Choosing a Firm
What to look for when comparing architecture firms
The proposal shows you the firm. The interview should show you the people. Here's what to look for.
- By
- Brian Leonard, AIA
- Published
- Reading time
- 2 min
The short answer
Look closely at who will actually lead your project day to day, their record on completed DSA-governed school work, what districts like yours say about them, and how well they listen. California law already points the way: public agencies select architects on demonstrated competence and qualifications, not lowest fee (Gov. Code 4526).
We should say up front that we're an architecture firm, so we have a stake in this question. We've tried to write the guide we would want a district to use on us.
1. Who will be in the room?
This matters more than anything else. Proposals often feature senior leaders who appear at the interview and then hand the project to a team the district never met. Ask directly:
- Who will lead our project from first meeting through construction?
- How much of the principal's time will we actually have?
- Who attends board meetings, community sessions, and construction meetings?
Then ask to meet those people. The best indicator of how a project will go is the person who answers your phone to answer the more challenging questions.
2. Is there proof, not just portfolio?
Beautiful images tell you a firm can design. They don't tell you it can deliver. Look for:
- Completed and certified DSA projects, not only renderings or awards.
- Work similar in scale and type, such as an occupied-campus modernization if that's your project.
- Budget and schedule history. Ask how recent projects finished against their original budgets and opening dates.
- Process. Ask them about their process, one that is time tested, repeatable, and trustworthy. Firms that invest in their people and process experience repeatable success.
3. What do other districts say?
References are the most underused tool in selection. Call facilities directors and superintendents, not just the names on the list. Useful questions:
- Would you hire them again for your most important project?
- How did they handle a problem they caused?
- Did the people you met at the interview stay on the project?
4. How do they listen?
A school belongs to its community. Notice whether the firm spends the interview talking about itself or asking about your students, staff, and neighborhoods. A firm that listens well in an interview usually listens well in a design meeting.
5. How do they handle cost?
Ask how the firm estimates cost at each phase, accounts for escalation, and responds when bids come in high. You're looking for candor around actionable information. A firm that only shares good news early on often shares bad news too late.
6. Will the relationship last?
Facilities programs run for years and often span several bond series. Continuity of people and knowledge is worth a great deal. Ask about staff turnover and how the firm carries lessons from one project to the next.
Why this matters
Choosing an architect is choosing a partner for some of the most visible decisions your district will make. Selecting on qualifications protects students, budgets, and public trust. It also gives the district a relationship worth keeping.
Common follow-up questions
Can we choose architects based on the lowest fee?
Not as the primary basis. California requires selection on qualifications first. The district then negotiates a fair and reasonable fee with the most qualified firm. We also encourage you to keep in mind that finding the least expensive architect can often produce the most expensive construction result, either in approval delays, construction challenges, or over-design. We believe choosing a more experienced architect with a fair fee may be one of the most cost-conscious decisions a district can make. When considered with a life cycle cost analysis, an experienced and talented architect may very well be the MOST IMPORTANT cost decision a district can make.
Is a large firm safer than a small one?
Not necessarily. Size tells you capacity and resources. It doesn't tell you who will lead your work. Ask the same questions of every firm.
Should we ask for design ideas in the interview?
Use caution. Good design comes from listening and engaging with you and your community, which hasn't happened yet. How a architectural firm plans to learn about you, your schools, and community is often a better test than an early sketch. For process related questions, we encourage districts to ask architects to show their process on previous projects and its result, or describe their own plans for engaging you and your community.
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