THE CLIENT

Becoming a happy client is the goal, but it is not as easy as it may seem.

Forming Expectations

As in most things in life the satisfaction one receives from the development of a project rests almost totally on the actual versus the expected result. Success in this endeavor is not accomplished by the lowering of standards, but rather the establishment of standards that are appropriate for this environment.

First and foremost, development is a process (journey) that leads to an achievement of a goal that one can take pride in. It’s an adventure. It’s a triumph over both nature and bureaucracy. It’s not for the faint of heart or for those on a tight schedule. It can be highly stressful and not something that should be attempted while other major life stress is occurring.

Second, Vieques is a charming, rustic, laid back community on “island time”. Time slips away at the speed of light, while everything else moves more slowly than expected. Demanding that schedules be maintained may be good form, but one must recognize that all scheduling is subject to change without notice. People come to this island for the change of pace – to slow down. We don’t want to attempt to make all of the services respond the way they do stateside or we lose the very place we came here to find. It is our role to adapt. If that appears to be an overwhelming task, maybe it’s a sign that the island is not a good fit.

Third, Puerto Rico is not a state and the legal system reflects Napoleonic law rather than the English based system most new comers grew up with. Litigation takes a long time, costs a bunch, and probably acts more like a deterrent than anything else. So, it is very important to know with whom one is interacting in all things because integrity is going to count more in one’s dealings here than stateside.

Fourth, supervision of the development is key. Either one manages and supervises his or her own project, or selects someone else to perform the function. The selection of another to supervise requires trust in both financial and aesthetic arenas. Many mainlanders have thrown money at local contractors and been very dissatisfied with the results. Two mistakes some make: Paying up front and assuming that the contractor really understands what the client wants.

Fifth, one must be willing to accept tradeoffs between dollars, products, and schedules. If the special sink that has been backordered for three months finally arrives and is the wrong color, it may be impossible to get the right one quickly. Consequently, the choices become: wait for a new one and delay completion, install the existing and reinstall (at added cost) the new one in the future, or buy a satisfactory substitute locally and live with it.

Sixth, as the developer, one is part of a team. Compromise is critical throughout the process. The owner must realize that not everything is going to go along as planned or intended. Not every detail can be treated as critical nor worthy of outrage when not exactly correct or as expected. It is very important that a sensitivity toward the common goal leads the critic to determine just what is important enough to rip out and redo. There are items that will remain a constant source of irritation to an owner over time, and generally, these need to be corrected as soon as noticed. There are other details that, although not great (maybe even wrong), just aren’t that big a deal and don’t justify reworking.

Seventh, to obtain the desired outcome, the architect needs to be involved at the earliest stages. Site selection can be a determining factor in ultimate satisfaction. Expectations need to be articulated prior to selecting a site or the substantial risk is run that the site will not fit the dream. A lot with inadequate size, inappropriate orientation, awkward access, poor drainage, etc. can hamper the process and yield a disappointing or less than optimal end result.