The ideas you receive from other firms during the selection process will help to firmly establish your reasoning for choosing a particular firm. During the selection process, ask the candidates to show you projects that resemble your own or address a similar location, functional issue or design. Find out what approach they will take with your project and the qualifications of the architects working with you. Pay special attention to any special challenges or problems the architects encountered on previous buildings and how they went about addressing those issues during design process. The formal interview between client and architect determines if the architect and the client have the right chemistry to work together on the project.
Most experts recommend interviewing between three and five firms.
Their input will give you a good taste of the talent that is out there without overwhelming the decision-making process with possibilities. Be as objective as possible, giving each firm equal time and equal access the your new site and current facilities. Be leery of an architect who responds to questions with a simple yes or no answer. The answers you receive during the interview process will give you a chance to see how the firm will handle challenges and questions during the life of your project. If a particular design element is a bad choice, select an architect who is going to include other options in his answer.