Architect or interior architect: who should you choose for a renovation?

When starting a renovation, many owners wonder who to call first. The answer depends mainly on the nature of the works: do you need to change the building itself, or transform the way you live inside it?

Two complementary professions

• The architect designs the building and its structure: envelope, facades, load-bearing elements.
• The interior architect works on the inhabited space: interior volumes, partitions, light, materials, built-in furniture. This covers the survey and plans, technical plans coordinated with the engineers, calls for tenders and site supervision.

Which professional for which renovation

For a complete renovation of an apartment or house, a new kitchen, a bathroom or a new room layout, the interior architect is usually the right starting point. The fully renovated La Barre kitchen in Lausanne is one example. When the project touches the structure or the facade, such as an opening in a load-bearing wall, an extension or an attic conversion, RK Interiors works together with an architect and an engineer. You keep one single point of contact, and each specialist handles their own field.

In Vernier, near Geneva, the Devancet villa shows what interior architecture brings to a house: custom furniture and minimalist lines. In Granges-Paccot, the La Croix project combined architecture and interior design to renovate a family house.

Key takeaways

• The architect works on the building, the interior architect on the inhabited space.
• For an interior renovation, the interior architect is the natural starting point.
• If structure or facade are involved, RK Interiors brings in an architect and an engineer.