Finding an Architect
Architects are a diverse group of professionals and it is essential you identify the right one to help you, if you are to be successful in creating the dream home. Personal recommendation is always useful, but only if you are certain the architect is tuned in to your own personal and preferred style. When you approach an individual architect or an architectural practice, ask for an initial consultation to assess:
- what their area of speciality is: residential, commercial, contemporary or traditional;
- their experience of self-build schemes;
- whether they have the required skills and expertise to satisfy your design plan and to produce an innovative and unique scheme;
- the cost of their services, according to both their own and your expectations of the time and involvement required;
- whether you are able to develop a good working relationship with them, so that your desires and aspirations are appreciated and interpreted accurately;
- their ability to produce plans for submission to the local authority planning and building control departments and supervise the construction through to completion, if required;
- whether they are members of a professional body, such as the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The contact details of local architects can be found in Yellow Pages or through professional organisations. RTBA offer a client advice service with access to a database of architect practices, including details of the type of work they undertake. Contact them on 0207 307 3700 or in person at 66 Portland Place , London WIN 4AD.
There is a cheaper alternative to using an architect, but only if you have progressed your design to the point where you know exactly how you want your new home to look (and providing any mortgage lender hasn't made the employment of an architect a mandatory requirement). Architectural technologists, once known as technicians, tend to draw plans in detail according to a set of instructions and have less artistic flair than architects. They construct drawings from a 'scientific' perspective, which means they are able to produce plans once given a pre-defined guide to work to, but they are less able to offer advice on imaginative solutions to problems or be innovative in design. For more information, contact the British Institute of Architectural Technologists at 397 City Road, London EClV 1NE or telephone them on 0207 278 2206.
