Evening star., 1914-10-10
FEES Of ARCHITECTS
ARE NOT TOO GREAT
Cost Of Preparing Plans Consumes
Most of Commission,
Says Writer.

In view of the many published state
ments about the large fee received by
Guy Lowell, the architect Of the new
courthouse for New York, 1t is inter-
esting to observe the element of un-
certainty which attaches to the profit
to be derived from an undertaking of
this ma gnitude, says the Philadelphia
Ledger.
The cost to an architect in preparing
his drawings and specifications and
seeing that they are properly carried
out, in offices run on the best business
basis. is at least one-half of his COM
mission. This. however, applies only
to the general class of buildings, and
not to residential or public and monu-
mental work. The cost is then as high
as Is per cent of the architects COM
mission
Cost Government So Per Cent.
The United States government pre-
pared a statement which was submit
ted to Congress (Senate document No.
s1S. sixty-second Congress. second
session.. which gave the average cost
Of preparing drawings and specifica-
lions alone. exclusive of superintend-
ence or any other field expenses. for
the years 1905 to 1911, inclusive. to be
So per cent. This was for preparing
the drawings for the building erected
by the United States government and
done by the supervising architect of
the Treasury. a man known for his
great executive ability, and. therefore,
done with the greatest economy pos
sible.
Reports have been submitted to the
state architect of New York showing
that the cost to the state for preparing
the plans and specifications made in the
state architects office exceeds s per
cent. The cost to the New York Central
railroad for preparing the plans for
its new station has exceeded per
cent Therefore, an architect who is
able to prepare the plans for a ten
million dollar building at a cost to him
OF less than per cent of the total
cost of the building must run his Of
fee in the most economic manner pos
sible and take his chance that the work
may cost him more than his entire fee.
Work Is Costly.
1t seems to be the general impression
In many uninformed places that an ar
chitect makes few sketches taking a
Few days of his time and for this work
receives an enormous fee. The fact
of the matter is that to prepare and
carry out the work of ten-million-
dollar courthouse will require the
services of from twenty to thirty high
priced craftsmen, as we'll as num-
Der of engineers and specialists on
structural work, heating and yentila-
ton. sanitation, mechanical eouip-
ment. etc, working for a period of at
least five years; will require a large
oh1ce at high rental, and with the
most economic administration his work
VIII cost about s450.00O. This will
leave about s150.oO0 profit, or about
$4,000 a year.
Invests Own Money.
What business man is there who is
willing to head a ten-miIlion- dollar
corporation with salary of 100000 a
year? What corporation is there of
this size that pays its counsel less than
this amount? Such men, however. re-
ceive these salaries without investing
any OF their own money to obtain it
Inc architect must invest about $3.50
OOO IN actual cash paid out to receive
his profit of $15O,OO0
All OF the above has nothing tn do
with the professional training and skin
OF the architect, and for which he re-
celves his compensation He must
therefore, not only invest his own
money and run a large business office
with chance of running it at a loss.
but he must give his skill in designing
his knowledge of engineering and con-
structfon and his training in sculp-
ture and mural decoration in order that
he may obtain his fee