If you are considering using an architect, but aren't certain of the benefits, let us explain. Once you have read this and are ready to find an architect, get in touch and we will introduce you to the one that is right for you.
1. Your architect can interpret your vision
Whether you are creating a new building or adapting an existing one, you may know what you want, but do you know how to achieve it? By listening to you carefully and asking the right questions, your architect will clarify what you want and explain what you can expect from the design, planning and construction process.
2. Your architect will be highly knowledgeable
All our architects have years of training and experience behind them. Not just the seven years (including two years of practical experience) spent learning their craft, but time spent working with clients on real projects. As well as their design skills, they will bring their knowledge of all aspects of the building process to your project to ensure a smooth build. Years of working with builders and other trades means they are able to advise and help you select and manage the best.
3. Your architect will think creatively
Whereas a builder may look for the easiest and most profitable way to do a job, an architect will look for the best. By thinking creatively and drawing on their wealth of experience and ideas, they will add an extra dimension (sometimes literally) to your project. An architect will explore the potential of your building and suggest clever and inventive ways to adapt it to create a space that works the best it can.
4. Your architect will help with planning
To the uninitiated, navigating the planning process and getting Building Regulations approval can be bewildering and time-consuming. Hand these over to an architect, on the other hand, and they will use their knowledge and experience to steer them to a satisfactory conclusion.
5. Your architect will add value to your property
A good architect, like any good professional, will pay for themselves. They will work with you to come up with a design that not only improves your life but increases your property’s value. This could be as simple as adding a window or roof light to bring in more light, or more substantial such as reconfiguring the footprint to create more space. With your budget in mind, they will do this in a way that keeps costs manageable and realistic.
6. Your architect will see the bigger picture
Your architect will look at a space with a trained eye to see how to maximise its potential. They will be able to see beyond the building’s limitations and conjure up space where none was apparent. The result will be a building that really works.
7. Your architect will know what’s going on
Work with an architect and you have a hot line to design trends, new materials, technological innovations and environmentally friendly products. Through their work and by attending trade shows and generally keeping in the loop, they are plumbed in to what is happening in the building world. They will surprise you with suggestions of different ways to use materials, new construction methods and fresh design ideas.
8. Your architect can find practical solutions to problems
Rather than be defeated by difficult structural, plumbing, wiring problems, an architect will relish them. Seeing them as a challenge and a mental exercise, they will endeavour to come up with solutions that are cost effective and practical.
9. Your architect will manage builders
Employ an architect and you employ an intermediary between you and your builders. This not only takes the pressure off you, but it puts the builders at ease, too. By monitoring their progress, an architect will make sure they follow the plans accurately and use the correct materials. They will also check the work and sign it off before you pay. Simply put, an architect will make sure the builders do a good job.
10. Your architect will ease your pain
Embarking on a big building project can be a daunting prospect. Working with an architect can transform the process from nerve-wracking and budget-busting into an exciting and rewarding experience. By suggesting design ideas, drawing up plans that match and expand your vision, and overseeing the work, they also offer another valuable ingredient: your peace of mind.
