I am in the design phase of a 2100 sq ft modern home. I have done a lot of research and am interested in Kama, Polycore, Speedfloor, Faswall and other non-conventional methods. The architect is willing to "look into it" at his hourly rate. Shouldn't he be the one who tells me about emerging technologies? I just had a builder tell me the same thing, that he could look into it for an hourly fee. The architect even recommended proceeding to construction drawings showing conventional methods and then having the vendors of the alternative products convert the plans. Seemed strange to me.

If you're going to have a builder go to all the time to generate an accurate price for all of the construction methods mentioned hopefully he will tell you that he will be happy to do so for a reasonable fee.

By way of an update, the architectural technologist (draftsperson) that is doing the construction drawings had some familiarity and was willing to educate himself in the alternatives for the same price as drafting with convential means. I think that is the way it should be.

In my job I am expected to keep up with new developments in the law and must attend continuing education courses each year. I could never charge a client for the time required for me to learn the law. I can only charge for time researching and analyzing how the law applies to the particular facts of my clients' situations.

Now that I'm outed as a lawyer, maybe that explains why everyone wants to charge me a premium.

Lawyer? thats an automatic 30% upcharge

Alas, your problems are just beginning. In phase 2, builders will price learning curves into bids on unfamiliar construction systems. It is the principal reason construction is one of the stodgiest industries in America: it is more profitable to go with what you know, and safer, too, because builders ultimately rely on subs to read and follow manufacturer's instructions. (That is one scary thought.)
The design phase is pretty easy, actually. Manufacturers will point you to architects who know their systems, and distributors will point you to builders and subs who have used them -- both in the interest of heading off potential horror stories. But the basic constraint remains. You shouldn't stray too far from what's already been done in your part of the world. This is particularly the case if the goal of the new technology is speed, which likely will prove elusive in the hands of an inexperienced crew.

It is why one would not hire a real estate lawyer for a divorce.

You need an Architect that has SIP experience and a builder that has SIP experience.

If you tell us what area of the country you are in , the forum can help you with some contacts

I'm in the Pacific South West of Canada - Victoria B.C.

seems like you should have a bounty of qualified Architects and Builders , you are in SIPA's back yard have you serched their website ?

www.sips.org 

Part of my job is to hire architects, engineers, consultants and contractors.  All of them should be paid a reasonable fee for their services and expertise.  A contractor's fee must also compensate for the amount of risk that they assume.

Unless you are doing something that is REALLY cutting edge, clients should not pay designers to "go to school".

We rarely hire a designer who is not very experienced in the type of project to be done.  However, everyone has to start somewhere and we have occassionally hired relatively inexperienced  but eager and enthusiastic designers who were willing learn what they needed, but there was no premium to the client.  I am less anxious to hire a contractor who does not have the appropriate experience.

Learning new stuff is one the most exciting parts of this business. A good designer gets inside the head of the client and really understands the client's requirements and expectations.  Keep looking until you find one does.

Bruce

I would suggest finding a builder whom you are comfortable with their ability to learn the new/unfamiliar product. I am a young builder, only 32, and am always looking out and seeking out new products and new processes to build a better home for the customer and a home that I can be proud of. Maybe seeking out a younger builder would be an idea, some older builders are set in their ways.

And concerning bidding out the project, I would be careful and make sure you are calling out what is being bid so you compare apples to apples. There are too many builders, and they give us all a bad name, that bid bare minimum on everything and use change orders to allow the client to upgrade to what they want...I seek out what the homeowner wants from the start so my price seems high in comparison but in the end they are about the same or cheaper (but the homeowner has gone through hell to get there).

When you are spending the amount of money a custom home costs and the amount of time with your builder that you will, don't just base the decision on money.

I sure wouldn't if I was an individual without much experience in those methods hiring "experts" who had no experience in those methods for my own home. If I was an experienced professional builder/contractor that could monitor them a bit more, I would have less hesitation.

