93 Reasons “You Should Have Hired An Architect”, As Shared In This Facebook Group
We’re pretty sure about one thing—nobody was born an architect. It takes years of study and practice to become an expert in the art, history, and engineering of the built world. Yet, some think that designing a house from the ground up is a task they can do themselves.
Even if we agree that architecture is subjective, sometimes there’s no denying the flaws people make. In fact, some home designs turned out so wrong, they’ve made their way into the You Should Have Hired An Architect Facebook group, which is showing why not hiring a professional is a mistake.
From weirdly shaped roofs to open concept toilets, take a look at some of the pictures we have collected from the group and make sure to upvote the most bizarre ones!
Also, scroll down for our interview with Allison Beer McKenzie, the admin of this Facebook group, where we talk about the errors people make when designing a home themselves and the benefits of hiring an expert.
#1 New Construction In Dallas. "Interesting" Roof
Image credits: Gary Johnson
#2 This Is A Luxury Hotel In My City (São Paulo, Brazil)
When it was built, everybody was like “ooooh, what an AMAZING piece of architecture!!!!”. It’s supposed to look like a ship, but all I can see is a rotten slice of watermelon. A boyfriend at the time, who was an architect, called me crazy for saying it’s ugly. Am I? It’s called Hotel Unique in case anyone wants to look up and see how weird the rooms look. They have a window between the bed and the bathroom. As for me, I can only see pictures, because it’s insanely expensive to stay there
Image credits: Mariana Marinovic
In just a few months, the group has attracted more than 31.2K members who share some of the weirdest design fails every single day. According to the group’s description, much of the built environment in the United States is not designed by architects.
“This group is dedicated to examples of why that is a bad idea with occasional examples of why buildings designed by architects may be superior for variety.”
Bored Panda reached out to the admin, Allison Beer McKenzie, who is an architect and the director of sustainability at SHP Leading Design in Cincinnati, Ohio. She explained that there are mainly two reasons why many people choose to forgo hiring an architect.
#3 Bathroom Carpet
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#4 I Have To Give Them Credit For Utilizing All Of Those Awkward Spaces
Image credits: Anna Gilbert
“One is definitely that they are cost-conscious or think they can’t afford an architect. The other, I believe, is they don’t know about or appreciate the value that an architect can bring to their house design,” she explained.
McKenzie continued: “This value can certainly include beautiful design but can also include things like a house that fits seamlessly onto the site it is on and is ideally designed for the climate it’s being built on.”
#5 Open Concept Toilet
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#6 Hope Your Guests Are Observant
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
Whether it’s creating a poor design, going way over the budget, or not meeting the current codes and standards, there are plenty of ways people can make errors without expert guidance.
The architect thinks that many of the mistakes people make when designing homes themselves “stem from the fact that most people have trouble thinking in three dimensions without training in how to do so. This often leads to houses with weird proportions or awkward connections between materials and elements.”
#7 Lack Of Alignment
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#8 Accident Waiting To Happen
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McKenzie admits that some houses that are designed without the help of architects turn out fine. “However, building a house is probably the biggest investment you ever make and is going to require you to make hundreds of decisions in a condensed amount of time,” she said.
“Having an architect at your side to guide you through decisions ranging from where the house sits on the lot, to room size and location, to what color grout you want for your bathroom floor can help ensure that you end up with a result you love and maintain your sanity!”
#9 Summoning Infinity
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#10 The Next Evolution Of Barn Doors Looks Captivating
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#11 Very Versailles
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#12 Addition? What Addition?
Image credits: Chandin Geihsler
According to architect Bill Whittaker, hiring a professional might seem like an unnecessary expense for your building project. Yet, an expert can bring quality, professional design, and project management to “help you complete a beautiful building on budget and schedule.”
He provides several reasons why you should hire an architect instead of tackling challenges all by yourself. First, when it comes to the design, they help your house to have a consistent flow and comfort.
#13 Huh. Never Seen A Commercial Toilet Partition In A Single Family Home Before
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#14 Boob Lights
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#15 Arch-Apalooza
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
“An architect provides a professional design that takes the client’s preferences into account, along with building codes, and good design practices to create the best possible space for your project.”
Next, experts can efficiently manage a construction site and “ensure that everything is being completed according to the current codes and standards.” The same goes for the budget. It’s easy to get distracted and spend extra on things you don’t actually need or to cover up the mistakes you made.
#16 This....
Image credits: Roberta Bray-Enhus
#17 Nope. I Am, However, Impressed That Someone Took This Photo Without Being In It
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#18 It Might Be A Cyclops
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
“Architects help keep communication clear and can steer the project in the right direction to keep costs where they are originally projected,” Whittaker explained.
Still, if you’re really determined to self-design your home, you should consider starting out small. Plan and build a treehouse or a shed, or maybe a dollhouse for the kids. And if you notice that there are some blunders you make along the way, you should probably reach out to an architect for your bigger future projects.
#19 World's Smallest Island
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#20 Cult Vibes
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#21 Glad This Is The Back
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#22 Wtf Is Up With That Railing?
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#23 Solitary Stove
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#24 Challenging Physics, Mathematics, Gravity, Engineering, Space, Time, Nasa, Einstein And The Holy Spirit!
Image credits: Gaurav Joshi
#25 Future Er Visit
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#26 Kitchen Tub
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#27 Murder Vibes
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#28 Tub On Wheels
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#29 What Should We Do With All This Space? More Toilets!
