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Architects

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Your dream home or cottage starts with a well-considered design. An architect can turn your ideas into well built and long lasting realities.

Architects are professionals who translate homeowner's needs and ideas into a final built product, such as a home addition or custom home. In addition, they deal with various government regulations, such as building codes, prepare technical documents filed for permits (such as building permits) which require compliance with federal and local regulations. The documents (construction drawings and specifications) are also used for project costing and actual construction.

Residential architects are often required to comply with local planning and zoning requirements such as required setbacks, height limitations, parking requirements, transparency requirements (windows), and land use. In many established jurisdictions, design guidelines and historic preservation guidelines must be adhered to.

Architect Associations

While there are a number of architectural schools throughout Canada and the U.S., only two national associations accredit residential architectural professionals in North America: American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC).

The Architectural Institute of British Columbia (AIBC), a provincial chapter of the RAIC, is a partner association in the casaGURU Network and homeowners can search for a local architect on the casaGURU website.