You Need A Plan The next time you pass an office building under construction and marvel at the geometric precision with which the steel skeleton fits, and the meticulous way that the concrete is poured and leveled, think about the amount of planning that went into the project. The sheer complexity of constructing a building that reflects not only the owner's requirements -- but which projects an envisioned image -- staggers the imagination. It requires an enormous amount of planning to get from raw acreage to finished project. You Need A Vision Taking an idea and turning it into something tangible requires not only tools, it requires vision. To see beyond the bewildering array of physical, mental and legal obstacles which separate your idea from becoming a reality, often requires the vision of another to assist you in realizing yours. Too often, a good idea never becomes a reality because the notion is defeated by the barriers to success. You Need A Partner To see your idea become reality, to take your concept and overcome all obstacles to become a finished project, to go from zero to one hundred percent, requires a partner -- who is capable of sharing your vision and transforming it into a reality. An architect, by training and by inclination, is a guide to the client. A good architect is a student not only of design, but also of human nature, understanding not only the stresses and intricacy of construction, but also individual -- and group -- personality. The architect must take ideas, needs, municipal requirements, materials, the environment and social responsibility, and guide them into a finished project. If designing a building or restoring a historic structure to period accuracy can be compared to a symphony, then the architect can be likened to a composer. Like the composer, who knows what instruments and musicians are required to create a composition, the architect knows what tools and methods are required to create a building. It is an artistry that requires planning, vision and partnership. That's why you need an architect.