Do you need an architect?
We offer a free initial consultation to help you decide what level of architectural service is appropriate for your project and whether ours is the right architectural practice for you.
An architect will always add value to your project however modest. Even the most innocent looking building project involves the co-ordination of a number of disparate individuals and disciplines - architects are the only professionals trained to guide you through all aspects of the design and construction process (technical, legal, financial and aesthetic). However, the most appropriate role for the architect will depend on your budget and level of ambition.
If you want to get the most out of your home but are happy with conventional details and materials, then an architect may be best used to think through the strategic options, draw up simple plans, and hand these to a builder of your choice for you to manage.
If, on the other hand, you recognise the benefits of an entirely bespoke solution, and believe this will be important to the success of your project, then you will benefit from employing an architect from your first deliberations on what you want to achieve to signing off the builder’s final touches.
The amount of work you commission from your architect depends on the level of control you wish to have over the cost, quality and duration of your project. The more time you’re prepared to invest in the design process, the more confident you can be that you are getting exactly what you want; the more detail the architect provides in the tender documentation, the fewer awkward (and costly) surprises the builder is likely to encounter on site; keeping the architect on to administer a contract between you and your builder should help you keep control of costs and reduce the risk of the job over-running.
What architects do
The process of getting a building built is inherently complex requiring the input of a large number of individuals – even a humble extension may involve a planning officer, building control surveyor, structural engineer, party wall surveyor, contractor, tradesmen and suppliers, The architect is, first and foremost, a guide and interpreter, providing knowledge of the construction industry and a clear roadmap through the building process. He or she is also, and equally importantly, a designer. This is not just about aesthetics; it is about exploring your needs and aspirations and finding inventive ways of enhancing – or even transforming – your lifestyle. Finally, the architect is a synthesiser, considering all the disparate factors at play and transforming them into a set of instructions for a builder with the aim of creating an economic solution to your requirements.
What to expect
Employing an architect to help you with a building project should be rewarding but it can take a bit of nerve. After all, it’s not always possible to assess the value of the architect’s input until the builder has completed the work. We want you to know what to expect from the process so our collaboration can be as fruitful as possible.
1. Preparation
Our clients approach us with varying degrees of certainty about what they want and what they want to spend. We like to discuss your needs and budget from first principles so that we can be confident that the building work you undertake is the best solution to your needs and genuinely meets your aspirations. We also like to take the opportunity to explain the process as clearly as possible early on - the risks, rewards and responsibilities - so that there is little opportunity for misunderstanding or disappointment further down the line.
The first step is to sit down together as many times as it takes to put together a clear brief and realistic budget. This may involve us presenting some sketch options as a way of focussing the discussions. To do these, we would normally need to have measured plans of your property. We should be able to do these ourselves but, if your property is more than a couple of storeys, it may be better to commission a surveyor to measure it up - we would be happy to help you find one.
2-3. Concept and Developed Design
Once we have established a broad direction and budget for the project, we can start to work up the design in earnest. This may entail further options or the immediate refinement of a clear front-runner. This is also the time to bring other consultants on board; a structural engineer is normally the only other consultant required for a domestic project - again, we’d be happy to recommend one.
Once you are happy with the design principles, we can put together the planning application, (if necessary) and conservation area or listed building consent (again, if necessary). It’s also worth discussing how you would like to procure the building work sooner rather than later as builders’ availability can be a bit of an unknown quantity. You may wish to use a builder you know and trust or ask us to put together a shortlist of builders to tender for the job.
4-5. Technical and Specialist Design
A successful project is as reliant on the detail design as on the overall strategy. We need time both to develop the construction details in a way which supports the overall design idea and to research the most appropriate materials and fittings. You need to be ready either to make decisions about these based on our suggestions or to put in quite a lot of legwork if you want to research finishes and fittings yourself.
If you want to be confident that the design will be built as intended, it is worth commissioning from us a full set of production information, which includes construction details and a specification. But, if your budget is tight, and the overall strategy matters to you more than its execution, there may be builders who are prepared to build using the design drawings and a brief schedule of works.
If you decide to choose a builder through competitive tender, we issue the production information to a small number of builders, normally three; based on their tenders we help you choose the most appropriate one; the cheapest builder is not always the right one - a suspiciously low price tends to suggest that the builder hasn’t properly understood the scope of the work and may try to claim back costs during the course of the job.
6. Construction
It’s always worth having a contract with your builder and we can advise you on the most appropriate one - contracts come in different shapes and sizes and the right one for you depends on the size and complexity of the job, on whether you want to engage directly with your builder or whether you would prefer us to administer the contract between you and the builder.
Using a traditional building contract administered by an architect is the best means of keeping control over costs, quality and programme - there is a clear framework for incorporating changes to the works; the legitimacy of claims by the builder for more money or time can be assessed according to agreed criteria; the procedure by which payments are made to the builder is clearly set out; and there is a mechanism for penalising the builder for late completion of the works.
Builders tend to charge more for doing work under architect-administered contracts because of their extra administrative costs. However, bearing in mind the inherent complexity of the building process and the potential for nasty surprises that lurks in every building, the increased peace of mind that using an architect-administered contract brings almost always justifies the additional cost.
