FAQs

"A good architect actually pays for themselves - more than once. You will reap the reward and the building will be hugely better and deliver much better value for it." Kevin McCloud, Grand Designs Architects aim to add value to both large and small projects, applying impartial and creative thinking to help develop your initial ideas. This can involve maximising light and space, enhancing functionality or achieving the best return on investment. The amount you commission an architect depends on your needs, from initial design to project completion. Our services are tailored to suit your specific project and requirements. We can assist with the necessary approvals before your project begins, including preparing applications for planning consent and Building Regulations approval where required. Furthermore, an architect can help you find a reliable builder and provide quality control throughout the build, ensuring your project is completed efficiently and within budget.

We are most frequently commissioned to design bespoke new homes, restore historic buildings, undertake conservation work for Listed Buildings, prepare planning applications, and develop sustainable architectural solutions. These projects enable us to deliver exceptional value through rigorous attention to detail, expert craftsmanship, and a holistic, whole-home approach. If your project is ambitious and design-led, and you value a collaborative process, we would be delighted to explore it with you. Our dedicated team is committed to creating high-quality, client-focused designs that enrich both your lifestyle and the built environment.

We begin with an initial consultation to understand your needs and vision. Once appointed, we then move through a step-by-step design basis (structured on RIBA's Plan of Work), going from concept design, planning applications, detailed design, and construction management, ensuring you are involved and informed at every stage.

From the very earliest stages we always consider how a building might be fitted out and how it might meet its surroundings. Typically, this would be influenced by you during the early stages of a project, and we expect we would have an ‘overviewing’ role to co-ordinate this with other areas of the building works. As a project develops, we'd look to advise how these specialist areas might be best delivered for your project, and whether we undertake this work, or if it is better value and more cost-effective to bring specialist sub-contractors in to provide this level of input.

It's fundamentally important to get an accurate, drawn record of the existing site (and building) and its associated levels, so that all information (whether preliminary or detailed) is based on correct and reliable plans. Any discrepancies at an early stage can lead to inaccurate drawings and potentially costly setting-out errors once work begins on site.

Typically, yes. Each project will vary, but at the very least most projects are likely to require the services of a Structural Engineer for latter ‘detailed design’ stages (normally from RIBA Stage 4). We would expect to advise on any appointment and instruct them on your behalf, but their appointment would be directly with you, and their fees would be payable directly to them. Our initial fee proposals give an idea of the timings, potential cost and involvement of other parties to give you as comprehensive an idea as possible from the outset.

Sustainability is at the core of our design philosophy. We use environmentally friendly materials, energy-efficient systems, and innovative design techniques to create spaces that are not only beautiful but also sustainable and energy-efficient.

'Fabric first' is a design approach in architecture and construction that prioritises the performance of the building’s physical fabric before any mechanical or technological systems are added. In simple terms, it means making the building itself do most of the work. It focuses on the construction of the building itself, such as: high levels of insulation; airtight construction to reduce heat loss and drafts; good passive principles to make best use of daylight and solar gain through orientation; high-performance windows and doors; minimising thermal bridges (areas where heat escapes) By optimising the building fabric, energy demand is significantly reduced. Heating and cooling systems can be smaller and simpler, running costs are lower, and comfort is improved (more even temperatures, fewer cold spots). Buildings are more durable and resilient over time, and once energy demand is minimised through the fabric, more modern renewable technologies (like heat pumps or solar panels) become more effective and economical.