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#30 Is It Just Me, Or Does This Have A Face?
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#31 Too Many Turrets
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#32 Performance Platform
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#33 It Looks Like Someone Couldn't Stop Adding Floors
Image credits: Marina Butkina
#34 My Ocd Is Having A Breakdown
Image credits: Jonathan D Schultz Ala
#35 So Many Barn Doors
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#36 Elevation Challenged
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#37 Thank Goodness The Kitchen Ceiling Looks Like A Wagon Wheel To Tie Everything Together
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#38 Such A Welcoming Front Door. This Gets Worse The Longer I Look At It
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#39 I Adore The Juxtaposition Of The Welcome Sign And The Barred Windows And Door
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#40 Architects In Philly
Image credits: Van Whit
#41 What, Exactly, Are You Supposed To Do With That Bizarre Space Behind The Tub?
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#42 "Stone"
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#43 A Man's Boat Is His Castle!
Image credits: Douglas S Heckrotte
#44 ... Or At Least Someone Who Wasn't Drunk!
I don't mind the painted brick (it's very common in charming old houses in northern Germany - although they tend to be bright white, rather than purple) but the chimney isn't an eye pleaser. Maybe they wanted to draw the attention off it with the crooked porch? They definitely succeeded in that!
Image credits: Nini Stefanie
#45 This Isn't Ideal
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#46 Kitchen Work Zigzag
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#47 Batchroom Stairs
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#48 Ran Out Of Room
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#49 Clumsy Columns
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#50 Niche Nightmare
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#51 Silly Shutters
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#52 Multitasking Too Hard
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#53 Whatever This Is
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#54 Can't Find The Center
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#55 Just Had To Have That Extra Three Feet Of Countertop And Cabinets
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#56 You Get A Niche! And You Get A Niche! Everybody Gets A Niche!
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#57 Universal Design At Its Finest
Image credits: Marney Lindsay
#58 Listed For $1 Million In Austin, Texas (This Is The Front)
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#59 I Feel Like This House Has A Place In This Group
Image credits: Jake Schoo
#60 There’s Potentially A Situation Where A Shipping Container House Could Work (Though I Can’t Think Of One). This Is Definitely Not It, However
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#61 I Feel Like The Mason Had A Bad Day Near The Beginning
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#62 The Whole Space Is Bad, But For Me The Light Fixtures Are The Most Ridiculous
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#63 Driving Down The Street In The Very Fashionable And Pricy West Loop Of Chicago. I Literally Had To Stop Dead In My Tracks To Comprehend And Then Photograph This. So Very Much Wrong
Image credits: Helen Tsatsos
#64 Figured You Guys Would Get A Kick Out Of It
Image credits: Amarie Phoenix
#65 The Way The Front Turret Roof Meets The Main Roof Is Criminal
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#66 This Is So Atrocious That I Just Realized There Are Two Dogs In The Front Yard
Image credits: Alexis Rabinowitz
#67 Lots Going On Here. Not Much Of It Is Good
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#68 Mannequins
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#69 Pocket Doors Are A Crime. Pocket Doors On A Water Closet Without A Lock Gets You A Helicopter Ride
Image credits: John Walker
#70 Sad Thing Is, They Did Hire One
Image credits: Ian Beyer
#71 I Think Someone Had A Few Too Many Ideas. Pro Tip: Pick A Few And Make Them Good
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#72 If You’re Going To Insist On A Classical Column Wrap, At Least Align The Capital Correctly
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#73 Cruise Ship Vibes
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#74 This Kitchen Has Clearly Been Sent To The Corner For A Timeout
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#75 If You’re Going To Design For The Zombie Apocalypse That’s A Weird Garage Door Choice
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#76 Ugh. At Least Make The Dormers And Downspouts Symmetrical
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#77 This Is A House In Tuscaloosa, Al. It's Near The Uofa Campus, I Assume They Had A Small Lot And Wanted Cram As Many College Kids On It As Possible
Image credits: Anna Blackmon
#78 I Want An Island In The Kitchen That Really Stands Out. -Say No More
Image credits: Rebecca Hurst
#79 What Do You Think Is In The Protuberances?
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#80 I Can’t Help But Think That This House Is Having An Identity Crisis
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#81 Neck Pain And A Head Injury Anyone?
Image credits: Virginia Lee
#82 Not Sure I Would Want The Room Above That Chimney
Image credits: Mark B. Law
#83 I Just… I… I Have No Words
Image credits: Noémie Bergeron
#84 Eeeek! But Whyyyyy
Image credits: Samantha James
#85 Double Decker Colums
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#86 Windows Not Included
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#87 Lick And Stick "Stone"
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#88 Home Of Brave
Image credits: Adrián Navarro
#89 Clearly “Less Is More” Was Not The Theory Here
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
#90 Conjoined Gables
Image credits: youshouldhavehiredanarchitect
#91 For Just Under 2.6m, You Could Take A Relaxing Bath With Your Head Resting Comfortably Next To The Commode In This Custom Waterfront New Construction Home
Image credits: Anna Gilbert
#92 The Only Way This Could Be Worse, I Think, Is If There Was A Sleeping Tawny-Colored Cat Right On The Middle Step
Image credits: Samantha James
#93 I’m Assuming This Is The Proposed Set For The Newest Dystopian TV Series
Image credits: Allison Beer McKenzie
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