OUR SERVICES

THIS IS WHAT WE DO

SURVEY

Following the initial brief, if your project requires planning permission we will need to provide both existing and proposed drawings / schemes to the local authority planning department.

At a convenient time to suit you, we will arrange to carry out a full or partial measured survey of the property so that we can create, in CAD, an accurate set of floor plans, elevations and sections as required. This information forms the basis of which the project starts.
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To obtain the lie of the land, we may need to undertake a topographical survey. This gives the necessary context around the building – pinpointing boundaries, tree locations, drains, manholes, services and ground levels. This may also include locating neighbouring properties.

PLANNING &
LISTED BUILDINGS

The Planning process aims to guide the way cities, towns and country side are developed based upon national and local planning policies. This includes the use of land and buildings, size, appearance, landscaping, highway access and the impact the development will have on the local and wider environment.
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In some cases it is not always evident if planning permission is required or whether works can be carried out under permitted development (PD) rights. In this situation we can make the necessary enquiry with the Local Authority.

Another option which can be considered, prior to submitting a planning application is the pre-application advice enquiry. This is a way of seeking guidance from the local authority on whether or not your scheme is likely to be supported and worth pursuing. This enables us to identify and address any potential issues before submitting a planning application.

As well as producing scheme proposal drawings and developing design concepts, we compile applications ready for submission to the local authority. We will liaise with Planning Officers and deal with any queries that arise and keep you informed of progress throughout the application process.

If the property is listed, we will also apply for Listed Building Consent (LBC), which needs to be done in parallel with the planning application.

BUILDING REGULATIONS

Building regulations set the standard for design and construction of buildings and the primary purpose is to ensure that building work is constructed in a safe and secure manner along with requirements to ensure buildings meet a standard for conserving fuel and power. Many buildings are also required to be accessible for people with disabilities.
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Statutory Building Control approval is required for most building works such as new builds, extensions and any alterations which are structural. The exception to this, which generally don’t require approval are small detached non-habitable ancillary buildings, garage buildings and agricultural buildings etc.

To gain full plans building regulation approval we will need to prepare and submit detailed construction drawings that comply with the current building regulations. Drawings suitable for building regulation purposes will contain construction notes / specification and the necessary detail to be able to construct the work on site.

These drawings are also suitable to give to contractors and will enable them to provide quotations to carry out the works (often accompanied with a brief specification of works to firm up finishes and finer details).

Once the application has been submitted we will deal with any queries that arise and keep you informed of any necessary alterations and tweaks. With our experience and comprehensive applications full plans building control approval is generally a formality.

TENDER & MANAGEMENT

Further documentation that we can provide to form a comprehensive Tender package include specifications which details the project preliminaries, building finishes and finer details associated with the build. We can also provide external works layouts, electrical layouts, door, window and finishes schedules etc. as required.
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We can assist you with the tender process by issuing documentation and helping you obtain formal quotations from contractors. We will deal with the day to day queries and on return of the tenders can help you with you decision.

If you would like us to assist you when the works commence on site we offer a contract Administration service and will handle all of the day to day administration, carry out regular site inspections, attend site meetings, liaise with the contractor and any external consultants, resolve technical queries and assess contractor’s valuations, issue certificates for payment and much more.

Alternatively, if you would prefer you can keep us retained to offer technical support as and when required based on our agreed hourly rate.

OUR OTHER SERVICES INCLUDE:

Planning Consultants

Planning consultants can be vital in helping to obtain permission for complex, controversial or large scale schemes. We work closely with a number of external consultants and can act on your behalf to provide this service

Structural Engineer Services

Many projects require a structural engineer during the building regulation stage. We can advise you if we think an engineer will be required, obtain fee quotations and liaise with them on your behalf

Topographical Surveys

Occasionally a more in depth topographical survey may be necessary over and beyond the measured survey that we carry out. We will advise you if this is the case and can assist in obtaining quotes and obtaining the required information

Asbestos Surveys

If you plan to carry out building work to a property that was built before the year 2000, you have a legal requirement to have an asbestos survey before any work takes place. We can put you in touch with consultants who can assist with this work

Acoustic Consultant

An Acoustic Consultant may be necessary on a project to advise on sound insulation for properties and also controlling noise. We can advise you if we think an Acoustic Consultant will be required, obtain fee quotations for your consideration and liaise with them on your behalf

Traffic Management Plan

Generally for larger scale developments, schemes must consider the traffic management and road safety implications by preparing a traffic management plan. We can put you in touch with specialist consultants who can assist with this work

Ground Investigation Reports

Ground investigation or soil analysis reports are required in areas of known expansive soil or low strength soils. As a rule of thumb we recommend all new builds have a soil investigation carried out. We can work with our external consultants on your behalf to provide this service

Party Wall Notice

The Party Wall Act provides a framework for preventing and resolving disputes in relation to party walls (shared walls with neighbours). We can advise you if we think a party wall notice will be required and put you in touch with consultants who can assist with this work

Drainage design / SuDS

A sustainable drainage system (SuDS) may be required as part of the planning process in order to mitigate flood risk. It’s a natural approach to managing drainage. If required, we can put you in touch with consultants who can assist with this work

Energy performance assessments

Building regulations require all new homes to have their energy efficiency evaluated. We work with external Energy Consultants to carry out assessments and advise on how to improve energy efficiency

Historic building Consultants

Historic building consultants specialise in conservation planning for the protection of historic buildings and other heritage assets. If required, we can put you in touch with consultants who can assist with this work

Archaeologist

Occasionally an archaeologist may be required to survey and examine sites of interest and ancient objects. If required, we can put you in touch with consultants who can assist with this work

Arboriculturalist

As part of the planning process, an Arboriculturalist or tree specialist may be required if a planting scheme is requested. They can also look at schemes where trees need to be removed, preserved or protected. We can put you in touch with consultants who can assist with this work

CDM Regulations 2015

CDM 2015 regulations are for managing health, safety and welfare of construction projects and applies to all building and construction work both domestic and commercial. For all projects we can make you aware of your duties and guide you through the process

Landscape Consultants

Most projects involve a certain amount of landscaping such as garden walls, steps, decking etc. For larger projects, we recommend involving a Landscaping Consultant and can advise if we think this is necessary

Ecological Consultant

For planning, the applicant has a duty to carry out an ecology report identifying protected or priority species and habitats. Where it is likely that a proposal will affect any of these features an assessment should be provided to suggest methods to mitigate the impact

Sewer build-over

Depending on the local water authority for your area you may need an agreement to build over or near a public sewer. We can advise you if we think this will be required and assist you with obtaining the necessary approvals

CGI visualisation

As an optional service, to aid you in visualising a scheme before it is built, we can provide computer generated images for both internal and external appearances. For more complex or controversial schemes a CGI can also be a useful planning tool

Flood risk assessments

You may be required to carry out a flood risk assessment. For low risk developments we can often obtain a pre-determined risk assessment for a small fee. For more significant schemes, a specialist consultant may be required

NEED MORE HELP?:

If you need an architectural service and can’t see it here, please get in touch – if we can’t help, chances are we know someone who can.