The planning design process can be a complex journey for those that haven’t carried out a building project before. Our approachable and experienced design team is comprised of architects, architectural assistants, designers and technicians, offer a comprehensive architecture service from concept through to completion, and will guide you through your project.
David Symons, our Senior Architect explains the typical Planning Design process you can expect to follow when working with us. In this third and final part of our guide to the planning design process, he explains how we typically think about the design process along the lines of the nationally recognised RIBA Plan of Work, and details stages 4 to 7.
The Planning Design process – Part 3
Stage 4 – Technical Design – How an Architect can help your project become a reality
Once planning is achieved, at the Technical Design stage we will develop the design of your project to a point where a contractor can provide you with an accurate cost, Building Regulations Approval can be achieved, and your project can be realised to the standards you should expect.
The technical design stage can follow two routes;
- Design and Build
At this stage we can support you by upgrading the Stage 3 drawings with additional dimensions and details and providing you with a Client’s Requirements specification. This is a document that sets out the quality and standards you expect a contractor to achieve for your project. We can use this document to carry out a Design and Build Tender Process- reaching out to and interviewing contractors to find the best fit for your project.
The chosen contractor will be responsible for achieving Building Regulations approval, taking forward the technical design and delivering the project on site.
- Traditional
The traditional technical design route is more common and involves putting together a more comprehensive technical design to try to avoid as many potential issues on site as possible.
We break this process down into three stages to give you the most flexibility to obtain the level of information and certainty you need for your project.
a) Full Plans Building Regulations Application
All building works in the UK require Building Regulations Approval to ensure that they can be carried safely and to the relevant standards. This can be achieved with the use of a Building Notice or a Full Plans Building Regulations Application. We always recommend carrying out a Full Plans Building Regulations Application to have the technical details of a design checked before any works start on site and avoid any potential costly issues.
At this stage we will produce a detailed set of construction level floor plans and elevations for the building and will work with other consultants where required including Structural Engineers to submit a Build Control Application and achieve an approval.
We will think about questions like; How insulated should the building be? How will the design come together structurally? How will the building be heated and ventilated? How will fire safety be managed?
b) Construction Details
Whilst some contractors may be confident to build out a project without a detailed set of construction details, we would always recommend putting this together to make sure that your project can be built the way you imagined and to the quality that we would expect.
At this stage we will produce a set of large scale technical drawings for how key parts of the building should come together – similar to a set of Ikea instructions – these drawings will set out exactly how materials should be put together to achieve your vision.
c) Tender Package and Contract Selection
You may come to us with your own Contractor already on board to build your project for you, in this case you may not need to carry out the Tender stage. However, we would always recommend carrying out a formal competitive tender process in order to secure the best builder at the best price for your project.
At this stage we will put together a specification and schedule of works that sets out exactly what construction work needs to be carried out and the specific details of the quality and finish you are looking for. We can think about; Floor finishes, wall finishes, door and window types and heating, cooling and lighting principles.
We will send out the tender package to our network of contractors to obtain a range of prices for you to consider. We will help you to identify the best options and will interview a small group of chosen contractors to refine the design and find any potential cost savings for you.
Stage 5-6 – Construction, Contract Administration and Practical Completion – How an architect can help with a smooth construction process
Once you have found the right builder for your project, depending on their experience, you may want us to assist with monitoring the construction process to help the build to run smoothly and to address any issues that may arise.
We will always recommend entering a formal Contract with any builder before works start on site to make sure you have the proper legal protection if any issues arise. As a practice of RIBA chartered architects, we typically recommend the use of an RIBA contract such as the RIBA domestic or RIBA standard building contract.
During this stage we can assist with completing a construction contract before works start on site to ensure the builder understands exactly what you are expecting from the build and how we will monitor this during the build process.
Once the contract is signed and works start onsite, we will visit regularly to monitor progress and carry out valuations before any payments are made to the builder. We can help to resolve any technical issues and keep things running as smoothly as possible on site.
At the end of the build we can help to make sure you are happy that everything has been completed as expected and support the snagging and handover process to make sure your builder fixes any minor issues in the first year after the build is finished.
Stage 7 – Use – How an architect can make sure your building keeps working for you in the future
We always want to hear about how you are getting on within your new space or home to make sure things are working as you expected. We are always on hand to offer help and advice about potential future improvements, in particular in terms of energy use and sustainability so that you can get the best out of your new project.
At Planning & Design we believe that good design is a crucial part of the planning process. Getting the design of a project right is critical to gaining a successful planning consent and avoiding unnecessary delay and costs.
We understand that every project is unique and can follow its own path, and hope that this step by step guide gives you a clear framework for your own Planning and Design process when working with us.
We look forward to working with you, to bring your designs to life.
Addendum – Planning Consultancy and Specialist Heritage Advice
Is your property in a Conservation Area, Listed or within a World Heritage Site? (If you don’t know we can find out for you, but if your property is over 100 years old or within a traditional village it is likely to fit into one of the categories above)
Will obtaining planning permission for you site be difficult? Again, we can advise you on this – but if you are looking at building on an empty plot, creating a large new house or extension, or a unique and contemporary design obtaining planning permission is likely to be more difficult.
We have an in-house team of consultants, conservation architects and architectural technicians who ensure that proposals are designed sympathetically to conserve and enhance historic buildings and sites. For more information on our dedicated heritage services please click HERE.
