According to the Oxford English dictionary, an architect is:
‘A person who designs buildings and in many cases also supervises their construction’
‘A person who is responsible for inventing or realising a particular idea or project’
Here at Plot74 Ltd we feel being an architect is much more. We hold every client’s aspirations in our hands and we believe that delivering successful projects is as much about the journey as it is about the end result.

The endless variety of developments that could be undertaken naturally require the involvement of a different set of procedures and professionals. When it comes to smaller-scale, usually residential projects, some would ask themselves the ultimate question of whether they necessarily need an architect’s service in order to move their ideas forward. This article will expand on what a designer offers, as well as how and why it would be beneficial to any developer regardless of their scheme size and complexity.

Hiring an architect is just like seeking any other professional help that is out on the market: going to a hairdresser, seeing a doctor or calling a plumber: they all provide a service for something, one technically could do themselves: cut their own hair, fix a leaky tap and so on. Paying someone qualified to do those for us does mean spending more but gives the customer the comfort that a long-lasting, quick and stress-free solution would be provided for their money. The same goes when hiring an architect.

When involving a RIBA qualified architect in the design, you don’t just get a set of drawings. You receive all of the knowledge, experience, and advice a designer can offer: from tedious paperwork to intricate detailing, to capable builders, to solving problems with the council – an architect has the properties to make the development process easier on the client in a variety of areas.
Being familiar with the long, possibly complicated process of documentation involved in building developments, especially in preservation areas, listed buildings or green belts, an architect would be your representative in front of the local authority. This removes a substantial amount of stress or confusion from the client’s shoulders, making keeping up with deadlines, fees and requirements demanded by the council, manageable and understandable.

Having an architect by your side and hearing their opinion adds more value to any development. Not only in terms of aesthetics but also when it comes to costs. A professional architect offers a range of options to suit a client’s requirements to help avoid any risks in the long run or problems that could be encountered during the building process. An architect analyses every step of the build process to find the best solutions, tailored to a client’s budget. Their knowledge in the field would increase the design quality of future developments, making them energy-efficient, sustainable, practical and aesthetically proven.

To put things in a nutshell, hiring an architect is an investment, which saves you time, money and effort while dealing with documentation, preventing any problems and finding efficient and environmentally friendly solutions to match their employer’s requirements and fit their new developments to their personal needs and lifestyle.

No, but they are the people most qualified to give good impartial construction advice. Most good  builders will require drawings to price and build from and therefore an Architect is the person to provide that design input. They also have professional and public indemnity insurance which protects you the client.

No, but Chartered Architects and members of the RIBA have to uphold very high standards as they are regulated.

Yes however, there is more likelihood that the draughtperson will NOT have the necessary Professional Indemnity Insurance or be covered by the ARB/RIBA codes of conduct and practice.

This is a question that is becoming more and more difficult to answer, with Permitted Development  (PD) rights changing constantly and more and more applications being devised for different building elements. An Architect is a perfect person to give impartial advice on how best to realise your project and what permissions may be required along the way.

In some circumstances extensions can be classed as permitted development, however, we would still advise obtaining a certificate of lawfulness. Larger extensions are becoming more common and this is a slightly different application process.

In some circumstances extensions can be classed as permitted development, however, we would still advise obtaining a certificate of lawfulness. Larger extensions are becoming more common and this is a slightly different application process.

This is very much dependent on the brief Size materials timescales etc will all have a bearing on how much the project will ultimately cost.

We would always advise obtaining 4 no quotes to ensure that we get a good mix. 4no also insures against 1no not returning a price or dropping out midway through.

In normal circumstances a design should take approximately 2-3 weeks but this is obviously dependant on the size of the project and the complexity of the brief.

Yes – Although these types of buildings and sites can take more time to deal with and therefore increase costs both of the design, the application and the construction.

Development of any type can add value to your property. However, it needs to be the right type of development and the right amount for the property and its location. Value can be added in many different ways and an extension may NOT be the most appropriate way. An Architect would advise on this in an impartial way.

The answer in most cases would be YES, however, large extensions over 3m are subject to a different planning process so whilst the can be considered PD they generally need permission to avoid falling foul of the neighbours.