wishes. Of course, we were also told that almost no one builds a balcony anymore, wooden floors in the kitchen are polarizing, floor-to-ceiling windows on the upper floor would be nicer, and a prefabricated garage without a roof would not be so bad after all, but then my strong will came in handy and the architect very quickly realized that you can't talk me out of what I simply want because I just like it. It is your house, your money, and hopefully you have to and may live there for 30-40 years; if you want a windbreak, it is so irrelevant whether anyone builds one today or whether your architect finds it outdated, stand by your wishes, otherwise you will be extremely annoyed about everything you were somehow persuaded into but not really convinced of.

But thanks for the contemptuous tone.

Even if one might attribute a lack of Hanseatic stiffness ;-) to the people in Bavaria, I did not read a "contemptuous tone" from – not towards any discussion participant.

To think that an inexperienced builder can whip up his dream house in a snap is not realistic.

The usual procedure of a single-family house planning process does not think so either, it is aware of the regular layman status of often first-time single-family house builders and appropriately represents it.

Professionally, with our planners (and the company’s in-house architects) we firmly schedule the next two or three appointments for the various projects and then discuss the considerations collected so far about the project.

Apart from the fact that this sounds like the typical business economist’s (mis)understanding of organization, I’m confused here: "various projects" (plural) and "professionally" do not quite fit with "single-family house" and "private (= owner-occupier) builder"; likewise, "the company’s in-house architects (plural)" sounds like a large general contractor rather than a single-family house planned by a freelance architect (???).

Property management. We take care of everything from office buildings to apartment houses.

For successful communication, it is very beneficial if all parties involved have a strong interest in the project and not just in the earnings from the project. Therefore, I often recommend considering a few soft aspects when choosing service providers - whether architects or craftsmen:

[*]How can I tell that my counterpart loves their work? [*]How satisfied are the employees? (can one visit a construction site, do you get a sense of how they treat each other...) [*]How high is the enthusiasm for the client's wishes?

We could only find certainty on these questions through direct conversations - therefore, we hired an architect, awarded the contracts ourselves, discussed our wishes and ideas about how we want to live, and allowed ourselves to be advised and positively surprised by the creativity of the service providers. In this way, each service provider had their own creative share in the project, which increased identification and thus also the joy and willingness to communicate. It worked, but is no guarantee. Building with heart and mind succeeds better than focusing only on contracts, numbers, and prices - as important as these are.

Even if one might accuse the people in Bavaria of lacking Hanseatic stiffness ;-), I did not read a "contemptuous tone" from @Zaba12 - towards any discussion participant.

By the way, I come from the Ruhr area. I just moved here.

I wanted to give a kind of conclusion or interim status update.
First of all, thank you very much for all your contributions.
What we have learned: talking is golden and things are not as bad as they seem ;)

What is always important are the personal appointments where we sat together in front of the draft and moved walls, doors, etc. back and forth.
The architect had expressed all his concerns about a vestibule to us (contrary to the written statement... or what we interpreted from it..) but also emphasized that he will design one for us if we want one.

So we are making progress. Even if his feedback takes a little longer than hoped. But good things take time, it seems.

Enough of the clichés.
Regards