Stage 1: Defining the brief
What is your big idea? What are your time scales? What is your budget? These are just a few of the questions we’ll ask you when we first meet with you on site. We’ll discuss your project, without obligation, as a free consultation. We’ll talk you through the steps, our process and everything that the project scope will involve. We’ll nail the financials, agree a fee and build this into a contract between us, as your architects, and you, our client. With the brief defined and a contract in place, we’ll move onto the fun bit: the design.
- Consultation
- Scoping
- Contracts
- Collaboration
Stage 2: Concept Design
Whatever the type of build, a survey needs to be completed of the existing. We also need a digital OS plan. We can do this for you or can help organise one of our recommended chartered surveyors. We might also suggest carrying out a topographical land survey and a tree survey or an ecology survey. Following the survey, we’ll begin crafting a series of designs. We’ll work together with you explaining options, available materials and how they can be used in the build. We’ll monitor budget and make sure any design decisions at this stage are reflected in the final cost. Agreeing a final design, we’ll move onto the next stage: planning.
- Surveying
- Design
- Budgeting
- Digital OS Planning
Stage 3: Planning Application
Your final design will be transformed into more detailed drawings. In most cases, you’ll need agreed planning permission before a build can begin or maybe a Certificate of Lawfulness application. These final drawings alongside the design and access statements and heritage impact statements will all form part of your planning application. We can provide support and advice to create these statements along with other consent documents and, depending on the complexity of the build, can source further specialist advice.
- Final Designs
- Planning Applications
- Impact Statements
- Consultation
Stage 4: Technical Design
We’ll get technical, offering construction choices from traditional masonry, concrete frame, steel frame or timber frame to more eco-conscious, modern materials. We’ll coordinate with engineers and liaise with the Local Authority or other Building Control companies to ensure that the build complies with regulations. During Building Control Approval (Plans Stage), we’d suggest obtaining detailed quotes from a builder. We regularly work with trusted, quality builders and can help with contacts. The final stage of our process will see a vision come to life: the construction.
- Technical Design
- Building Applications
- Construction Choices
- Pre-Construction
Stage 5: Tender & Construction
Along with providing advice on the most appropriate type of building contracts, we’ll put together a detailed tender and construction drawings for structural, mechanical, civil or electrical engineering if it’s required. We can assist with coordination on site, if you’d like us to: sometimes it can be stressful on site with constant variables and questions demanding answers and decisions. We’ll aim to ensure that work is progressing to deadline and kept on-point with the drawings and technical specifications we’ve agreed. We can help you get the Building Control Completions Certificate, which means that your building is safe and ready to be occupied.
- Construction Drawings
- Construction
- Completion Certification
- Project Delivery
