Architectural Process

With You Throughout Every Phase of the Architectural Process

The architectural process consists of several different phases and you can choose to engage our services in a way that best suits your needs. For example, you may only require us to complete a survey and produce drawings or you may want us to manage your project from concept to completion. We give you the freedom and flexibility to use our services as you wish.

We offer a free no-obligation site visit at a time to suit you. Should you accept our quotation following this visit, we will begin the architectural process. This will consist of some or all of the following services:

Survey

We will usually carry out a measured survey of your property before preparing drawings. We use a number of methods to ensure an accurate survey is carried out, including hand-held lasers and total stations. These help us to produce CAD drawings during the survey and to check all dimensions while we are on site.

Outline proposals

Once the survey has been completed and we have survey drawings to work with, we will create a number of sketch schemes. These help us to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed project. We will then present these to you for your consideration and feedback. This is one of the most exciting parts of the architectural process as it allows you to get a real feel for what your completed project may look like.

Planning stage

Once you have decided to go ahead with the outline proposal, we will draw up a scheme design for final approval. Upon approval, we will get to work on preparing and submitting applications for planning permission if required. The required consultation period for minor planning applications is eight weeks. We will do everything we can to avoid your planning application being refused, but if it is, we can amend the proposal or submit an appeal.

Building regulations

Once planning permission has been granted we can then move to the building regulations phase. Our experts will carefully prepare plans in accordance with the latest regulations and submit them to our structural engineer who will calculate any structural works required. Our structural engineer is a Chartered Engineer with over 40 years of experience and holds professional indemnity insurance. Once structural details have been evaluated, we will submit these details to Building Control for their approval. This process typically takes 4-6 weeks. We are proud to be a registered partner with Rochford District Council. You can find out more by visiting our Partnering Scheme page.

Bespoke Services

We offer services tailored to your exact needs and the requirements of your project. For example, if your project requires a noise assessment or an environmental survey, our experts can help.

Here are just some of the additional services we can provide:

• Design and Access Statement
• Noise Assessments
• Environmental Surveys
• Flood Risk Assessments
• Arboricultural Report
• SAP calculations
• SBEM Calculations
• Build Over Agreements
• Party Wall Notices
• Water Efficiency Calculations
• Final Stage

Construction

It is a requirement for the builder on your project to notify Building Control at relevant stages during the construction phase. This helps to ensure that the proposed works are being completed in accordance with the approved plans. Once the work has been completed and approved by Building Control, you will be issued with a completion certificate. If you need to obtain insurance or sell your property in the future, you will usually need to present this document.

Contract Administration

You can choose to manage your project yourself or opt to use our Contract Administration service. Many of our clients use this service as they lack the time to manage their project or would simply prefer one of our experts to do so on their behalf. See our Contract Administration section for more information.