If you have a contract, does it have a termination clause? How is the compensation clause written? Does it include construction phase services?

The drawings technically belong to the architect unless the contract says otherwise but in the case of a renovation where they are unlikely to have value to anyone other than you, he might settle for being paid for his work so far.

You might talk to another architect but you shouldn't hire him before settling with your current architect. Finding another architect might be difficult if there is little work left to do so don't burn your bridges yet.

I can't say more without more information regarding your contract.

First, are you sure that you are working with an architect? Not s drafter?

Second, what is the program? What is the oveeriding goal? To stay within budget? Or to get all of your wants? We’re do needs rank? Have you separated wants and needs? Are your needs, wants, and budget actually realistic?

JDS: The termination is pretty simple. "This agreement can be terminated at any time with the amount due being the fee accrued to date." He has essentially completed 2 phases agreed upon, ...design and construction documents. And may be partly why communication has dwindled. Basically we have to pay him either way. There is no clause on ownership of the documents anywhere in the contract.

Sophie: He is an architect. I would like someone who can help us get through this project with the most complete details and as close as possible to what we want (of course within budget - which we have some flexibility on if we know how changes may affect it). I don't feel that has been well-executed thus far and I'm to a point where I am over it. Like many homeowners, this is our first time taking on a project like this and we don't want just "good enough" if there is a better way to approach it. Needs and wants have been discussed. I think the main issues arise when things that were not initially considered are radically changed or omitted to accommodate a request, but not brought to our attention. For example losing significant storage space, or losing or adding a window, which lead to significant changes in the elevation. He is the expert, not us. And he has to communicate those same issues to us, just like we communicated the needs and wants to him. So I am a bit frustrated.

If you are willing to pay him for the work done so far, the only issue is use and ownership of the drawings.

Copyright law give an architect a copyright for anything he draws unless he is an employee which is not the case. What you own is essentially a license to use the drawings for one project and to copy then as needed for that purpose. What is unclear is whether or not someone else can modify them and put their name on them.

I would suggest discussing the possibility with him but that might be a good idea if communication is poor. But if he has lost interest in the project and doesn't mind forgoing construction phase services (is it included in the contract?) he might transfer ownership of the drawings to you.

How much would the final settlement be? If its a large amount, you would have more leverage.

I'm an architect, not a lawyer, but I did this recently and was happy to get free of the project and get paid. If you want more information you could send me a message.

Very good point but I think the OP is planning to hire another architect. What might become the biggest problem is the time it takes to make the transition and give the contractor the final design.

I can't comment on that because I know nothing about the project and its current status.

I agree and I would not give up on this architect unless it becomes impossible to get the project designed right.

In what part of the world is the project located?

Have you ever posted the drawings to get help on this forum?

Please provide a link to your earlier posts.

So, a 300K+ budget is what you are actually expecting to spend? Because otherwise, there’s more than a disconnect with an architect here over this project.

I don't mean to be critical or disrespectful but, to an architect, juggling closets and bathrooms in a rectangular box can be more challenging than designing a whole house. I've been an architect for 50 years and I couldn't get through all of the options because it seemed like each one had a slightly different program which creates too many variables. And I couldn't think of any architectural ideas that might help organize such a variety of elements. I would not be surprised if the architect has just lost interest.

I would not approach this design in this way. I would diagram the spaces and find where they would be best located, then fill in the details. It would involve a hierarchy of design steps that would lead to one solution instead of five.

I understand that this design is important to you but it seems more appropriate for an interior designer. You could hire one without terminating the architect. I suspect the architect might be grateful.

Hi, Marcy,

I'm sorry for your experience. You should never feel like you're going it alone when you hire a design professional. If your architect hasn't proven to be a good communicator during design, I suggest it's not going to get better during construction when even more folks are involved.