This question could simply be interpreted as what is the role of an architect? But it could also encompass or lead onto the question of what an architect brings to a project? Or indeed why would or should you use an architect? So we have broken the blog into two parts – the first, published here, on the Role of Architect, in particular what role does or can the architect play with regard to specifically domestic projects, be it a house extension, loft conversion, garden room or internal reconfiguration.
Background
As architects we find many people are confused about what we actually do.
This is understandable because in one sense architects are essentially building designers, but the context within which they operate (legal, cultural and contractual) can determine or limit their involvement or shape their output. For example in the UK anyone (potentially without any qualifications) can design a building, essentially doing the job of an architect, they just cannot call themselves an architect. Likewise architects liaise with councils, planning authorities, building control and other organisations, yet it is not obligatory to use an architect to make a planning application in the UK (it is in many other countries). Consequently many buildings in the UK are not designed by architects. Because of these peculiar cultural/economic conditions of the UK, architects are not always at the forefront of people’s thoughts, when it comes to building projects, and if people are aware that they could involve an architect they may not be sure why, how or when.
The Role of An Architect within Domestic Projects
The sooner an architect is involved in a project the better, they work at the coalface of ideas and are interested in how people use and interact with spaces and normally well equipped to test the feasibility of projects – so letting them interpret your ideas will give you a much more poetic outcome. They should think of things you wouldn’t have – this is the point of a professional designer after all – but the closer you work with them, the more the design will be tailored to your specific requirements and normally the more successful the outcome.
They should talk to you about your budget and how it compares to an estimated build cost - at the initial stage this is normally calculated by multiplying the area (square metreage) of your proposal by a cost per square metre to give a total build cost. This establishes the parameters of the project, allowing any realignment required of budget and cost to happen at stage 1. The architect will normally discuss whether planning permission and/or building regulations applications will be required,
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| example of professional survey drawing with levels |
The architect, once officially appointed, will then need to obtain a set of drawings of the house “as existing” to work from when they make design proposals and later, for planning, if applicable. Some architects will come and measure the property themselves, some will use a surveyor. Extend My House uses professional surveyors because they give us accurate levels around the house, which is critical for designing drainage, doors, thresholds, DPCs etc. You may have to pay the surveyor’s fee direct or the architect may have included for it within their own fee – something worth checking. Extend My House include the surveyor’s fee within our all-inclusive fixed fees.
After the architect has obtained drawings “as existing” they will produce design proposals – this may take the form of sketches, a model, images from a computer model or traditional 2D drawings normally on CAD, sometimes by hand.
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| example design proposal - computer model (by Extend My House) |
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| example design proposal - sketch (by Extend My House) |
Once the design is approved by the client, the architect will develop the design further, normally to aid in applications to the council on the client’s behalf for planning permission and building regulations – we will have a separate blog on these soon so please check back. The client will normally have to pay the council direct for the applications, but at Extend My House we include these in our fee to aid your budgeting and because we’ve negotiated discounts on your behalf.
If your architect has designed your project in entirety they should discuss any potential planning issues up front so the design can be developed to minimise or address these issues. Also many architects may choose to get feedback from the council on larger or potentially contentious projects in advance of making an application. This avoids abortive design work and should help avoid a planning rejection. If you ask your architect to take on your own design work and just make the applications and deal with the council for you (many may not choose to anyway) they should again discuss any potential problems they foresee with planning and you should be prepared to adjust your design accordingly.
After the architect has obtained the relevant permissions, there is opportunity for a natural pause in the process – to take stock – because the next stage is building.
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| example planning drawing (by Extend My House) |
With a full architectural service the architect would go on to act as your agent through the tender and construction stages, attending site meeting and producing detail drawings as required as well as normally administering a contract between you and the selected builder. If administering a contract, they will value the work completed on site against the builder’s claims, providing a degree of safeguarding for your money
Many clients however choose to part ways with their architect after obtaining building regulations approval. This radically reduces the cost of the architectural service and is sometimes called a partial service (although a partial service can be as partial as you want!), but this is the logical stop point. It gives the client a set of technical, approved drawings which in most cases builders can build from.
However there is some discrepancy in the amount of information and drawings that different architects will produce for building regulations. As a general rule, a simpler design, using traditional materials and techniques will require fewer drawings than a complex design as builders are familiar with traditional materials and techniques and need less help translating the drawings into a built form. For instance if the architect has come up with an idea for a beautiful window seat overlooking the garden but did not give you a drawing of how to make it, you run the risk of getting a botched window seat overlooking the garden or potentially no window seat at all! Consequently at Extend My House we give you a package of drawings concurrent with the design service chosen – so our bespoke service costs more not because bespoke design per se is more expensive (although it does take more time because it’s one-off) but because we need to do more drawings of a bespoke design to convey the design and how to build it.
So, in essence, the architect can accompany you through the whole process, but like any professional service, the more the architect is involved, the higher the architect’s fees. Therefore although it may be ideal to have an architect on board from the beginning of an idea of an extension to the completed product, this will cost to the tune of anywhere from 8-16% of the construction cost i.e. on a £20K project it will be closer to the 15% mark (equating to £3K) and on a £100K project it may be closer to 9% (equating to £9K). The best, award winning practices may charge significantly more than this.
This is why you may have to use an architect only where you really need them: for many it will be at the design stage to generate ideas and inject some inspiration, for most it will be to assist with making the relevant applications to the council and for some it will be to provide assurances and assistance during the build. Extend My House provide that design input, tailored to your requirements but with a dose of inspiration. We can make the council applications for you and we hand over to you a package of information relevant to your particular design that puts you in command of your project and can be sent to builders for pricing and can form the basis of a contract with selected builder.
Visit http://www.extend-my-house.co.uk to see how our innovative online architectural service works.
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