We design "homes"
By far most of our work involves improving homeowners’ houses but we have also carried our fair share of new house designs too. In some respects, designing a new can be easier than modifying an existing building but both types of work have their challenges. To successfully redesign an existing building it is sensible to try to work with the existing structure but of course, this must not jeopardise the main aim namely a successful layout. There are many factors to consider and even though compromises generally have to be made, the main aim of creating a great living space is paramount. It can be a bit of a juggling act but being inventive and looking at different ways of using what is already there means that you have more bits to juggle with, so to speak.
It is different but the same with a new build.
What do we mean by this contrary statement? The issues are different but a successful design for a new house will and should consider many aspects peculiar to that site. So instead of having to worry about reusing the existing structure and “bending it” as it were to your new design, with the designing of a new house you should be concentrating on other parameters. These need to include the topography of the surroundings, the approach and thus the location of the main entrance, any desirable views that should be taken advantage of (or indeed the opposite), south in relation to the site and the design so that reception rooms get the benefit of sunlight but without overheating, and many other considerations too. That is if you want to get it right. Otherwise, you could just buy an off the shelf design and plonk it on the site. It is such a shame when people ruin a nice site like this though.
But it is not at all easy.
We recently obtained planning permission for a new self-build house in Gawcott Buckinghamshire and all of the considerations mentioned above applied here too but with a small site adjacent to existing housing as in this case, the challenges can be even more acute. Reconciling the layout of a house, or any building, with the necessity to create a pleasing façade is always hard and then when you know the planning authorities will want you to take into account the flavour of the adjacent building which will include style, mass, scale, height and materials, you have your work cut out. It is easy to throw your hands up and just accept a poor internal layout with the excuse that it was a consequence of the planning department forcing too many constraints on you, but we won’t do that. It has got to work at all levels.
Getting Planning Permission has never been so complex, taken so long or been as costly.
It is now the norm to consult with many other specialists when applying for planning permission. It is a list that is getting longer. It will normally include specialists in flood risk, tree biodiversity and protection but also now experts to give an ambient sound assessment and agricultural land quality assessment too. Other professionals may be required to produce a heritage assessment for the site or the traffic flow on your access road. Believe me, this list is not exhaustive and the cost of preparing a planning application is expensive. And of course, it may also be unsuccessful. It used to be that an applicant could make a ‘Pre-Application’ to test the planning department's attitude towards a development before involving all of the above but now most, if not all planning departments, require all of this analysis before they will even consider a Pre-App. Luckily (or perhaps it’s not just luck) most of our projects and planning applications have been successful, although not always on the first attempt.
As part of our services, we can obtain quotations for the above specialist’s reports and then liaise and coordinate their input. It is best we do this because, again, for a successful design all site attributes may be significant to a successful design
You want to be in Control of the Design!
Notwithstanding all of the above constraints on the design, this is your baby and it really ought to reflect a style you particularly like. If you are going through all of the trouble to find a site, battle with the planners, arrange the funding and then deal with the building process then at the very least you should be proud of the eventual outcome. It is an exhausting process and can wear you down. This is where a company like Building Tectonics can come in. We will do all in our power to achieve what you want. We will not dictate a style or be hamstrung by dogma. We are here to advise and facilitate, that’s all.
Here is a selection of the broad range of new dwellings for which we have designed and obtained planning permission.
Please look at our projects on Facebook, our website www.building-tectonics.co.uk and on Houzz www.houzz.co.uk/pro/tonykeller/building-tectonics-ltd to get a taste of what we can do and why we have so many delighted clients.
The Building Tectonics Team
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