Why Hiring A Competent Architect Always Proves Good Investment

Your house is probably the biggest purchase you’ll ever make. For most of us, our homes are our pride and joy, spending time and money transforming them to fit our lifestyle both practically and aesthetically.

So, when it comes to making changes, like building an extension or adding a gorgeous domestic skylight, why cut corners? Spend a little extra on an architect and make sure your project is designed and managed to perfection. Here are some of the reasons why we at Lonsdale Patent Glazing & Rooflights have seen how employing a creative professional is a great return on your investment.

Peace Of Mind

A good architect will have spent years in education, learning and perfecting the complicated skills required to succeed in the world of construction. In the UK, the term ‘Architect’ is protected in law meaning that all architects must be registered with the Architects Registration Board (ARB) and if they follow a further set of requirements, they gain recognition by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).

An experienced RIBA chartered architect should make the whole process simpler for you, providing you complete peace of mind with regards to the work carried out on your home. By choosing a RIBA member, you’ll rest assured that the correct insurance and management systems are in place throughout the process.

Creative Design

With all due respects to builders, most do not have the vision and design skills as that of an architect even on small domestic projects. So, if you are looking to maximise the opportunity and come up with an original and truly outstanding concept, most builder’s simply won’t cut it. The creative eye of an architect will produce superior designs maximising space, light and symmetry truly capturing the essence of the building and catering to the needs of the home owner.

Efficient Budgeting

Understanding the costs of construction can be hard to digest and quickly spiral out of control without the advice of a professional. Investing in an architect means you are investing in efficiency. From the outset, a good architect will advise on necessities and suggest cost savings where possible. They can also interpret often confusing quotations from builders and suppliers, always ensuring like for like comparisons, ensuring your original budget is not exceeded.
It is also worth emphasising that if you’re thinking of going with a cheaper alternative such as a plan drawer thinking you might save some money, you won’t be gaining the architects’ creative flair, insurance and management skills that make a RIBA architect stand out from the crowd.

Effective Problem Solving

Experienced architects are extremely good at problem-solving and there is probably not a lot of design issues they have not come across and solved previously. They can anticipate when and where things are likely to go wrong and will ensure contingencies are in place making sure your project runs smoothly throughout.

Risk Assessment

Hiring an architect gives you added protection. They are key to managing common risks and anticipating problems a less experienced eye might overlook. They can advise on hiring suitable contractors and draft a contract that ensures work is carried out to the required building regulations, high quality and delivered on time. Such a contract will protect you against unwanted ‘extras’ and unexpected costs, so you know exactly how much you’re going to be paying and when. Put bluntly, without the overseeing of an architect, any building project can be extremely high risk.

Case Study: Steventon Road

Located in a West London conservation area, the existing property required updating by remodelling the kitchen and dining room that suffered poor connection to the rear garden. North facing, these rooms received little daylight from the modest-sized windows. It was a dark and dingy space.

Architect Simon Feneley’s response at Feneley Studio was to reconfigure the ground floor providing a utility and cloakroom off the entrance hall with a formal sitting room at the front of the property. A full height sliding pocket door reveals a newly extended family room with a panoramic view of the garden.

The roof of the extension is asymmetrical about the axis from the front door, providing increased floor to ceiling height and avoiding a long continuous corridor. East and West facing rooflights provide generous amounts of natural light and are a focal point of the extension with dramatic results as the sun moves from early morning until dusk.

Ever changing forms of sunlight fall upon the polished concrete flooring which runs throughout the ground floor, with daylight washing down the full height herringbone wall tiling in the kitchen.

Lonsdale Patent Glazing & Rooflights encourage the highest standards within the construction industry ensuring clients receive the best possible experience from beginning to the end of their project. Get in touch for advice about how rooflights can enhance your building and to find your nearest RIBA architect use this useful search tool at
https://find-an-architect.architecture.com/FAAHome.aspx

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