How an architect works
- The architect works in Lahore for clients, users, and themselves, in our opinion the most important thing is to satisfy themselves, not the client and user because the architect knows better than the client and user, so after satisfying clients and considering users’ requirements the most important part is satisfying your inside so the most important part in the project is inside you, in this way, you can work more sincerely.
v Requirements of the client:
- Clients give their thoughts to the architect about what he wants for his building for example if the project is residential then the client will share how many rooms he/she wants but a good architect should discuss the family structure of the client, living style, thought about the house and from which architect should also incorporate the future need of the client so that in the future client should not face any problem.
v Site visit or site understanding:
- The architect should visit the site after getting the requirements so that he can design considering the requirements of the context. As contexts play a very important role in the designing, the other main things that should be considered while visiting the site are orientations, directions, solar paths, shadows, landscaping, views, potentials and strengths of the site, accessibility, materials availability, construction techniques and availability of labor and skilled workers near the site.
v Concept Making
- The first phase is making a concept in the design process. Architects in Lahore start work by making some guidelines or themes that lead the whole project sometimes it can be just basic lines or style.
v Initial Draft preparation
- After finalization of some concept or theme, the next step is to start work on the project, which means bringing words into lines and making some drafts, normally our practice is to give 2 or 3 drafts, the purpose of these drafts is just discussion with the client after these drafts clients start understanding, are the requirements are practical or not, should he change the requirements or should move with the same, how space will look like, in this phase of designing the most important responsibility of the architect is to educate the client so that client should be able to see his right and wrong and should be able to study drawings, etc.
v Finalization of plans
- After the initial draft and discussion, final plans are prepared sometimes 2, or 3 revisions are required to bring the final plan which is very common in architecture in Lahore practice. Final plans are shared with the clients and final approval is taken by email.
v Elevation or form-making
- One of the most important parts of designing is giving its outer look which is called the facade or form of the building. In making form there are many theories like form follows function and some said function follows form but in our opinion, both are parallel the function is a priority but the form should also depict its function inside but not directly. So a residence should not look like a museum but it should have some interesting features or elements.
- In form making the main objective which is giving experience to the viewer and use is the most important part but one other thing should be considered in mind which is giving some thoughts to the mind of the viewer so that at least the viewer’s mind thinks about it which will make its form interesting. Many techniques can make a building interesting like illusions, hidden structures, etc.
In our practice, as we have taken a residential as an example we share a small pdf having architectural styles being used or common in Pakistani architecture in Lahore to get an idea of what kind of styles this client likes then if guidance is required we give complete assistance then according to the taste of the client form making is started and similarly in start 2 options are shared to get the more accurate taste and after that final form is prepared according to the discussion with the client and then approval from the client is taken.
