Hiring an Architect: Investing Wisely in Your Koi Pond Building

Architects can build beautiful Koi ponds . . . just make sure they don’t forget about the Koi

Koi pond building designed by a professional architect is not cheap.  You’re going to pay a large sum of money up front for Koi pond building and it’s going to seem like a terrible Idea.  Fast forward ten years down the road when your Koi pond still looks stunning and still brings that giggly feeling with it every time you see it and you’ll realize that getting professional help is probably one of the best investments you can make when considering Koi pond building.

When considering the cost of hiring an architect keep in mind a few things:

1)    Most spend years in school learning their trades

2)    They are professional people in the very best sense of the word

3)    Architects are personally responsible for their work so if something fails they can’t blame the contractor or the engineer—everything rides on their shoulders.

4)    They have the experience to suggest design aspects and stylistic choices that you would have never even thought of.

So when you hire an architect, you’re going to get someone who can tell you whether or not the koi pond building ideas you’ve had running around in your head are even feasible, whereas a contractor will generally just agree with you and try to piece together something that look similar to the rough designs you gave them.  You’ll also benefit from their wide array of experience, both from the education and in-the-field work, and they’ll be able to make your Koi pond something truly spectacular.

One last plug for architects:  if you’re one of those people, like me, who thinks they’re handy and tries to do everything yourself, take a close look at some of your own projects (closet shelving or kitchen cabinets, it doesn’t matter.)  Even some of your “successes” won’t be anywhere near as good as what a professional could produce.  Doesn’t your Koi pond building effort deserve a professional touch?

However, architects are not biologists.  They’re not even Koi enthusiast (unless you can find one who is—snatch them up in a heartbeat.)  They just don’t understand the unique qualities of the aquaculture involved in Koi pond building.  It’s your job to provide them with all of the information they need about filter size, turnover rates, skimmer location, ideal Koi pond dimensions, etc. (or at least point them in the right direction.)  Be sure that your architect understands that a Koi pond exists in a delicate balance (even without the Koi in it) and that maintaining water quality is an absolute must.  

Make sure they understand they are designing a Koi pond, not just a pond with Koi in, before they ever start.

Keep in mind that the pond you’ve always dreamed of may just not be feasible with your plot size, possible with your architectural constraints, or successful unless it takes into account the needs of your Koi.  Whichever architect you hire, they must design your pond around the needs of your Koi.  With over 20 years of experience with Koi, I know that your desired aesthetic or fanciful design will always come second to the filtration and maintenance needs of your pond.  Clean water equals happy Koi. Keep this in mind with all of your Koi pond building efforts.