Architect or designer

5 years ago

Hi,

Can someone please advise what the benefits of getting an architect are (sorry if this is a stupid question). We have had a meeting with a builder and he said we don't need one but will need a structural engineer. I am thinking of getting a designer to present some ideas instead of an architect- or should I go for the architect? I feel a designer would be more detailed. I'm definitely going for one to help me with the layout. I am having a single story rear extension to create an open plan kitchen living room. Thanks

Featured Answer

Jonathan

5 years ago

Think it depends on how big you are building. If your extension is within permitted development you don’t need planning permission. Even if you are building big you can get planning with hand drawn plans so you don’t actually need and architect or an architectural technician.
You are likely taking out a chunk of the back wall and you will need a steel and the structural engineer will help with this. You might like a designer/ concept planner to help with the creative side of things and helping you to visualise options.
An architect would be invaluable if you are building in an area with building challenges or if your existing house is non standard construction or if you want the new extension to be unconventional as their technical expertise will be invaluable. You might want an architect if planning in your area is a challenge and you need help navigating listed building consents or tricky planners. You might want an architect to take on a project management role or to help with issues with drains or party wall agreements- even if you decide not to use an architect you may decide to talk to them to better understand the services they offer.
Lots of people build a modest room on the back of the house and don’t have an architect and don’t need planning permission. For peace of mind they may choose to apply for a lawful development certificate (LDC). This is not the same as planning permission but is proof that the building work is lawful.
Remember that even if you don’t need planning you will need building regs (which you have to have to later sell the house)- you are ultimately responsible but you may be able to agree upfront that this is the builders responsibility.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (6)

PRO
User
5 years ago
Hi

If I understand you will be having new extension , it is non existing now?

If yes, I will suggest to get in touch with architect unless your builder co-op with one. Builder job is to follow architect plans , otherwise you could find out a lot of things not exactly correct with regulations. This is about extension. In case of planning the kitchen speak with designer and make plans as soon as possible so any kind of alterations to the extension can be done at early stages. Ideally share details of the designer to architect and architect to the designer.

Good luck with your project
PRO
User
5 years ago
A concept planner and a structural engineer would almost certainly be the cheaper option. If you had an Architect he would still need to get the engineers calculations, but would I believe do this as part of their fee. If you are submitting plans, just check that your concept planner can drawer these up for you as they are what you need to submit to the planning department, or you could end up paying a third person.

Ask Karen at OnePlan ( Concept Planner ) what she can do, she's an invaluable source of info and I know that she replied to one of your other posts...................She'll definitely steer you in the right direction.
Related Discussions
Calling all inspired architects and designers. Help needed!!!
Q
Comments (15)
Good morning!, Well i've been at this one now for nearly 2 1/2 hours! One of the main problems is the entrance. I didn't want to incorporate the garage, as with a full house, outside storage is all important, I know just how much stuff we have in ours. I also kept in mind the your requirement for front to back access. Thus, i moved the entrance to the other side of the house ( garage side ), Hopefully when postie arrives he will naturally presume the entrance is on that side, ( i think you would! ) I split the kitchen / downstairs cloakroom to give you a much bigger cloakroom / downstairs shower room - don't know if you have dogs, but very handy for washing them and mucky kids without trapsing upstairs! This split area also gives you your Utility Room. ( However, you could have a smaller cloakroom and a bigger Utility dependant on your own requirements. ) Also, I extended slightly across the front to the left to make downstairs slightly bigger ( filling in the gap on the original plan ) - and give way to two reception rooms, so the front will be continuous with no set back. ( That part could be dependant on budget, as you could make do with a slightly smaller 2nd reception. ) So, some more planting in the front garden will ensure that you know there is no entrance on the left. Bearing in mind that a house full of kids / teenagers can be very noisy and that zoning would also be my preference, I put the two main reception rooms at the front, seperated them by a nice hallway and gave you a study / music / teenage den in the middle of the house, off the kitchen diner. The extension ( preferably full height to allow amendments to the upstairs ) gives the noisey heart of the home to the rear. If you do the full height extension it gives way further to a much larger Master bedroom suite, a family bathroom, and a seperate toilet / shower room ( All of that will be dependant on your budget. ) The build itself in my lowly opinion is infinitely do'able on your budget, where a lot of people go wrong, is that they just don't realise how much of the budget goes on refurbishing the internals, ( New Kitchen, bathroom fitting, flooring etc ) So keep a good chunk for that! Always get at least 3 quotations for the build, and try and get a fixed price one if you can. I hope that covers it, and that you can imagine what it looks like walking around the new layout. It's easy for the experts, but no so easy for the homeowner, as quite often you can get stuck on what things look like at the moment. Try and blank that out, and imagine a completely different house. Good luck x
...See More
New kitchen remodeling - architect or designer? SW11 London
Q
Comments (12)
Hi Paula, Wow loads of great advice already ! I'd suggest you ask your builder if he can recommend a structural engineer, that he's worked with previously, to come and view the stack - it may be that by extending the thick nub on bottom left of that area marked, that you can then put one beam across to support above? ( but I'm not a SE - so you will need on site advice for this !!) I'm the concept planner that Minnie added the link for ( thank you Minnie !!) We sell purely design, no product. So charge for our services, rather than making a mark up on what you buy, like a showroom would. (We have a few types of service - the most expensive, for a project this size, is about the same cost as a good dishwasher) But that does mean you get a PDF with all the plans/elevations/colour perspectives, panoramics and item listing to shop around with, which means you can compare like for like and negotiate great deals with showrooms/studios/even online suppliers of kitchen furniture and appliances etc. We can even supply colour A3 prints, if you want, too ! So we are a bit different to a free studio service - but can work well for busy people who want an input into the design stage ( we have a service that involves you throughout the design process over a five day period) and those who want to approach a few different studios or online suppliers to quote, but that don't have the time to deal with several site visits from several designers and to sit through several presentations that are all different - so it becomes a bit confusing to see who's offering the best deal ! You simply email them your design PDF - or drop them in a printed copy, ask for their best price as you are shopping around. All they need to do initially is price it - so much easier for the studios too ! Anyway enough of the 'sales pitch' from me ! Best wishes for your project, which ever route you choose ! :-)
...See More
Require a professional architect/designer to help improve my property!
Q
Comments (11)
I think you are conflicting whether you want and architect or and interior designer there. I think perhaps look at the structural work first then the rest will play out accordingly. We have also had massive issue getting anyone to work here in south wales, but the difference is we know what we want doing, so interesting to hear your having difficulty on the other end of things. We found architects without issue when needed ... just not on here .. YET (limited houzz users in the back of beyond)
...See More
Architect or Interior Designer?
Q
Comments (16)
I find that often people think they are working with an architect but in actual fact they are just working with someone who says they are, or when pushed will say something like "well I can do the same thing as an architect". I frequently get builders giving me the number of an "architect" they work with as a reference, but when I call to check out the reference I find I'm not talking with an architect at all, but someone who is far less qualified. While there are good and bad architects, you will find that all real and experienced architects, do understand "flow" and "practical". So if you are searching for an architect make sure you check that the person you are considering working with is registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB).
...See More
PRO
Garden Design Guru
5 years ago
There are different types of Architects and different types of Designers. I would talk to a few people and get their rates along with idea of how they work. Some will see their job in a very practical way, at the other end of the scale sometimes Designers can be all about the look without due consideration for the way you will be living the space.

