Most Oak Park and River Forest homeowners are faced with plenty of remodeling projects. While many wouldn’t dream of tackling a large addition without the advice of an architect, it’s the smaller projects that leave some unsure. There are benefits to hiring an architect for any size renovation, but many homeowners may choose to go it alone.
Not surprisingly village codes address the matter, but the codes don’t necessarily provide a concrete answer. Oak Park building inspectors require detailed architectural drawings for projects such as “additions, most alterations and some repairs.” The Building and Property Standards language leaves enough wriggle room that homeowners can often make the decision themselves in smaller renovations.
Oak Park architect Rosanne McGrath, of Studio M Architects, notes that a community’s requirements for the services of an architect on a project can vary widely.
“River Forest requires an architect’s stamp and prepared drawings for any permitted project over $5,000. Oak Park’s standards are a little vaguer. If you’re not doing anything structural, a homeowner or contractor can use their own set of drawings. As soon as you get into something structural or code-related, you need to have an architect involved.”
Acknowledging that many homeowners and contractors are capable of providing the necessary sketches, particularly with the design programs available online, McGrath says that most projects benefit from the involvement of an architect.
“What an architect does is twofold. Obviously, there is the design side of the equation, but we also help with the technical side of a project,” she explains. “Even with a small project, we can help homeowners come up with creative solutions that may be more effective in terms of space planning and problem solving.”
When Phil and Marybeth Hauskens redesigned their kitchen and added a small mudroom to their house, they weren’t initially sure whether or not they needed an architect. First, they had a structural engineer design the addition, but they weren’t pleased with the results.
“We really wanted the addition to look like it made sense with the house, not like we just plunked it on there,” says Marybeth. “We called Rosanne McGrath because she’s our friend and neighbor and we wanted to talk to her about whether or not this size of a project could benefit from an architect’s involvement. In 30 minutes, she had so many great ideas that Phil and I both thought how great she’d be if we hired her.”
Adding an architect, even to such a small project, brought more insight into what type of space the Hauskens really needed.
“It might seem like a really small thing, but Rosanne noticed that I had a desk in the adjoining den, and she inked out a space for it in her plans, and now it’s one of my favorite things,” says Marybeth. “She noticed how we used the room, and it suddenly became more functional.”
According to McGrath, an architect can also smooth over any technical issues that typically arise when renovating an older home. “It’s part of my job to know about load-bearing walls and pipe and duct placement. I often know the best solution in terms of avoiding hidden costs,” she says. “The architect brings an educated eye to the table during the construction phase as well, making sure the contractor does things as intended to keep to the design plan.
“Especially in Oak Park and River Forest, there’s always a surprise when you open up walls,” McGrath adds. “I typically have a great relationship with my contractors, so we deal with any changes and surprises together.”
On the other end of the argument, contractor Paul Wicklow, of The Wicklow Development Group, has been involved in home restoration and renovation for 25 years and says his projects often do not require an architect.
“I’d say that 75-80 percent of my projects don’t involve an architect. I’m not an architect, but I did study architecture and design, and I also understand construction,” he says. “The benefit to not using an architect is that it saves homeowners an expense and shortens the time frame in what is often an expensive and time-consuming process. A homeowner has to understand that they’re committing to a longer time frame with the extra layer of an architect.”
Wicklow acknowledges that architects do add something to large projects.
“They can throw their profession at it and do a beautiful job, and for larger projects like moving walls, building additions or second floors, you do need an architect.”
For smaller jobs like kitchen or bath remodels or garage or porch design, Wicklow says that design expertise is not limited to architects.
“I can’t think of a case where we’ve had an issue mid-project that required an architect. If a problem comes up, then you just punt,” he says. “You have to handle things as they come up. If there’s a structural issue, I may need to bring in an engineer, but for design issues, that’s what I’m there for. There are lots of layers of discussion after construction has begun.”