Architects benefits

Imagination

Whether you are looking for tradition or innovation, boldness or understatement, we can lift your project out of the ordinary. Anyone can alter a building. It takes a professional to do it with flair, imagination and style.

Value for money

We will find the extra light and space you didn't know you had, suggest materials you hadn't thought of and make sure you find the right builder at the right price.

Freedom from worry

We are not only designers; we are troubleshooters. Builders We will guide you through the complex procedures of planning permission and building regulations. We will attend to detail and will monitor the builder's programme of works through to completion. Throughout your project, you will have protection under our professional indemnity insurance, which effectively guarantees the integrity of the design.

The initial meeting

Architects' professional training and experience means that they can interpret and respond to any realistic brief they are given. At your initial meeting we will discuss your intentions and ideas. Your architect will listen carefully to what you have to say, and will take and develop a brief which covers not only design aesthetics but also the function of the building, running costs, budget and timing. Only after you have seen and approved initial sketches, the ideas will be translated into detailed designs. At an early stage we can help you define a range of costs for your project.

The planning process

An important part of our service is to smooth the path with the local authority and act as ambassador on your behalf. For instance, we may discuss the plans with council officials before applying for planning permission and building regulations clearance, and greatly reduce the risk of planning refusal. We understand, and know how to apply, a complex web of building regulations and other rules which govern such things as structural integrity, ventilation, ceiling height, sanitation, insulation and fire safety, party wall agreements, rights of light and listed building consents. Clearly-presented, professionally-drawn plans can both save you a great deal of time and significantly improve your chance of success.

Builders and other professionals

We will help you find and brief any other consultants you may need - a structural engineer or a quantity surveyor, for example. With planning approval in place we will prepare working drawings with technical specifications for builders to tender, and will ask a number of firms to estimate costs and timings. When you have chosen a builder, we can recommend a form of contract that will set out the terms, the timetable, and what will happen if the builder overruns on costs or time.

Work in progress

Your architect will monitor the building work, organise site meetings (you can attend if you wish), and reduce stress to a minimum.

 

 

The initial meeting

Architects' professional training and experience means that they can interpret and respond to any realistic brief they are given. At your initial meeting we will discuss your intentions and ideas. Your architect will listen carefully to what you have to say, and will take and develop a brief which covers not only design aesthetics but also the function of the building, running costs, budget and timing. Only after you have seen and approved initial sketches, the ideas will be translated into detailed designs. At an early stage we can help you define a range of costs for your project.

Can an architect save you money?

Yes. Not only will we provide better value for money, in many instances we will save our clients at least the equivalent of our fees. Professional attention to detail will save money both immediately, through the most efficient use of space and the careful selection of materials and finishes, and in the long term through environmental sensitivity, energy efficiency, low running and maintenance costs.

There are formal safeguards too. The contract your architect recommends with the builder may contain a clause that allows you to claim damages for every week the project unreasonably overruns and disrupts your home or professional life. This is doubly important because a project which runs over time will often run over budget too. As work proceeds, your architect will save you time by dealing with problems and disagreements as they arise, leaving you free to concentrate on your own life and work.

After the building is complete, a percentage of the builder's account will be held back for six months (or a year on larger projects) as security against any problems that may arise. This is known as the defects liability period.