The architectural design process is unfamiliar for most residential home owners, to give you a brief insight we've outlined the key stages we will guide you through as your architect.
Initial Meeting
No matter what the project, we will always want to meet you and view your property before we give you a quote! This allows us to scope out any immediate issues with the type of development you want and gives us the chance to fully understand your goals, which allows us to tailor our proposal to your needs. This meeting is free of charge and obligation. Following this we will be able to send you our formal fee proposal - our fees are fixed and we will give you a breakdown of the cost and works for each stage.
Design & Planning
After you've confirmed our appointment, we will arrange a measured survey of your property and grounds. This is critical for ensuring your drawings are as accurate as possible and prevents problems down the line. We will then prepare your existing drawings and some initial layouts for your consideration, if you also wish to have a 3D Design Package, we will work up a couple of concept designs that we can talk you through at our first Design Meeting. We will turn around these layouts for you in 7 working days, and will then work with you to make any design revisions to get your plans exactly as you want them!
If your project needs a Planning Application, we will prepare and submit this on your behalf. The planning process takes 8 weeks but we will check in with the Case Officer once the Consultation Period has closed (approx 4 weeks). At this point we can normally find out if your application is going to be recommended for approval. We maintain contact with the Council throughout this period to ensure your project has the best chance of a successful outcome!
If your project is considered Permitted Development then a planning application is not required and we can move straight onto the Technical Design phase. We will be able to advise you at our initial meeting whether or not a Planning Application is required for what you wish to do.
Technical Design Stage
The technical drawings package provides you with the build ups of the thermal elements (floors, walls and roof) technical drawings, details and construction notes you will need to give to your builder and also for Building Control. The thermal requirements for extensions and the like are increasingly stringent and it is critical these and their junctions are considered and well-designed. The majority of projects will require Building Control Approval - a legal requirement that means your new extension/ loft conversion has been built to good and safe standards and you will receive a Final Certificate from Building Control at the end of construction as proof of this.
From your instruction that you want to proceed with the technical design, we require 5 working days to prepare the draft, and we will then send these out to get quotes for you for any structural calculations and for the Building Control appointment. We always work very closely with Building Control to ensure your project meets all relevant standards and with the aim of ensuring a smooth and successful build.
Once the technical package is complete we will submit this to Building Control for their approval, and when we have their nod we will issue this to you to pass onto your builders. All of the details we provide for your project will be tailored to your scheme, meaning the builders aren't left to figure things out on site. We will be there for support throughout the build, if you need us!
Get in Touch!
Want to kick start your project and arrange a free site visit at your property? Give us a call on 01206 514623 or drop us an email at: hello@bermudezmai.com