Architectural plans

ARCHITECTURALLY

SPEAKING Speak to an architect and they can ‘speak’ for you

Do you speak house? If not then you should hire an interpreter, AKA an architect.

You know what you want to say, you can even draw a rough sketch of what you mean, or point at examples of what you would like but to translate your vision, to fully express yourself, then you need the services of someone who is fluent.

Think of an architect as your trusty native guide; they speak the language, they know their way around. They will negotiate planning permissions and building regulations with ease; know the best and latest methods of insulating and heating and have far better contacts within in the industry than you could ever hope to achieve. Not only do they speak ‘house’ they can also speak ‘builder’ and that alone will save you so much grief.

Read as many books and magazines like this as you want; we can keep those ideas sparking and build on your vision of your new home, but to embark upon a journey through the land of house building without an architect is sheer folly.

If you wanted an off-the-peg, one-size-fits all home then you would not be going down the self-build route in the first place. Working with an architect to see your ideas come to life is one of the biggest joys of the entire venture.

You might hear people suggest that you can save money by only using a building consultant or designer to just draw up some plans but if you do, you are turning your back on a profession which demands seven years of study before qualification.

Once this has been completed successfully it is only then that they can be listed with the Architects Registration Board, and apply to the profession’s chartered bodies and the initials RIAS, FRIAS, or RIBA, the Royal Institute of British Architects can be used.

Many architects then decide to specialise either in types of property or locations, be they urban, coastal, rural or remote.

RIAS, the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland sums it up: ‘Imagination, value for money and freedom from worry are just some of the reasons why using a chartered architect makes sense.’

Members must carry professional indemnity insurance and uphold the reputation of the profession.

Paying the architect

You and your architect should decide in advance whether expenses will be included within the agreed fee or charged separately. Always remember that you need to reach this agreement at the very start.

Calculating the cost of architects’ fees is part of your house building project’s overall cost and is traditionally calculated in one of three ways.

Percentage is based on the total construction costs in the building contract including site works; agreement is needed on the services provided, nature of the work and an approximate construction budget.

Lump sum fees work best when the project can be clearly defi ned right from the start and there are no surprises for either side.

Time charged is the fl ip-side of that coin and best where the amount of work cannot ‘reasonably’ be seen; an agreed upper limit is needed and fees are often staged.