The value of an architectural project is not easily quantifiable and often goes beyond merely defining fees. What factors come into play? How do you assign value to a project? And how do you ensure that the project adds and creates value? António de Sousa Coutinho and Pureza Vaz-Pinto discuss the value of an architect's work and the difficulty in quantifying it.
How to Assign Value to a Project?
Value is, above all, a mental construct. From this premise, I would say that the first moment to determine the value of a project is recognition—a client chooses a particular architect or studio because they recognize in them the talent or qualities they seek for their project, and from there, an exchange begins. I imagine this exchange somewhat like going to a psychologist. I'm not an architect, but I do go to therapy (laughs), and clearly, the architect would be the psychologist. The client will share with the architect a bit of their history, their life, their experiences, their dreams... For this to happen, there must be great empathy between the client and the architect. There's a significant effort on the part of the architect to step outside of themselves, to put themselves in the other's shoes, and without a doubt, this adds a lot of value. The term "design" is often used—designing a house, designing a hospital—but in architecture, this goes far beyond a drawing on paper. Designing is thinking holistically. And to this whole, value is added through the way and effort in which each detail of a space is thought out—the materials, the way areas communicate, the details... with the aim of making each project a unique one, tailored to the client's desires and needs. The architect seeks out beauty and brings it into their project, and this is only done with a lot of experience, knowledge, and talent. Ultimately, the architect has a slightly altruistic role because they do everything to provide a better life for the other. This relational component, the empathy, is, indeed, what brings the most value to a project. And then there’s the part of quantifying all of this, which is a great challenge... (Pureza Vaz-Pinto)
You explained very well this match with the client, and I completely agree! I would also add the value that comes from what we do for society. Not just for the client, for those who will inhabit and use the spaces we design, but for society as a whole. What can we contribute to the space, to the place where we are designing, what enhances that street, that neighborhood, that city. The value of architecture is not tangible; it’s not a commodity that you can quantify exactly; it’s a unique valuation, which is why Architect A and Architect B are not the same, and never will be. And this is a great challenge for the architect because it’s not always clear to the client what this difference is, where it comes from, and why it dramatically influences the fees. It’s always easier to read the big titles. (António de Sousa Coutinho)
And How Do You Determine the Value of a Project?
We've seen where the value of a project comes from; now we need to quantify it, and the architect also has to do this! I think this is a task—difficult may not be the word, but it is definitely a delicate task. In the case of Fragmentos, António has this mission. In addition to being an excellent architect, he is our Commercial Development Coordinator, so he has the mission of quantifying these dreams, these designs, and presenting a fee proposal. Taking all these ingredients—experience, empathy, and of course, estimated costs—and arriving at a number. Let’s imagine two studios, the same project. One meets expectations, the other goes beyond. This “beyond” makes the difference. Even if it’s €100,000 more, it makes you dream and believe, it allows for a more participative process, includes years or decades of experience, and the result will be a landmark project, a reference point—there will be a before and an after that project. That has value and must be valued. (Pureza Vaz-Pinto)
As I mentioned earlier, it’s not always obvious to a client to understand the intrinsic value of an architect or a studio and how this will influence the fees. When we calculate the value of a project, in addition to the hourly rate of everyone involved, an estimate of the cost per square meter, and various costs, we add a layer, a part that corresponds to that more intangible side, which has to do with our market recognition, our experience, and the value we add to the projects. The type of service we provide, which includes everything we’ve discussed—empathy, relationship, putting oneself in the other’s place, designing in partnership, in a constant and delicate exchange—is not easy to communicate at first; it’s not easy for a client to grasp this. Typically, a client’s tendency, which is often the tendency of all of us when looking to buy a product or hire a service, is to go directly to the price. To the monetary value at the end of the fee proposal. This first impact is the most challenging—why should I pay 200 when others will do it for 50?—and it’s up to us to explain what’s inherent in this value and, of course, to demonstrate it throughout the process to increase our recognition and ensure that next time, on the next project, the client already knows that the value we present comes from the value we add to each project. (António de Sousa Coutinho)
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