Given that design, by its very nature is, on many levels, subjective; beauty is in the eye of the beholder after all, it can be difficult to assign “value” to good design. One way in which to begin to understand what good design means is to look at historic buildings. Understanding why some buildings have staying power while others have been lost along the way can lend insights into the question of value. That isn’t to say that all buildings that are torn down were purely designed, but often the ones that survive are the ones that stood out amongst its peers and lead to its survival.
One litmus test is how a building is used and reused. The Pantheon in Rome is a good example of a building that was originally constructed with one propose in mind and later converted for a similar use in a different context; this led to its survival over the millennia. The design of course is exquisite, thus justifying its reuse.
On a more mundane level, we see this phenomenon described as a home having “good bones”, which is simply to say that it is easy to see its potential and that the design lends itself to being reworked in several ways that serve to make it suitable for changing lifestyles and aesthetics. While some buildings are over-burdened with trendy ideas and materials that are expensive or difficult to work with, others have a clean simplicity that lends themselves to new ideas and a reimagining of existing spaces.
Whether you are looking for an existing home that offers these kinds of opportunities, or if you are looking to create them anew, an architect is trained to find these opportunities and get the most out of an existing house or develop a plan that enables your current and future goals; that represents value today and value in the future.