By Suzanne Mintz

Finding the Right Architect

In retrospect, finding the right architect turned out to be relatively easy, bit it didn’t quite seem that way during the process. We knew we didn’t want to hire the firm whose sign had sprouted on most of the other lawns in the neighborhood. Not that its work was bad. It was just ordinary. And we wanted something very different from ordinary. I did my masters work in interior design and had spent 20 years in the field of interior architecture. I wasn’t a particularly good designer myself, but I sure could recognize quality when I saw it. Luckily I hadn’t spent my career “on the boards” as the expression went, but rather as head of marketing. I brought in the business and watched my colleagues transform empty shells into amazingly beautiful offices.

Steven and I were determined, if we were going to do this we weren’t going to be satisfied with something that just met our present—and future—accessibility needs, we wanted a house that satisfied our aesthetic sensibilities as well. We had always dreamed about having a house that was designed just for us. Now was our chance. We knew we wanted a house that we could live in forever, one where we could “age in place”, but it also had be fun to live in, have a highly distinctive look, and potentially even be an award winner. And of course it had to be affordable. We knew it was a tall order.

None of the architects I knew from my days in the field fit the bill, most of them were focused on space planning and commercial office design. So we began our search with the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the profession’s trade association. There had been an article in the Washington Post some months previous about an architect who specialized in renovating ranch style houses, raising their roofs and giving them a whole new personality. I knew we wanted to talk with him. I also asked for contact information for others who were known to have experience with accessibility redesigns and ranch houses. And so our interview process began.

Understanding Our Needs

The award-winner highlighted in the paper proved to be a bit too egocentric. We sensed that things would have to be done, just his way. Another seemed very attentive, but a bit old fashioned in his approach. He was definitely worth a second look, but we were far from convinced. And the third architect the AIA referred us to, was all about process. We knew he could never satisfy our longing for a house that was more than just practical and so didn’t even ask him for a proposal.

Meanwhile I had spoken with the general contractor who had worked on a friend’s house across the street and asked him who he would recommend. In addition to the neighborhood standby, he also gave us the name of Shorieh Talaat. “His work is contemporary,” he cautioned. “That’s fine with us,” I responded. “We like contemporary.”

Before we actually met with Shorieh I checked out his Website. The list of design awards was impressive. And when we actually did meet, we found him impressive as well. He had recently finished a project for a family whose son had special needs. It included an elevator and an accessible bathroom. “Understand, I’m not an accessibility expert,” he said. “This house is going to have to work for you, which means we’ll have to work through the idiosyncrasies of your situation, and we’ll very carefully have to anticipate the future. You’re the expert here, not me. You know how you like to do things. This isn’t about ADA; it’s about you.”

We liked what we were hearing and wanted to learn more. It turned out that before Shorieh decided to focus solely on architecture, he had owned a design/build company. He understood the construction process and what worked and what didn’t. That really resonated with me. I knew from experience that not all architects understood how buildings and spaces actually got built. Their designs were gorgeous, but impractical.

The clincher came when we spoke to his past clients. They all invited us over to see their homes and gave Shorieh high marks for responsiveness, creativity, and practicality. We took several of them up on their offer and liked what we saw. Geneva Stone, the mom whose son was in a wheelchair, spent over an hour on the phone with me explaining what aspects of the construction we could deduct from our taxes as a medical expense, definitely something we needed to know.

All of Shorieh’s clients were so willing to help. They all said they’d hire him again in a heartbeat, and at least one had already worked with him several times. They all thought he wasn’t the least expensive guy around, but his pricing was definitely fair, and above all else, he stuck with you through thick and thin.

And so, after a process that had lasted about three months, it was clear; we had found our architect and were ready to begin designing our “new” home.