Choosing an architect is one of the most important decisions you will make for a building project. The relationship is personal, the timescales are long, and the quality of the outcome depends significantly on how well you and your architect understand each other from the outset.

Here are the questions we think are most worth asking — and, in the spirit of transparency, how we would answer each of them at Modus Architects.

This establishes the minimum professional standard. ARB registration is a legal requirement to use the title 'architect'. RIBA Chartered status indicates an additional level of professional assessment, commitment to continuing development, and professional indemnity insurance. At Modus, the director is fully qualified and the practice is RIBA Chartered.

Local experience matters in a way that is easy to underestimate. An architect who knows the Isle of Man planning system, understands the construction market, and has relationships with local contractors and consultants will navigate your project more effectively than one who doesn't. At Modus, our entire practice is built around Isle of Man experience — it is all we do.

In many practices, the partner who wins the work may not be the person who does it. For residential projects, you want to know that the experienced person you are meeting is the one who will be designing your home and managing your project. At Modus, our directors are personally involved in every project.

References are genuinely valuable. Ask to speak to clients whose projects are similar to yours and who have been through the whole process — from design to construction completion. Ask them specifically about communication, about whether the project came in on budget and on programme, and about what they would do differently. Architects who are confident in their work welcome this.

Get a written fee proposal that defines the scope of service clearly. Understand what stages are included, what is excluded, and what would trigger an additional fee. Ambiguity about scope is a common source of friction in architect-client relationships — it is worth resolving at the outset.

Ask specifically about their track record with planning applications in the Isle of Man. How many of their applications are approved at first submission? Have they had applications refused? How do they approach pre-application engagement with the Planning Directorate? This conversation will tell you a lot about how seriously they take the planning process.

Building projects are stressful. Regular, clear communication from your architect is one of the most important factors in making the experience manageable. Understand how often you will hear from them, how decisions will be communicated, and how quickly they respond to queries. At Modus, our clients deal directly with us — not with assistants or junior staff.

This question reveals how a practice thinks. A good architect will have a clear and informed view of the planning, design, and construction risks that are specific to your project, and a clear approach to managing them. Vague or reassuring non-answers are a warning sign.