Again,it is an urban legend: Snopes.com - The Sinking Library

There is much folklore built around discrediting professionals for lacking "common sense" and "folk wisdom." It is a manifestation of the many divisions in our society that experienced professionals are merely "book smart." These divisions and resentments exist between professions as well. Some engineers tell architect jokes, whereas I find there is nothing funny about engineers.

Mistakes happen and no one is perfect, but no one overlooks fundamental live load requirements, no one shrinks the programmed areas of a project by some arbitrary even amount, and design fees on average cost between 6%-14% of construction cost depending upon project type, design quality, and complexity. The only way design fees could get to 40% is if the client changed their mind many times over through the process, or construction was done using donated materials and volunteer labor.

Architect's seldom "forget" things in the design process - a process that is a collaboration between multiple disciplines and stakeholders. Architect's are expected to anticipate many contingencies, but the main reason important features might not work the way they should comes from mis-prioritized budget decisions outside of the design-team's control. Any good professional must know is their limits, and as a result, we rely upon other professional consultants to make sure that we have access to the expertise needed to balance the needs and means of a project's sponsors.

In one of the scenarios brother Norden refers to, I tried to help out the museum with their archive plans. I put together a proposal that included an archivist consultant from the Huntington Library, but the organization tried to shortcut their way to the solution and the result was predictably a bit of a mess.

Most private non-profit railway museums seem ill-prepared to take on the actual costs of proper project development. Permitted buildings for accommodating public groups are highly-regulated and generally more expensive than most museums are willing to stomach. Years ago, I spent some time on this site trying to talk folks into developing plans for permanent indoor rail equipment display buildings. I still believe more groups are capable of this than they think, but the leap to get from doing "things the way they've always been done" vs. embracing the ways in which other types of successful non-profits organize and accomplish major goals is just too great to overcome.

Back to the OP, Crescent-Zephyr may have it right about not being able to afford the building if you can't spare a few thousand dollars for an architect. If you are looking for a designer to help produce materials for fund-raising purposes, then maybe you could get some help, but as-is, your request is a bit too vague.

My wife would agree with you! lol


Chris Vitz, a Professional Civil Engineer since 1999. I have two sisters and their husbands that are civil engineers. My Dad was also a civil engineer. Thanksgiving conversations are really boring for the few non-engineers in the family.