What next?

If what we do is of interest to you, please get in touch with Peter at our office. He will arrange for Kay or Sibyl to meet with you at the property and discuss your project, their initial ideas and the feasibility of the proposal in terms of planning issues, your budget and timescale. Following this visit we send you our RIBA appointment document, which clearly details our full scale of services, the process and our fees for doing your project.

Architects Stages of work

1.   Measured and Drawn Survey and initial building appraisal.
      (RIBA work stage A-B)

The first stage of any project is to measure and draw the plans and elevations of the building as existing. This is a key stage for us, as it allows us to understand the construction, layout and site. Importantly we might find old openings which can be re-used, assess the general condition of the fabric and find evidence which can support a proposal, such as old foundations or that a wall or roof has been altered in the past. Maybe there is space in the attic or hidden in the building that can be utilised.

2.   Proposals and Local Authority Planning Applications
      (RIBA work stage C-E)

Having understood the building we are then able to provide you with the proposals which incorporate your needs. At this stage we work closely with you until we come up with a finalised design. We also collaborate with the Planner and Conservation Officer to ensure the design embodies everyone’s requirements.

At this stage we assess the cost of the proposals, either by using a qualified Quantity Surveyor or Building Contractor to provide you with an Estimate of Cost depending on whether you want to go out to tender or negotiate the tender with one contractor.

The applications forms, drawings and design and access statements are then sent to the Local Authority for their decision, along with any other supporting documentation needed. During this period we maintain close contact with the Authority to discuss the progress of your application.

3.   Working Drawings/Specification, Building Regulations & Tender Action.
      (RIBA work stage F-H)

We produce the working drawings needed for the construction of the new extension or alterations. This requires specialist understanding of traditional building materials and detailing. We also provide scale drawings for bespoke joinery, fittings, ironwork, features and built-in furniture, such as Kitchen and Bathrooms.

We again work closely with you at this stage to incorporate any specific ideas you might have, such as the lighting layout.

The Construction drawings and Specification package is then sent to receive full Building Regulations approval. The package then goes out to competitive tender with a number of builders or to negotiated tender to a single builder. We assess and discuss the tenders received to help make a decision based on time, cost and quality and ensure all the tenderers have included everything.

4.   Administration of the Building Contract
      (RIBA work stages J-K)

Having accepted a tender price and Building Contractor, we put together the Building Contract, which sets out the building works particulars and how they will be run.

While the project is on-site we regularly visit to discuss the works and design with the builders and craftsmen. The success of this stage is the collaboration between you, the Building Contractor and ourselves.

As historic buildings require care, skill and a high quality of workmanship, they inevitably take longer, but the control of the budget and project duration are still of high importance to all clients. For us the key to controlling the budget is to ensure the specification includes the full scale of works at tender stage, so you are aware of all the costs up front and can scale down if necessary before works even start. When on-site and opening up of the old fabric occurs there will inevitably be findings or you may like to add in an extra element of work, our skill is to be able to control any alterations to the building contract. We do this by issuing Architect Instructions any time a change is made. These changes are priced up and agreed with you as the project progresses and is allowed for financially within the contingency sum set at tender stage. Any addition to a contract can obviously mean it takes longer to complete the works, so if you require the works to complete on a specific date, we are experienced at assessing the programme of works and re-organising elements so they can start earlier or over lap to ensure you complete on that critical date.

If you do choose us, we strive to make the design and building experience enjoyable and professional, while ultimately we aim to provide you with a design that you will be delighted with.