Project Types
by Gordon F. Tully
Sometimes it seems that every custom
house or renovation has a
unique working relationship between
client, designer, and builder. Any
general statement about the process is
immediately contradicted. This
column will attempt to bring some
order to the confusion by defining a
series of prototypical project types.
Before beginning any project, I
always try to answer the following
questions:
What kind of client builds this
kind of project?
How predictable is the project
regarding time, budget, and quality of
construction?
How long is the project likely to
take?
How much will it cost?
How well built is it?
What kind of working relationship
is likely among the participants?
How experimental is the design?
How much control will the
owner-versus the architect-
exercise?
Is