Best Laid Plans – The Architect and A/V Challenges

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows a significant upward trend in the number of “owner built” homes over the course of the last four years. While the number of “spec homes” has remained high, it has dropped from 80% of all homes on the market to just 2/3, and homeowners have been finding ways to create homes that are not simply well-built, but that are built with their needs in mind.

In order to create a custom-built home, owners must deal with a number of professionals, and chief among those professionals are architects. The overall “vision” of any home project rests with the architect, and a great deal of responsibility for the reaction of the homeowner to their new home lies in their hands. Unfortunately, architects are often confronted with tradesmen and contractors that are not able to deliver on time or are unable to live up to the high standards of professionalism demanded by architectural work. One area where this can be a significant issue is in high-quality audio-visual installation.


Sounds like A Good Idea – The Role of A/V in a Custom Home

For owners who have the means to build their own home and the time to invest in making sure their vision of the home is achieved, high-end audio-visual equipment and home theater systems are often high on the list of “must-haves.” With a myriad of options now available for home theater systems – from wireless control options to whole-home entertainment and thermostat operations panels – homeowners have more than ever to choose from. In order to ensure that their preferred A/V system is installed correctly, a homeowner must hire a professional installation company that not only sells the products they want, but services them as well. Unfortunately, these companies can often present a problem for architects.

Start To Finish – Where Architects See A/V

For an A/V technician, a home is seen as a place to be made more entertaining – they see how a big screen television, surround sound system and 3D projector assembly could make the home more enjoyable.

For an architect, an A/V system is merely a small part of the overall plan, and the technician that comes to install it must not only know what they are doing, but be able to do it within the guidelines set out by the design. Plans for homes are specific, down to the last inch and detail, and A/V technicians who are sloppy in their installation or unprofessional in their conduct can make a home building project extremely difficult. Even worse are installation companies with little coordination or scheduling abilities – an architect needs to know when each contractor will be coming to work, and when the work will be done.

Architects and A/V technicians can co-exist, but a dedicated and knowledgeable A/V technician is required in order to help a custom home plan to stand out from the crowd.