Architecture Help Needed

I am remodeling a Quincy Jones house on a tight budget and need some architecture help.I cannot afford $125 an hour. I am in Southern California. Anyone have any ideas of where I can find an architect or student at a reasonable rate. I have posted an ad with SCI-ARC but have not heard back yet. Help if you can.

You might try Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo (www.calpoly.edu), Cal Poly - Pomona, USC or UCLA. Or, check with the local AIA chapter - there may be some independant members who may not charge as much. You didn't say where in So Cal you were located. I may have some other sources for you if you let me know.

Regards,

Sheila Burns

budget and need some hour. I am in Southern can find an architect or ad with SCI-ARC but have not Michael, perhaps you are sending the wrong message. No one wants to work for nothing, and as you yourself will gain financially from the remodel work, nobody should. What are you trying to do with the house? What kind of budget have you established for the project, and what kind of help do you think you need? I can help you determine what a realistic and reasonable fee should be with this information.

Since you really don't care how the project comes out, why should we?

If I understand the jist of your reply than my reply is that I do not tolerate arrogance. If you are suggesting that choosing someone with less experience translates to the project not coming out right and that I should feel obligated to spend more money than you are only interested in money and nothing else and that is why this planet is in so much trouble.

I am in Los Angeles. So far I have contacted SCI-ARC, UCLA, and OTIS.

Did Michael say he 'did not care how this project turns out?' Did he not recognize he needed help?

Sure there are many individuals capable of paying $125.00/hour and more, but the reality of this situation is there are probably many more who can not and the fact of the matter is he does not have it.

I suspect, if you are not willing to do the work, there are others who would be. Perhaps a student or young professional could help Michael, which would benefit the individual by providing practical, hands-on experience and, in turn, foster Michael's appreciation of architects.

Perhaps not. He will find this out on his own soon enough. But what does your comment accomplish?

Michael,

I'm in the same boat as you are. My wife and I bought and moved into a Gregory Ain apartment building last year. The conventional restoration resources are not much help with aging modern architecture. Owning and living in a piece of architectural history is a great adventure but it can leave you with an awful lot of questions. Specially if you don't have an architectural background.

I've heard rumors of a group of modern architectural home owners here in Los Angeles but I haven't been able to find anything on them. Maybe somebody in one of these news groups will know where or if such a group exists. If there isn't some sort of group already maybe we should start one.

If you or anyone else reading this would like to form a group or just get together to compare notes, I'd be very interested.

Brian Jewett, Dunsmuir Flats 323-938-5210

BTW folks, We have a really nice 2 + 1 1/2, 2 story appartment with a private yard available for rent now.

Yes... That was an arrogant and sarcastic remark. But occasionally a breath of fresh air enters a discussion when someone articulately and with brevity says the obvious thing.

Personally I burst out laughing when I read brudgers comment. It was concise, to the point, I believe clearly understood... and I hope put forth in good humor. True arrogance usually sinks to its own level, so if it was said out of arrogance rather than humor, then the attitude will eventually cost the speaker.

But over sensitivity in a world full of harsh realities is also of little value. I wonder how our PC supporters would fair in the British Parliament. They would probably have to go home crying every day.

If you want good help you pay for it. If not in $$$ on top, then in the time searching for someone skilled enough and kind or indigent enough to provide it 'cheap'. The approach is very risky in looking for brain surgeons.

the alchemist...

Obviously you did not understand the jist of my reply. My observation is that this project is not important enough for you to hire a professional - you said you couldn't afford one.

I guess its time someone pointed out the difference between cost and price.

The students are probably wise not to undertake your project, since the whole premise for your relationship with them is that you are just too damn cheap. You probably don't even intend to pay them.

It's not arrogance you 'don't tolerate.' It's honest intelligent responses which bother you.

alt.architecture,alt.architecture.alternative,alt.archi tecture.int-design,al

Since I'm clear across the country, I cannot help you pinpoint a specific architect. But I would like to suggest a few things that could help in your search. First, please realize that the country is in the midst of a phenomenal building boom (at least it is in my locale). This puts a great deal of pressure on the industry (architects, contractors, material suppliers) to fit more work into the same 24 hour day. This means that students who can produce anything AT ALL are being snatched whole into offices with lots of work, and they're being paid rather well (for once), so that may be why you've gotten no response from your student-aimed requests for help. [One of our state universities has cancelled their arch. job fair two years running since, for the most part, students had already received several job offers before graduating.] This also means that architectural employees (and architects themselves) are putting in time and a half for long periods of time. This means that architects must charge more to meet clients' deadlines (high demand equal short supply equal higher cost for all that overtime) in this busy phase.

This shouldn't prevent you from 'shopping around', but you do need to realize that an architect needs to take into consideration the size of the project, the size of the current workload and whether or not the compensation is going to equal the amount of resources that go into the project. I'm sorry that I must be blunt