Building the Team: Choosing the Right Custom Home Architect in Minneapolis
When you’re building a custom home, choosing the right architect is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. The best results come when your builder, architect, and interior designer are aligned from the very beginning. That's why we’re here to tell you everything you need to know about choosing the right architect in Minneapolis!
Your Architect Matters
A builder can’t price what isn’t defined. An interior designer can’t shape an experience without a plan. And an architect can’t design in a vacuum. The process begins with the architect—but succeeds only when all three roles are working together.
The right architect ensures that your ideas, goals, and budget all come together. Their vision becomes the blueprint that guides the rest of the project.
The Architect’s Role
The best architects are great listeners. Even when clients aren’t fully sure of what they want, a skilled architect asks the right questions to draw out ideas, preferences, and emotions. Through programming and design, they translate those thoughts into a plan that fits both your lifestyle and your lot.
When a client looks at their design and says, “That’s exactly what I wanted—how did you know?”—that’s when you know you’ve found the right architect.
What Makes a Great Collaborator?
From a builder’s perspective, the best architects share three qualities:
Curiosity – They ask, “What do you think?” and stay open to new perspectives.
Collaboration – They offer architectural solutions and solve problems with you, not against you.
Character – They treat the builder, trades, and client with respect.
The stereotype of the rigid, ego-driven architect doesn’t hold up in the best firms. In reality, the most successful architects in Minneapolis are humble, open, and solution-focused!
How to Know If an Architect Is the Right Fit
It’s easy to feel lost when searching for architects in Minneapolis. You don’t need to interview five different people for your building project—usually one or two conversations will tell you if it feels right.
Trust your gut. Look for chemistry not only with you but with your builder and interior design team as well. Custom homes succeed when the entire team works in sync.
When interviewing architects, focus on their process and collaboration style. Some important questions include:
How do you collaborate with designers and builders?
How do you handle challenges or changes during construction?
How do you structure your billing, and how transparent is it?
A great architect answers calmly, clearly, and openly. They welcome these questions, because they know trust is built on communication.
Watch out for architects who act like they have all the answers, avoid clear questions about billing or systems and processes, or seem to put the blame on others. Those are red flags!
Medicine Lake
One of our favorite collaborations was the Medicine Lake project with architect Randy Buffie. Randy introduced unique, exotic materials that the client loved—some we’d never worked with before. The project was a success because of the mutual trust, creativity, and open communication between the builder, architect, and homeowner.
When the team clicks, the results are extraordinary!
Check out this blog for more info on our team for the Mysa Hus project!
Finding an Architect in Minneapolis
At Mark D. Williams Custom Homes, we’ve had the privilege of collaborating with some of the best architects in Minneapolis. If you’re ready to start the journey of building your dream home, we’d be happy to help you connect with the right design partners!
Photos in this blog feature Buffie Architect.