An Architect might well have ideas about how to arrange the main structure and windows, doors etc. more usefully than the current plan. That's not to say that a Designer wouldn't also look at that but most of them, I suspect, would just work with the proposal you have for the building. Small changes might make a big difference though.

Anyone will be happy to talk on the phone. Some will charge for a consultation and others won't, some might decide about that whilst you are telling them about the project!! If the consultation fee isn't huge it might be worth talking to one or two 'onsite'.

Fees can vary a huge amount, as can the experience, knowledge and qualifications of the person you are dealing with. We tend to expect these things to be on proportion to each other but very often they are not at all. I recall speaking to a winner of 'Best in Show' at the Chelsea Flower Show who said that after winning he found that one client had gone to someone else, believing that he would be too expensive and actually paid more than he would have charged. That was for a garden design of course but the two scenarios are becoming increasingly similar.

It is worth asking about insurance. A professional should carry Professional Indemnity Insurance. Everyone tends to assume that all professionals do. Unfortunately this is not the case. It pleases me when clients ask about this.
PRO
Create Perfect
5 years ago
Hi Rhian,

Yes a designer would be more detailed... and we stay with you longer. I personally see my projects from the start right through until competition. Being on hand is invaluable to my clients as the whole process can be somewhat over-whelming at times and often presents questions along the way.

It really depends what you need and what you 'want' from your professional. An architect can offer the same service but is generally rather more expensive. The engineer you would need anyway and depending on the work required a 'architects technician' can also be a cheaper option for you.

I would take a look at a few (concept or interior designers), there are a number of packages that may suit you and everyone does things differently.

Here are a few previous posts you may find useful as they are around the same topic. These the ones I know of but I am sure there would be more in the advice section search.

https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/when-do-i-involve-an-architect-dsvw-vd~4604072

https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/interior-designers-and-budgets-dsvw-vd~4735821

Someone mentioned OnePlan too (concept planner) so here is a lovely post some of her clients wrote a while ago.

https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/using-one-plan-dsvw-vd~5221471 - found it whilst I was searching.

I hope some of this helps, I know it can be quite a minefield.

All the best, Gina
PRO
OnePlan
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Hi Rhian,
You may find that although your extension seems simple, there may be “right to light /boundary/overall size/ glass to wall %” and other elements such as drainage issues that are best covered by an Architect or Technician and Structural Engineer for the build element of your project. This will also give the builders a working drawing to follow.

You will also need to establish wether the Principal Contractor ( builder) or Principal Designer (architect) will be taking responsibility for CDM on site too. Ultimately YOU are responsible for everything - so get as much info and professional advice on board as you can, to make sure everything is going along as it should.

The concept plans we create can work in harmony with build projects and can be brought in either as a start point for a Feasibility Study or as a continuation of the overall design using the footprint drawn up by the Architect.
We are happy to work either way.

(We have reviews and some past projects on our pro page, if you’d like to see them - just click on our icon or name to get there ! )

Thanks for the mention MATH! #blushingnow !

Nice to see you back on the threads again Gina!

Architect or designer

Jonathan

Comments (6)

User

User

Related Discussions

Garden Design Guru

Create Perfect

OnePlan

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US