Choosing the right architect is quite similar to choosing a doctor that suits you. An architect will help you realize your desires and needs through a design, just as a doctor prescribes the right medicine for a healing process. It is widely understood that one can find the right doctor by going to the hospital or going directly to the doctor’s practicing place, but that is not the case for architects. Most people are still unfamiliar about where they can find the right architect for their projects.

At present, access to find information about architects is widely open and can be obtained anywhere, by anyone. You can even find information about architects through a smartphone that is in your hands. To choose the right architect for your projects, first you need to find information about the architect itself.

The following are a few ways to find architects and their services:

1. Mouth to Mouth Information
Usually clients will tell or share with their family and colleagues about their latest projects and the architect that they have chosen to design the project, especially if the architect provides satisfactory services and results. Communicating with people who have used the services of architects is one of many ways to obtain information about the services of an architect that may fit one’s needs.

2. Architect’s Works Exhibition
Work exhibition is one of the means for architects to display their best works. Recently there was a number of regular work exhibitions held every year such as the Indonesian Young Architect (IYA) Exhibition, Seminyak Design Week, Bintaro Design District, Komunitas Arsitek Tanpa Nama Exhibition (ATN) and many more.

3. Design Magazine
Design magazines are the common media where architect’s works will be featured along with a review of the projects either by the architect him/herself or by an editor/reviewer. In Indonesia alone, there are several architectural design magazines that feature updated architectural projects. These publications can be found at the nearest bookstore.

4. Official Institution (IAI)
If you have done all of the above yet still haven’t found any architects that suit your needs, then you can visit the official institution of the professional architectural profession in Indonesia, namely the Indonesian Institute of Architects (IAI), to get a reference on the list of professional architectural services around your area. The IAI branch offices have been established in many major cities in Indonesia.

5. Social Media (Instagram, Website, Youtube, dll)
One of the easiest and fastest ways to find information about architect’s services is via social media. Almost all architects actively use social media facilities to establish communication with clients and share their portfolios. You can search for information through hashtag search on Instagram such as: #indonesianarchitects, #restaurantdesign, #archilovers, #baliarchitects, etc.

In addition, you can find information about architectural services through the official architecture firm’s websites that can be easily accessed through the browser. A good architecture firm’s website usually contains company descriptions, project portfolios, articles and contact details. One of the architecture firm’s website that you can use as reference is http://somiadesign.com/ where the website contains updated works and you can easily view project portfolios based on project categories such as: residential, hospitality, interior design, commercial, etc.