Choosing an Architect

If you?re renovating a property or building one from scratch, an architect can be important in achieving a high-quality finish. Appointing one might seem like an additional expense that you can do without. However, they also bring a number of benefits to a construction project.

It?s Your Home

Hopefully, you will want to live in your new property for many years to come. This means that you need a home that is perfect and has all the features you?re looking for, such as a wrought iron balcony railing. If you use an architect, there?s more chance of achieving this dream home. They understand what will work and what is achievable for the space and location you have available. If you look at the benefits of an architect from this angle, they are definitely worth the expense when compared with the overall cost of the project.

A Number of Uses

An architect isn?t just there to produce the initial designs, which you can then use to gain planning permission or for briefing the builders. They can also help you throughout the project, providing support and advice in a number of areas. They can offer guidance on the best site to use if you?ve yet to choose one as well as on working within your budget and requirements. They can brief builders, understand the planning process and manage the site once it?s operational. If you use an architect to their full potential, they can provide great value for money.

Choosing an Architect

The right architect is crucial for any project, so it?s important to spend time on this area. Ask for recommendations from family and friends or look on the RIBA directory. Discuss your requirements with a selection and then form a shortlist. The final choice should be an architect who you can communicate with, as it?s important that they understand your vision. Once you?ve chosen one, you need to finalise the brief and contract.

Getting It Right First Time

There are no second chances when it comes to renovating a property or building a new home. Everything has to be right the first time and double-checked before the work commences. This is why a good brief is crucial to the successful completion of a construction project. The brief that you put together will be used by the architect to pull their designs together, so they need to understand exactly what you want. There?s no point being vague in a brief, as then they won?t know whether you want a stainless steel or a wrought iron balcony railing. The brief will set out what your vision is and how this will be achieved. It should include how the property is expected to be used and by whom, whether you prefer more traditional features or contemporary ones and how important sustainability is to you. An architect will then take all this information and turn it into a set of plans.

However large the project is, an architect can add value from day one. Rather than just having a single use, they can benefit a project from start to finish.