How can you ensure that your architectural project meets client expectations?

Conduct a comprehensive initial consultation with the client to understand their needs, vision, and project requirements. Ask open-ended questions and actively listen to their ideas, preferences, and goals. Clarify any ambiguities and ensure a shared understanding of the project scope.

Clients are counting on us to clarify what it is they want. Be observant, and listen. Do your best to see and hear how it is they live or work, and what it is that works and what doesn't. Hearing what they don't like, or dont want is as valuable as learning those things that resonate with them. Trust your judgments, share your insights, explain those but remain flexible. Leave the ego out of it.

Ensure close collaboration, clear communication, and detailed documentation to align the project's design, scope, and budget with the client's vision and requirements.

Most often in initial meeting the client brief is very dry and technical eg, 3bhk with pool, garden, G+2, and modern looking elevation. So one needs to prod further to understand their aspirations of the space, the experience they want to feel, their personal requirements regarding each zone. One can share inspiration photos, videos to understand what reverberates with the client. Sometimes they may not be able to communicate what they like but through pictures,videos, material samples one can understand more about their likes/ dislikes and interests. This detailed discussion can help architects go beyond the technical brief to really grasp the underlying aspirations of the client regarding their project and generate better design concept.

Meeting a client's expectations is predicated on the idea that you understand what the expectations are. Whenever possible, start the project with documenting the owner's project requirements and maintain the OPR as a living document. The OPR can be reviewed at the end of the project to determine whether expectations have been met and the success of the project.

Initially, it's essential not to solely focus on the client's immediate requests. Instead, we should aim to grasp the client's underlying needs and give them precedence. Clients may occasionally express their desires based on a particular aesthetic or emotion they've experienced elsewhere. However, it's crucial to evaluate how these preferences will fare in a different context or over time. In some cases, clients may not realize that their initial preferences may not ultimately meet their expectations.