How to prepare your brief before contacting an interior architect
A brief doesn't need to be a ten-page document written by a professional. It simply needs to answer, in writing, the questions any interior architect will ask anyway — preparing it in advance avoids discovering them one by one during the first meeting.
The five details that really make a difference
Even approximate figures immediately frame the scale of the project.
Spelling out the constraints avoids off-target proposals.
An architect works very differently with CHF 30,000 than with CHF 150,000, and staying silent on this point wastes both parties' time.
Planned move-in date, a baby's due date, end of a lease: these constraints directly shape the choice of materials and method.
Photos of interiors you like often say more than a long description.
These five points are usually enough to start a useful first conversation with an interior architect. Compare architects in your canton
What you don't need to know in advance
There's no need to arrive with a technical plan, a list of materials or millimetre-precise dimensions — that's precisely the interior architect's job. A brief that's too detailed on technical points can even close off avenues that a professional eye would otherwise have explored.
The goal isn't to arrive with all the answers, but with the right questions already asked.
How an interior-architect engagement works in Switzerland
In Switzerland, the reference framework for architects' engagements is the SIA 102 regulation ("Regulation concerning services and fees of architects"), published by the Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects (SIA). It sets out the rights and duties of each party, describes the architect's mission, and provides a basis for calculating fees proportionate to the scale of the project. It's a private regulation: it only applies if the contract explicitly refers to it, which holds true both for architects and for interior architects who draw on it.
Three fee models coexist on the Swiss market. The flat fee sets a total amount agreed before the mandate begins, suited to one-off projects or advisory mandates. The hourly rate bills the time actually spent, generally between CHF 120 and CHF 300 per hour depending on the region and the architect's experience. The percentage of the cost of works, inherited from the SIA method, sets the fees for a full-design mandate at between 8% and 12% of the works budget for an interior architect.
Order of magnitude of fees by works budget (full-design mandate, 8-12%)
For a one-off intervention — decoration advice, a layout plan, an opinion on colours — a flat fee of between CHF 2,000 and CHF 5,000 is common and more predictable than an hourly rate. The percentage of the works budget, on the other hand, only really makes sense for a full-design mandate that includes site supervision.
The SIA 102 regulation breaks a mission down into phases, from preliminary studies through to commissioning, which allows an architect to be engaged for only part of the project rather than the whole. Explicitly asking whether the architect works according to the SIA 102 norm or their own general terms is a legitimate question from the first conversation; in any case, the exact scope of the mission and the method for calculating fees should appear in black and white in the contract.
How to fairly compare several quotes
Asking for several quotes is good practice, but comparing only the total amounts regularly leads to choosing the least complete proposal rather than the most advantageous one. Two architects can price very different services for a project that looks identical on paper.
- The phases covered: design only, or design plus site supervision?
- The number of site visits or meetings included in the flat fee
- The number of proposals or revision rounds planned
- What's included in supervision: coordinating tradespeople, site visits, handover of the works
- Ancillary costs: travel, 3D renders, the permit file if structural works are envisaged
- The terms in case of a budget overrun or an amendment during the mandate
A cheaper quote that excludes site supervision often ends up costing more than a more complete quote, once you have to coordinate the tradespeople yourself or manage the unexpected. The right question isn't "how much" but "how much, for exactly what".
What an interior architect does — and doesn't do
- Optimise the layout and circulation within the existing space
- Advise on materials, colours and lighting
- Draw up plans, elevations and sometimes 3D visuals
- Coordinate tradespeople and supervise the site if the mandate provides for it
- Point you toward the necessary permits if structural works are envisaged
- Don't carry out the works themselves — they coordinate tradespeople
- Don't handle load-bearing structure calculations, which fall to a structural engineer
- Don't file a building permit application on your behalf, unless explicitly mandated to
- Don't guarantee a fixed price for the works before consulting the tradespeople involved
The first meeting: what to expect
A serious first meeting rarely lasts less than 45 minutes and isn't just a walk-through of the property. It serves to check that you get along as much as to frame the project — the relationship with an interior architect generally lasts several months, sometimes more than a year for a full mandate.
- A visit or an in-depth discussion of the space and its constraints (light, structure, existing utilities)
- Questions about the occupants' lifestyle, habits and priorities, not just the style they're after
- A frank discussion about the feasibility of the stated budget
- An indicative schedule for what follows: deadline for a proposal, next steps
- A clear explanation of the billing method planned for the rest of the mandate
Red flags when choosing an architect
- No written proposal or formalised mandate, even for a first phase
- A price given without having seen the space or asked about its condition
- Pressure to sign quickly, with no time to think it over
- An inability to show previous work or verifiable references
- Deliberate vagueness about what's included in the stated fees
Skip straight to the next step
The form covers exactly these five points. Five minutes is enough to fill it in and be put in touch with interior architects in your canton.
Describe my projectFAQ
It isn't mandatory — the SIA 102 norm only applies if the contract explicitly provides for it. It does, however, offer a proven framework for defining the services and calculating fees; failing that, you simply need to make sure these same points (scope of the mission, billing method, deadlines) appear clearly in the contract offered.
For a full-design mandate including site supervision, budget generally between 8% and 12% of the works budget. On a works budget of CHF 100,000, that represents around CHF 8,000 to CHF 12,000 in fees. A one-off consultation is more often billed as a flat fee, between CHF 2,000 and CHF 5,000, or at an hourly rate.
Two to three quotes are generally enough to compare approaches and fees without multiplying first meetings, which take time for both parties. The key is to compare equivalent services — the same scope of mission, the same level of supervision — rather than simple total amounts.