DESIGN OF ALTERATIONS & EXTENSIONS

If you are thinking about altering or extending your property, I will talk through your needs, wants and design aspirations in order to develop a design brief and produce a sketch scheme design.

I strongly believe that this stage of the design process is key to the success of a scheme and encourage my clients to “make any mistakes on paper” before taking the design forward, as it is cheaper in the long run.

Using 3D design software, as well as the usual 2D plans and elevations, I can provide you with visualisation drawings to enable you to fully understand the internal spaces and external form of a design, before committing to the planning stage.

If necessary, I can then develop the sketch for planning submission and submit it on your behalf. For more information about how I can assist you with the planning process, please see the Planning and Planning and Listed Buildings sections.

For larger schemes or where certain elements of work are being undertaken - for example structural alterations; significant replacement of thermal elements (e.g. wall, floor, roof) - a submission to Building Control may also be required. I can develop the planning drawings of your scheme; look at technical design considerations to provide the technical Building Regulation information; and submit a full plans Building Regulation application on your behalf.

For smaller schemes and works of a simple nature that are covered by the Building Regulations, I can also provide the necessary drawings for a building notice submission.

Where third party consultants are required, for example structural engineers, I can coordinate their input into the Building Regulation submission process, either through the Local Authority Building Control or an external Approved Inspector consultancy.

While the Building Regulation drawings will provide the technical standards for those elements of the scheme that are covered by the Building Regulations they do not extend to finishes or fittings or the location of mechanical and electrical fittings. Therefore, should you require more detailed construction drawings or would like the scheme to be sent out for competitive pricing by building contractors (also known as tendering), I can work with you and develop the Building Regulation drawings.

I can also produce a specification of works which contains preliminary information as to the site and the management of the works; technical standards for the contractor to adhere to and an itemised schedule setting out the work to be completed.

In addition, should you wish for the project to be run under a formal building contract the Specification can also include the contractual information on which the work will be based.

The advantage of having a combination of detailed construction drawings and a full Specification of Works is that it provides clarity on what is and is not included in the contractor’s price; ensures that different contractors are pricing on a like-for-like basis; and can be used as a basis to agree variations in costs once the work is on site, both where items of work are expanded or reduced.