Daniel M,

Decide which construction type you wanted to go with, ICF, SIP, stick building. Have your house plan done for regular construction and then find the manufacturer you want to use product from in your area!, like ICF or SIP or other type of building material (maybe Solarcrete :) MAnufacturers can take your house plan and converting to they material so it can be cut. Most of the times you have to worry the exterior walls. Then find a manufacturer recommended builder who already used they system (ICF, SIP etc..) B.C. area is very advanced with new energy efficient building systems.
I hope it's help,

Joe

This is exactly what I just went through. But the upside was my wife and I spent a year learning about efficient home construction. I did not say green home construction because if I hear another hippie tell me about what is green I am going to go ballistic. But as the other posters said above, find a builder who has experience with stick, ICF and SIP and they will be able to guide you once you have a plan together. My builder has a few questions that we need to explore now, but I now have confidence our house will work. Many architects hold themselves out to be into energy efficient building, but they are not into it enough to actually read a book about the subject. My builder on the other hand thinks efficient construction and or skiing 24 hours a day. He knows how to build and knows where the best powder is.

Daniel - I agree with several other responders.. First: Educate yourself about various methods available to you BEFORE selecting an architect or builder. Try to understand how each option will impact the overall project and lifespan of your custom home. Listing categories like: energy impact, long-term maintenance, longevity (history) of products/methods, pool of expertise available locally, cost, possible impacts on other trades, adaptability to future modifications/changes if required, acceptance of family members etc. Recruit manufacturers to educate you about their product or technology. Make an appointment with your local code official. Explain to them what you are trying to achieve and ask them what has been successful (or not) in your county/area. Use this forum for opinions/suggestions.

If you are compelled to use a particular architect to satisfy family or (other) reasons, explain to them that pay is commensurate with experience. If they don't know how to accurately represent a particular feature in the drawings, but are willing to learn, then they should do so on their dime. Lets pretend your expertise is in family law. A client walks in needing counsel on an issue of contract law. Would you accept the case and bill the client an hourly rate while you become proficient in contract law? Of course not. Although it would be nice...

There are so many new and promising products and methods available that sorting through them can be overwhelming. Make a logic chart. Determine the general picture of what you want to build. List specific goals. Use that as a filter in your search for professionals and products. Have the house drawn with detail explaining each and every component of the house. Leave nothing to "guess at". All features, finishes, fixtures should be defined in the drawings if at all possible. If not, research the cost of lighting, plumbing fixtures, appliances, flooring etc and identify what the allowances should be. When you bid out the house, identify exactly what the builder is bidding on. If you know the material and labor costs of finishes, fixtures and appliances etc. specify that those components are not part of the bid. But also specify that allowances for those components will be identified and made part of the final contract specifications document. Try to make the bid request as detailed as possible, listing out each component that may not be considered standard or customary. Along with the contract insist, on a specifications document which is developed from the bid request and contains all the details, responsibilities, allowances etc. Examples of spec doc details: If you decide upon walls "other" than traditional stick frame, the window and door frames on the interior will require additional non/standard mill work. The plumber and electrician may be impacted with a particular type if structural system. If using SIP's for the roof, the venting is handled a little differently. This could impact the plumber and/or electrician. Detailed specifics in the bid request and specifications doc will reduce opportunities for change orders down the road ($$$$). If something is spelled out in the spec doc, the builder or subcontractor has no standing to claim "I didn't know about all that". Removing finishes, flooring, fixtures and appliances from the bid will give you a better sense of comparison between bids. Add your allowances to the bids to get the whole picture. Make sure that you discuss allowances with interested builders. If they feel an allowance is not enough, ask them to explain why. They may know, for example, that labor on a particular feature is more then you estimated.

This approach may seem overly complex. Imagine the alternative. Chaos, confrontation and higher costs.
Goals - Set expectations early, minimize surprises, save money, be happy in your new energy efficient home!

SierraSkier - I started another thread to discuss "Green v. Energy Efficient". Hint: I agree with you (but don't want to hijack Daniels thread).