It was interesting to see architecture and engineering broken out as ~1.5% of the total cost of building a home, and it made me wonder: How much does better residential architecture actually cost?
If I were in the market to build a home, and the difference between building something that looks like your average suburban detached versus something modern and striking were, say, an extra 1.5% (doubling the cost of architecture and engineering), I wouldn't even consider skimping on architecture.
And yet, most architecturally-interesting homes are most certainly not 1.5% or even 15% more than average-looking homes, being generally restricted to luxury markets. Why is that?
Probably because the architecture and engineering is only a small part of the cost, the things the architects design in are much more expensive to build.
The actual design of the striking granite-block construction with large windows on the coast may not cost all that much. But the materials and skilled artisans sure do.
If I were in the market to build a home, and the difference between building something that looks like your average suburban detached versus something modern and striking were, say, an extra 1.5% (doubling the cost of architecture and engineering), I wouldn't even consider skimping on architecture.
And yet, most architecturally-interesting homes are most certainly not 1.5% or even 15% more than average-looking homes, being generally restricted to luxury markets. Why is that?