Architecture gets associated (not necessarily with an intention) with ‘overhead’, ‘expensive’, ‘can I do it myself?’. Yes, this is because of common sense approach rather than any scientific approach.
One can add features to a building to make it look attractive; however, like a good Architect we follow the principle ‘Form follows Function’ or putting it in common man’s terms – ‘Beauty with a Purpose’. In fact, we can not only serve the purpose (function), save money with good ideas (which do not come from a common sense approach), but also help plan the finances better – where to spend and where to hold, and finally save on the total cost of construction & ownership.
A lot of the building construction can be done with a good balance of material and labour; one needs to also decide between extra labour or superior materials. Given the dynamic nature of the market, it is difficult to predict what will be a better balance. Every situation is carefully thought through to arrive at a good solution; especially through personal touch.
It is very hard for even a specialist (leave alone the common man) to visualize how the final output of building will be. Realization of how the building will look like will only come after the building comes up, but by that time it is too late. A good architect can help the owner or the dweller to show the building in co-existence with the environment and thus can eliminate most of the surprises.
Finally, only if the funds are carefully managed and the building is completed as per the Envisioned Plan & Model within the allocated budget, is it a Success.
We just shared our beliefs here, and we have demonstrated that in our practice which can be seen in our projects, hence an integral part of our Philosophy.