FIRST MEETING AND SITE ASSESSMENT
Choosing an architect is an important decision. The time you spend with your architect will not only be lengthy, but will involve in-depth discussion about your home and the way you live in it. For this reason we offer a free consultation meeting (at your home / at your convenience) before the start of every project.
What can you expect from this first meeting?
- It gives us a chance to see the site and assess the feasibility of any design ideas you may already have.
- It gives us a chance to offer you design ideas and technical solutions that you hadn’t thought of.
- It allows us to assess the planning implications of your proposals and whether or not the work can be done under permitted development.
- It allows us to advise you on the structural implications of your proposals
- It allows us to advise you on the current building regulations and what must be done in order to comply.
- It gives us a chance to talk you through the entire process of building and how we work through each of the various stages.
- It gives us a chance to estimate a build cost for the project and make sure that you are aware of all other likely costs / fees.
- It gives us a chance to discuss realistic time scales for the various stages of your project.
When we first visit there are many things that we will be looking at while discussing your ideas. While the overall design will be the main topic of discussion, it is our job to be thinking ahead, beyond the initial design, to the practicalities of how things will actually be built.
MEASURED SURVEY & OUTLINE DESIGN
Depending on the type of work being undertaken, most projects require a full measured survey of your plot or property as it currently is. This survey would be done at your convenience and gives us a thorough understanding of your property including: its size and shape, and in case of refurbishment the materials used in its construction and the proximity of any trees and neighbouring buildings. We would also use this opportunity to photograph your property, to aid us in developing your ideas while we’re back at the office.
Your survey drawings will be used as a basis for preliminary design work. Having already discussed your ideas with you during our consultation visit, the next stage is to produce outline design proposals. These proposals will illustrate the size and form of your development along with the position of principle rooms and the way in which you might use the space.
Only once you are completely satisfied with this stage of the design do we begin looking at things in more detail.
PLANNING APPLICATION “Proyecto Básico”
Once outline design proposals have been agreed, we will begin looking at various aspects of your design in more detail: which materials and finishes should be used, the size position and proportion of doors and windows, the layout of rooms, the means of natural and artificial lighting as well as key construction details.
Once detailed designs have been approved we will begin preparing planning submission drawings, reports and forms, the so called “Proyecto Básico” that well be submited for planning application
BUILDING REGULATION APPLICATION “Proyecto de ejecución”
At this stage we will produce all the detailed drawings and engineering calculations that will serve as a set of instructions for any builder to quote and construct the works, this is the so called “Proyecto de ejecución”
Depending of the size of your project both planning and building regulations application could be done at the same time with the so called “Proyecto Básico y de ejecución”
TENDER ACTION
At this stage we will prepare all the information in sufficient detail to submit to builders for pricing. Once tenders are received we will discuss these with you and help you select the best contractor for the works.
SITE MANAGEMENT
After the building works have stated we will be do site inspections at least once or twice a week together with the quantity surveyor (arquitecto técnico – aparejador) to ensure that everything is being done right.
We will solve any upcoming problems and control the terms of the contract: completion terms and payments.
POST-COMPLETION ASSISTANCE
After building works are completed, we will assist you with the final steps: notary, registration, etc, and all the needed documents including an updated set of drawings, EPC and the “Libro del Edificio”