It is not necessary to work with an architect, but in my case it made sense.
Before deciding to build a house, I investigated prefab homes. I found a company that built zero-VOC homes and was willing to work with a chemically sensitive person, but at about the same time I purchased land that company went out of business.
Before purchasing land I spent several weeks looking for an existing home that might work or that might be easily remediated. I did find a local home that was designed for a chemically sensitive person, but it was not made of materials that would work for me. And, although I considered making an offer on a home I thought I could fix, I ultimately decided that for the same amount of money I could build a house that was perfect for me.
But building a house for a chemically sensitive person is challenging. Just as there is no one-size-fits-all location that works for all chemically sensitive people, there is no one-size-fits-all type of home that works for all of us. We can’t just tell the builder, “Give me home model A.”
I chose to work with an architect for several reasons. I was moving to an area where I was not familiar with the local permitting process or with local construction companies and vendors, and I was willing to pay someone to handle those interactions for me, particularly if the interactions were with fragrant people. I could afford to hire an architect because my home in Southern California had appreciated considerably. And, because this would probably be my last home and the only home I would build, I wanted to do things correctly, in a manner that would age well. If I make it into my 90s I don’t want to have to be dealing with major home repairs at that stage of life.
After finding an architect whose work I liked and who was mostly fragrance-free, we dealt with issues related to chemical sensitivity. I gave him a copy of “Prescriptions for a Healthy House; A Practical Guide for Architects, Builders and Homeowners” by Paula Baker-Laporte, et al., and I discussed my personal history. He was worried that if I couldn’t breathe in the house when it was finished, or if I had a negative reaction, I would sue him. I offered him a liability waiver, which resolved that problem. Here is the essential text:
Waiver of Liability re Chemical Sensitivity
This supplemental agreement is entered into between _________ (Architect) and __________ (Owner) on ___________, 20__.
This home is being built as a home that is safe for a chemically sensitive person. Architect agrees to design a home using only building materials that are approved by Owner. Owner agrees that Architect is not liable for any adverse reaction she may have to materials she approved.
The parties agree that Architect is not liable for Owner’s reaction to environmental factors such as trees, weather or foliage. Architect is not liable for actions of the contractor; a separate agreement will govern the relationship with the contractor.
The parties agree that this waiver does not relieve Architect of liability for issues not related to Owner’s chemical sensitivity.
Owner ______________________
Dated ________________________
Architect ____________________
Dated ________________________
The architect wanted two other conditions, to which I did not agree. He wanted a chemical sensitivity expert to make decisions regarding the materials to be used. I hired Paula Baker-Laporte, of EcoNest Architecture, as a consultant on my project, but I was not willing to allow her to make final decisions about materials. She did not know me before I hired her, and we all react to different things. I felt I was in the best position to make decisions about materials, and I took responsibility for that in the waiver I drafted. This was consistent with Paula’s process. She gives clients lists of potentially safe materials and answers questions about the materials, but lets the client make the final decision.
The architect also wanted to build a small experimental structure using the materials I chose, to make sure I would not react to them. That was not a bad idea, and if I had had more time I would have agreed to it. But I was living in a rental with residual fragrance that I could not neutralize, and building a test structure would require waiting through another building season before beginning construction of my house. In the end I persuaded the architect that the waiver was sufficient.
Addressing the issues related to chemical sensitivity was the most challenging aspect of working with an architect. After we came to an understanding, the rest of the process was enjoyable.
If possible, it is a good idea to involve your contractor early in the planning process, so there is a shared understanding about how things will be constructed. Your architect may be able to suggest a reliable construction company. In my case the construction firm that the architect most often worked with was not interested in my project, and it fell to me to find a contractor. By the time I found one, the architectural plans were completed.