Design is collaborative. Our collaborators bring the skill, knowledge, and experience we lack. This has helped to refine our vague or unfinished ideas into a finished design that is truly brilliant (or so we think).
Our main collaborator is Yuval, the head of YS Development. He has helped us with all parts of the process. He found and verified the land long before we looked at it. He has relationships with the city, architects, designers, financing, vendors, labor, and more. He shepherded the permits through the city, and is overseeing the entire process from beginning to end. He has lead the design process and contributed significantly. He knows materials and vendors, has a taste that largely matches ours, and is familiar with construction constraints and good design practices for all parts of the house.
Our architect is Markus, with Whitney Architecture. He has done all the sketches, drafts, and final plans for our house. He was deeply involved with the structure and layout of the house, and brought many good ideas. He combined our desires with the constraints of the property to produce something that fits our needs delightfully.
Anne is our color and materials designer. She has a great eye for color/pattern/material combinations and has helped us refine our ideas into a specific palette of materials. She has suggested some themes we hadn't thought of and has helped to make details and finish just as interesting as the structure of our house.
Working with these professionals has its ups and downs; it can sometimes feel like a balancing act. Ultimately this is a business transaction, and we have made sure our agreements clearly state what each side provides in the transaction. But a process like this is all about personal interactions. Having good working relationships and getting everyone excited about the project is important. It makes meetings interesting and engaging, it provides a constant flow of insightful ideas, and everyone tries to make sure the design is as good as possible.
We are sometimes challenged working with people who have different perspectives and working styles. Everyone has provided great input and is good about listening to our ideas and feedback, but we sometimes have difficulty communicating. Sometimes our requests are unusual or couched in non-standard terminology. Sometimes what we want just can't be built. Sometimes we communicate the idea, but mis-communicate the priority (resulting in both under and over prioritization). The result is that sometimes we feel like important things are missed or misinterpreted. We have usually resolved things to our satisfaction, but the frustration and delays during the process are annoying.
There is quite a bit of compromise, especially in collaborative design. Budget, physical feasibility, and city housing codes would restrict us even if we were doing everything ourselves. Involving others brings in other limitations. The professionals are familiar with certain materials, products, vendors, and techniques that they prefer to use. Going with something they are familiar with will almost certainly have a better result than something new or untested; but it does place limits on what options we have. There are also differences of opinions that must be resolved. While we as owners have the last word, we are influenced by what others think. If they are skeptical or unenthusiastic about an idea, it can be much harder to integrate it into the whole. Fortunately, constraints often lead to a better design. Limiting our options helps prevent the paradox of choice from overwhelming us. Choosing something that is well-known and liked by the professionals provides more certainty that the finished result will work well.
Working with others has its set of challenges, but it is also valuable to have professionals involved. Our design is a lot richer and more sound for getting help with the areas in which we are weak and inexperienced.
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