Individually Designed House in Finland: Perspectives of Architectural Experts and a Design Case Study

This article provides a comprehensive understanding of small house practices, including the perspective of Finnish architectural experts, by conducting semi-structured in-depth interviews and proposing an individually designed house case study with a particular focus on cost and quality. Key findings based on main themes including the role and qualifications of the architect, architect’s involvement, architect’s fee, reasons to hire an architect, implementation, quality, and cost, highlighted that: (1) architect can assist small house projects in many ways, such as accurately identifying the client’s needs, choosing the most suitable layout, and applications for building permits; (2) allocating sufficient time for planning an average of six months is critical for the thoughts of both the architect and the client to mature in peace; (3) the share of architectural design in the total cost of the project is around 3–5%; (4) it is estimated that the total amount of small houses designed by an architect is between 10–20%; (5) an architect’s typical client is reported to be those who dream of a long-term home and are concerned with aesthetics as well as functional quality; (6) the client is always satisfied with the quality of the house designed by the architect; (7) while an individually designed home may seem more costly than a prefab home, an architect-designed home can be affordable as long as the budget is known from the start of the project. It is believed that this paper will encourage the participation of architects in small house projects that will be expanded and established in the Finnish residential construction industry.