An electric fireplace does not require exhaust venting and works in places where gas-fired units won't work because venting the unit is difficult if not impossible. Since electric units don't produce combustion gases, they can be a great solution where a fireplace is installed for ambiance, which is the majority of installations in my experience.

Do the electric. You can thank him later. Or..........do one outside, and another in. : ) We know nothing of your locale, climate, etc.

My experience with two side? More trouble than the worth.

Well, common sense says electric is far cheaper to install. All it needs is an electric outlet. Gas, on the other hand, needs plumbing for the gas to reach the fireplace and an exhaust (chimney) to release the fumes.

As far as operational costs, I don’t know which is cheaper in your area. For me, gas is cheaper than electricity, but the difference is really nominal since we only use the fireplace for the ambiance.

IMO double sided FPs even when both sides are inside can be trouble and yto make one side to the outside IMO a bad idea. If you insist on this plan then do 2 FPS one inside one outside .I have noidea where you live but we found even with the outdoor heaters they are rarely used once it gets too cold to really be outside. I need a bit more info as to the reason for the FPs so maybe share that. IMO your architect is trying to help so maybe listen to someone who knows about this. Architects generally are on the side of good design at a price that fits your budget.

Thank you. And sorry if it came across as i was bashing our architect.. not the intention! (But he does have a bias against gas fireplaces, and I really like them!).
So we are in California, the fireplace will likely be used for heat for about 4 months - mostly cause i am always cold and the house doesn’t get tooo much sun.

This is a new home buildout; so the wall, wiring and gas plumbing is going to be all new in any case. Hence i feel some of the costs will not be as huge. What i was hoping to understand is the structural cost … and the fact that we cant have a weight bearing wall on the area of the fire place.
Guess indoor outdoor fireplaces are hugely unpopular in this forum when it comes to the practicality or providing heat.

Since you're in California, check the local codes. More and more municipalities are banning gas for anything in new builds, so it's quite possible you wouldn't be able to do it anyway.

But if you are, here's a question: the architect says it's too expensive to run a gas line. Are you willing to pay for the added expense? Or are you willing to compromise elsewhere in the build budget to make up for installing the gas line? If you're willing to pay for it and your town will allow it, then I don't see why the architect would object.

The only answer if bound and determined.

Select the fire - all have specific framing requirements specific to model.

Get price for installation and framing from the architect/ structural engineer et AL and decide.

You can't get an answer here to any of the "difficulties" he posed, let ALONE installing a gas line at this time in very prohibitive California.

The last place I'd have a gas fireplace is in CA. Plus I wouldn't be surprised if they're not allowed soon in Ca.

And electric fireplaces heat the area nicely. I am in FL and regret putting in our gas fireplace. Wish they had the old fashioned looking (not linear but rectangular) electric ones when we built, but they only came out with them about 2 years after we finished. If they had the rectangular ones, I would have used that instead.

Now they do. Check out Dimplex

We install a fair number of gas fireplaces. While they provide some heat, it's nowhere near what a gas furnace would produce--and they can consume natural gas at a comparable rate. If you plan to use the fireplace for heating purposes, you should investigate soapstone masonry heaters.

Without drawings and more info we can’t know what is meant by structural.

Neither a gas nor electric FP (which the OP's question is not comparing the two anyway) has to be inserted into the wall requiring review of the structure (say, a skinny shear wall within a glazed wall). Either can be installed on the inside of the space against the wall. Just evaluate the size of space and circulation vs the depth of the unit and hearth extension if it requires one. If an opening for a double sided see through FP might be more expensive, you control the purse strings and can decide if it's worth it for a money shot at that location.

"...and the fact that we cant have a weight bearing wall on the area of the fire place."

Sure you can. I hung a wood burning two-sided fireplace from an LVL a decade ago.

One requires a gas line and a double-walled gas flue/vent and the other does not. Their weight should be about the same so the structrure should be the same unless the gas flue/vent is wrapped with stone,etc.

The worst mistake I made when we built our house was giving in to my builder who said something I wanted would be too expensive. I bowed to his judgment without asking, “ how much, in dollars, is too expensive?”

I'd go with the convenience of electric, but I'd find the one with the most realistic-looking flames and that's going to be $$$$

https://electricfireplacesdepot.com/collections/dimplex/46-51

If a TV is going above the fireplace you might want to reconsider the size of the FP.

Agree with Beverly. I saw the dimplex fireplace and it fooled me it was so real looking. As I said, the only reason I didn't use it was because it only came in a linear style. Now they have a rectangular style.

You folks are the best!! Thank you! Truly Appreciate all the thoughts, guidance and comment!

do electric. gas is 19th/20th C.

Friends of mine put in a water vapor fireplace (which is electric) and love it. I haven't seen it (it's in a vacation home) but apparently it looks very realistic.

The water vapor one really does look very gorgeous. I find it to be more of visual piece than something that invokes the warmth a fire place. It does not produce any heat and also its quite expensive. Maybe a bit more than a high end Orkin

The full electric Dimplex does put out heat