Spatial proximity to the architect

Hello house building forum community,

My wife and I are in a very early planning phase for our house building project. We are currently looking for a suitable architect who will plan our house individually and carry it out competently. In this context, I would like to know your opinion on how much the spatial proximity of the architect to the construction site matters. Is there a guideline or a recommendation up to what distance a cooperation makes sense and from when it becomes a hindrance? How often is the architect on site during the construction phase?

I am grateful for any feedback.

Best regards,
sirtpx

Our (family-internal) architect lives and works 600 km away from the construction site. For brainstorming, planning, etc., this is not a problem. He can collaborate with his well-known engineers for structural analysis, heating/plumbing, electrical work, etc.

For the tendering, an architect near the construction site should help. Only he has a network of companies at hand and knows the local conditions of construction. A construction site in southern Germany is organized differently than one in Berlin. Also, partly different building materials are available. This architect sends out the tenders, answers inquiries, and negotiates the offers. Do it this way. We didn’t do it like that, and it cost a lot of time and nerves.

The planning architect then does not need to be at the construction site often. Every 1 to 2 months. The local architect should be on site at least once a week or during important appointments (acceptance, meetings with craftsmen, critical construction phases). According to [HOAI], the architect must only monitor the proper completion of the work during site supervision. Whether he is at the site once or 20 times a week is up to him.

Soil surveyors or geologists should always be local! Remote diagnoses fail!