At least that was in the book.
BTW, GREAT analogy you use, concerning the architect for your house (I'm a structural engineer who does residential design so that resonates with me).
I don't so much mind that PJ had a great "vision," but that so much of his "vision" seemed, coincidentally, to be based on political correctness. (Thus, the part about Arwen).
Why he felt he had to have a strong female character right off the bat, when in the second and especially the third books/films you have Éowyn, as strong a female character as you can imagine, I'll never figure out except he didn't want to tick off a "target" audience most of whom aren't interested in the books anyway.
(Oddly, two-thirds of Tolkien afficionados are male).
BTW (to PJ and any other men that might be trying to think for us) wimmen don't go to films to see other wimmen!) hehehehe
Honestly, I think he brought Arwen in so that the love story at the end would make more sense, not to "be PC". This film has created new female Tolkien fans because of 1-Viggo. 2-Orlando 3-Elijah! Not because of breathless Arwen! Arwen and Aragorn are a beautiful love story, but you have to read the LoTR Appendeces to find it, and PJ just brought it out into the open earlier than we knew about it in the book...
Glad you liked my little remodel story! It occured to me as a good analogy too.