Following the receipt of planning approval from your council, it is time to think more about the details of the proposals. A few elements affect the details of the projects, ranging from the construction aspects to the specifications.
More times than I can remember, I have received other drawings and planning approvals from clients asking me to prepare the building regulations drawings. I start with an audit of the previous designer’s drawings. Often, their planning drawings do not work because they do not understand the building regulations and construction detail requirements.
One of the most common issues is that the staircase does not fit where the previous designer has shown it because the stairs are not long enough to span the height it needs. Cross-section drawings are essential for an accurate design. The cross-section drawing is typically missing from other designers’ drawings.
Do you own your property?
Have you done any construction work on your property? How did it go?
As homeowners, we have gained invaluable experience by designing and constructing our homes. Being architects-builders has given us a thorough understanding of technical challenges and how to achieve a particular spatial Atmosphere.
Asking your designer, if they have done building work on their own property will help to reveal their passion and commitment to the design process.
Hopefully, you will choose us, but if not, we hope you choose a good, devoted designer and get the most suitable design for you and/or your family.
Now, let’s return to the building regulations process following planning approval.
Building regulations are a series of rules about how buildings should be constructed safely and healthily. A good understanding of them is essential in designing and building or extending a building. They range from requirements concerning the structure, ventilation, thermal and sound insulation, fire insulation, and early warning systems to requirements concerning the building’s design.
All of these aspects are known as Building regulations documents. Some can be more flexible than others, particularly with existing buildings with more restricted space.
Complying with the Building regulations is mandatory. There are two ways of getting approval.
1. On-site approval
The technical drawings are prepared and submitting a Building control body (BCB). The BCB can be the local council or a private building control company. The BCB appoints a Building control surveyor to monitor the construction by visiting key construction phases to ensure the builder is doing what he should. After the project, the BCB issues a Building regulations compliance certificate, and that’s it!
2. Pre-site approval
Gaining building regulation approval before starting construction work is more suitable for larger and more complicated projects. The appointed BCB assesses the drawings in much more detail and gives approval based on them. However, this does not guarantee that a builder will build the work according to the drawings, so a professional architect, surveyor, employer’s agent, or BCB should monitor the construction on-site.
The other part of this stage is the specification, which depends on the project’s complexity. Clients may prefer to deal with the interior design aspect themselves and agree on these aspects directly with the builder. We advise our clients to use professionals if they want something above the ordinary. We offer interior design advice and can also work closely with interior designers.
Drainage is another critical design aspect of our projects. Often, there is a drain running below the proposed extension. These are usually ‘Public drains,’ meaning they serve other houses. As such, any work to or near the drain is then carefully considered, and a detailed cross-section drawing showing the foundation, the water authorities’ minimum setting out distances, and construction to avoid damaging or blocking the drain. We carry out the drainage design and consult clients and builders where necessary before submitting the ‘Build Over’ application to the local Water Authority, Thames Water.
Some of the technical considerations we ask our clients about to enable us to prepare accurate drawings are listed below:
– Heating design (underfloor heating or radiators).
– Lighting design- Integrated or surface fixed. Lighting for specific areas, automatic light fittings, etc.
– Finishes—floor, walls, and ceilings. Some material design considerations occur during the planning stage; however, most clients prefer a risk-averse approach. Usually, the external wall materials will match the existing wall materials, typically brickwork. However, we are very open to bespoke solutions that are different from the norm and might make the project more personal.
– Windows and doors- any bespoke requirements such as level thresholds.
– Fire escape strategy is essential to all projects and the main issue for BCBs to assess.
– Health & Safety in design is an issue we are constantly aware of. When preparing the proposal planning drawings, we assess the proposal’s buildability and maintenance aspects regarding the health and safety of users of the building, whether they are the client occupiers or tradesmen.
We bring these to the attention of our Clients.
There are also construction health and safety risks that the builder is responsible for mitigating, and we provide advice about these risks in all of our projects.
If you would like to know more, please get in touch.
