Do You Need an Architect for your home or building in Kentucky?

The practical answer is.... it depends on the type of building you’re hoping to construct.

In Kentucky, if you’re building a residential house, you are not required to hire an architect. Anyone can build a home as long as they have a set of plans approved by building inspections and the plans comply with building and zoning codes. If your a home owner building your first home it helps to have a licensed contractor to guide and organize the sub contractors.

For other building types, the rules change. See KRS Chapter 323 and 323.033 – Buildings requiring services of licensed architect — Exemptions. In general, any building with an occupancy of 100 or more typically requires the involvement of a licensed architect. Always check the statutes or call your local building authority for details before proceded with a design or build.

The Art and Feeling of Architecture

The information above covers the legal side. What it doesn’t address is the experience and feeling of living, working, and functioning in your building and that’s where an architect adds value.

As an architect, I’m not selling a product, I’m selling a process. A process that creates beauty, health, and comfort. Planning and designing early can also save you time and money during construction. Together, we can create a home or building that you’re proud of and a place you want to exist in every day.

While the bare minimum shelter is a necessity of life, the art and science of building design is focused around you, the unique client. Incorporating features and functions you need into a space will elevate your everyday experience.

Do You Want to Be in a Beautiful Place?

Do you value beauty? Aesthetics can be subjective, but I believe three ideas are timeless: Nature, Health, and Comfort.

Nature

There’s a reason we seek out nature when we want to relax and recharge. Architecture can bring that same connection into your daily life through biophilic design. Every project starts with a site analysis: Where does the natural light enter? Where do we need shade? What views can we highlight or shield from neighbors? I have many clients who understand their home has little connection with the outdoors and have reached out to me to explore how to connect their indoor lives with their beautiful back yards.

Here in the northern hemisphere, the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. That means we can design bedrooms that wake you gently with light, work areas filled with even daylight for focus, and living areas that capture warmth in winter while controlling harsh summer heat.

This understanding of light shapes how we design, helping us craft spaces that feel alive and in harmony with the environment.

Health

Buildings directly affect health. A healthy home can provide clean air, safe spaces for sleep, and conditions that support both mental and physical well-being. An unhealthy one with mold, toxins, or poor ventilation can erode productivity, focus, and happiness. Architects should guide clients toward healthy choices that support the people who live inside.

Comfort

Comfort isn’t just a soft sofa or a perfect chair, it’s also how a building flows. As an architect, I think about how public and private spaces connect. Is it easy to move around? Do activity spaces feel open and energizing, while private spaces feel secluded and restful?

Designing for comfort means creating spaces that help you recharge and move through life with ease.

Final Thought

If you’re considering your next building project, I hope you’ll think about working with an architect. Beyond code compliance, we help create places that feel beautiful, healthy, and comfortable to live and work in.

How to choose the right architect? That’s a topic for another blog.

Thanks,
Jason Zavala, Architect

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