For many of our clients, the prospect of extending, building or amending their home can seem a daunting and complex process. Throughout your project, we will liaise with other professionals and filter the jargon to make the process as stress-free as possible.
Added Value Architecture will obtain quotations from our preferred third-party consultants with whom we have long-standing professional relationships. These professionals are our allies in achieving your project goals. They will be appointed by you, separately from your appointment with us. However, we will liaise with them on your behalf and coordinate their work with ours.
A quantity surveyor is a build cost expert. They can provide budget estimates at the Concept Design stage and detailed build cost calculations when more technical information is available. We always recommend engaging a quantity surveyor in the early stages of your project to help to keep your project on budget. If you decide to engage us to both design and build your project, our preferred quantity surveyor will price the job for our Trusted Build Partners.
Structural engineers design the structural elements of buildings to ensure that they’re strong enough to support the loads on them (like people and equipment) and stable against elements like the wind. Structural engineers’ drawings and calculations are nearly always required to support the architect’s drawings to allow the building control body to approve the submission. The structural engineer's fee will depend on the complexity of the design.
Building control bodies have the role of ensuring that buildings meet the Building Regulations. We always recommend a Full Plans submission rather than a Building Notice. A Full Plans application requires submission of your architect's Building Regulations drawings and notes and your structural engineer's drawings and calculations - this is what is known as the Building Regulations package.
After the Building Regulations package is submitted to and approved by the BCB, they will inspect the works at various key stages of the build to ascertain that the works comply with the Regulations. At the end of the project, they will issue a Completion Certificate.