Assisted Living Success 06/2002--Select your Assisted Living Architect Carefully

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Select your Assisted Living Architect Carefully

By Frank Rees

When you hire an architect to design your assisted living facility, you want to make sure your project will comply with laws and regulations that protect people from unsafe buildings. By selecting an architect who specializes in the type of facility you're planning, you protect yourself from unnecessary cost overruns and other problems that can arise during building design and construction.

Design of the dining and food service area must be consistent with the residential lifestyle your marketing program promotes. It must function efficiently and it must meet restrictive building and safety codes. An architect with only a residential and general practice background may not be familiar with licensure and code requirements. Conversely, an architect with hospital and government facility experience may design a legally satisfactory space that is a marketing nightmare.

Retaining an architect experienced in the design of assisted living facilities offers the best assurance that your project will be properly designed at a reasonable cost. If the architect you hire gains assisted living facility experience by designing your project, you're likely to pay for that learning experience in cost overruns or as a result of preventable errors which can be expensive to correct once they've been set in concrete. Be certain the firm has been in business for a minimum of 10 years. Your project will require three years to plan, design, gain approvals, secure financing and be constructed. A year after opening, you will need the architecture firm to assist you with warranty review. It is important that you know your architecture firm will be there.

Beginning the Process

To begin the selection process, obtain complete background information on architecture firms you are considering. Your first concern is to ensure they are capable of completing the project you are planning. Schedule an initial interview with firms that seem to meet your basic criteria. Ask each firm to provide you with a list of at least 10 assisted living facilities the firm has designed. Get complete information including the project name, location and construction budget, plus the name, address and phone number of someone you can contact at each facility.

Identify individuals in the firm who will work on your project. Remember, you are not just hiring a firm; you are hiring people with specific skills and experience. Make sure that the most highly qualified professionals will direct the design of your building.

Determine which design activities the firm will handle in-house and which will be delegated to outside consultants.

Find out the limit of the firm's professional liability policy and the name of the insurance carrier for the firm. Its insurance coverage should be at least 20 percent of the cost of your project. If it's not, determine whether additional insurance will be obtained to cover your project. Some architectural firms use contracts that absolve them from responsibility for errors of omission. Inquire whether the firm will guarantee its design quality, regardless of its insurance coverage.

Ask about the firm's gross revenues for the past five years and its net worth. You want to know what type of company you are dealing with (corporation, partnership, limited partnership or other entity). If a corporation, make sure it and the principal architect are licensed in your state. By knowing the company's structure, you will be positioned to evaluate its economic viability for the duration of your project.

Narrowing Your Choices

With basic fact-finding completed, you should be able to narrow your choices and shift your focus to management capabilities. Find out how the firm manages project schedules and determine whether these management procedures include provisions for adjusting to the availability of key decision-makers in your organization.

Get the facts on the firm's record of controlling costs. Ask to see the method the architect will use to estimate costs at each stage of your project. An important indication of the firm's management abilities is the type of quality assurance practices it observes. Make sure the architect can explain the procedures used to provide communication and monitoring of all project activities.

Final Considerations

After evaluating the factors, you may find that more than one firm is fully qualified to design your facility. If you are considering an architect with a national practice for assisted living design, inquire whether that firm will work in conjunction with a local firm for your project. If your choice is from another geographic region, ensure the firm has the means (or local affiliation) to have someone at your building site when necessary.

As the manager responsible for the operation of an assisted living facility, you are the one most suitable to select the architect to design your project. By using a systematic approach to evaluating design consultants and other professionals, you can find the right people to help maximize the return on your investment.

Architect Selection Checklist

History/Organization of Firm

Name, address of firm

Type of organization (corporation, partnership, other)

Name of CEO or managing partner

Number of years in business (minimum 10)

Number of years the firm has specialized in assisted living projects (minimum five)

Financial/liability insurance

Gross fee revenues for the last five years

Net worth of the firm

Limit of professional liability insurance

Name, address of professional liability insurer