The Process

A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step…

There's no denying the process of remodelling or building your home is an involved one, but for a skilled and professionally trained Architect, it is a well trodden path. The process is divided into separate logical phases, and you can choose which phases you would like us to carry out for you, so you do not need to decide in advance how far you would like to take things. The stages are as follows:

Concept Design

Initial Design Meeting

Before you have to commit to anything, we start with an initial design meeting. We'll come to see you to discuss your requirements and gather some preliminary information and take some measurements and photographs so we can send you a formal quote and a contract.

Design Phase

If you're happy with our quote, we'll start developing one or more options. Of course we'll keep in regular contact to ensure we're heading in the right direction. We’ll keep iterating until we have a design that meets your requirements.

Planning

When you are happy with the plans, we will submit the design to the council, either for planning approval, or to obtain a certificate of lawful development. The council then have 8 weeks to either approve or reject the design. Where required, we will also arrange an informal pre-planning meeting with the council so we can explore feasibility before we head too far down a dead-end street. We generally have a pretty good idea about what the planners will and won't approve, but of course we sometimes need to go through a few iterations before we have a plan that satisfies all parties.

Building Control

Once we have obtained planning permission, it is time to make more detailed plans. These plans generally include detailed information and calculations regarding the structure, for which we will have to employ the services of a structural engineer. Once the structural design drawings and calculations are finished, we will submit the package to the building inspector to get approval. This generally takes weeks, but we can speed things up by employing a private firm - this will only increase cost marginally.This is also the time to think about the neighbours and serve them notification under the party wall act. During this phase, we may also have to consult the water company, get a specialist company to survey and map the drainage system and, where required, survey the soil.

Site

After we have gotten the go-ahead from the planners and the building inspectors, we’re in a position to prepare a pricing package that allows you to get quotes from building companies. if you want, we can also manage this part of the process for you and liaise with the builders as well as carry out regular site visits and inspections as part of a so-called ‘design and build’ contract.