Month: January 2024

Having an extension built onto your home can potentially be a complicated process. It takes a lot of planning after all, not just to ensure the materials, labour costs and fittings remain on budget, but also that it complies with building regulations. Continue reading “How To Simplify The Architectural Design Process”

Architectural design – and the house construction industry in particular – has been transformed in recent years through hand-drawn illustrations to 2 dimensional, CAD and now 3 dimensional rendering.

3D visualisation is the most impressive way of showing a client what the finished outcome of their project will look like from any angle, making it more difficult to miss any initial design flaws. It’s a high quality illustration technique and comes across as very professional. It also allows the client to quickly grasp what you’re trying to explain, since it’s right there in front of her or him. Continue reading “Benefits Of 3D Visualisation In Architectural Design”

Here at BDS Architecture we do our best to advise clients against changing their extension design half-way through the project. But it does happen. Sometimes it really is unavoidable, especially when it’s down to a sudden and unforeseen change in financial circumstances.

Continue reading “Changing Your Design Mid-Project: Reasons To Avoid This If Possible”

After they have decided they definitely want a home extension, the next thing a client usually asks is how much it will cost. The answer to that is, of course, how long is a piece of string?

That’s because the cost of an extension varies depending on how big it is (such as single or double storey), what type of materials you will be using, who you are getting to build it and how you plan to furnish it. Even such seemingly random issues such as what the soil in your garden is like can affect the price, because this will dictate the complexity of your foundation and therefore the cost.

Continue reading “Architectural Design Fees: What you Should Expect To Pay”

Having an extension designed and built is a pretty major project and one which you should certainly give a lot of thought to when it comes to who is going to undertake the work for you. If you happen to live in Derby then there are various channels you can go down to find an architectural designer you’d be happy to award the work to. How do you find him or her in the first place though? Well, here’s what we reckon is the best way to go about it: Continue reading “5 Tips For Sourcing Architectural Designers In Derby”

Very few people have the need to hire architectural services on a regular basis. On the contrary it’s probably something most homeowners will do once in a lifetime. So it’s important to research what kind of questions you’ll need to ask potential designers for your project. This is, after all, something that’s going to cost you thousands of pounds and – unless you’re planning to move home in the near future – you’ll be living with for at least a decade or more. So, were the tables turned and we were the client, this is what we would want to know here at BDS Architecture: Continue reading “7 Things To Consider When Hiring Architectural Services”

You may not have realised it – especially if you are new to the area – but The East Midlands is actually quite a hotbed of modern architectural design. Only last year (2016) a total of nine buildings in the East Midlands picked up top design awards. These included a beautiful curved architectural house built to keep in with its surroundings in the rural Peak District, a stunning indoor cycling arena and a university campus.

Here’s more detail on some of The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) regional design winners right here, as well as other stunning modern buildings in the area which you may well recognise:

Continue reading “6 Famous Modern Architectural Buildings In The East Midlands”

Hiring an architectural design services company or individual is a big undertaking. And, unless you’re a specialist in the subject or know someone who does this type of work, it’s also something that most people are unfamiliar with. This can make the choice a nerve-wracking one. But it needn’t be if you do your research beforehand (see some of our previous blog articles). To get you started down that path here are things you should definitely avoid: Continue reading “5 Things to Avoid When Considering Architectural Design Services”

When building a house, planning and budgeting are crucial but so too is the actual design of your new home, as well as how and with what you will build it. Then there is the matter of who is going to oversee the whole project – a professional project manager being essential if you plan on working full-time and so won’t be around while the house is being constructed.

Continue reading “Where To Start When Building A House – 3 Simple Steps You Can Follow”

The easiest thing to get wrong when embarking on a self-build house project is your budget. 

Far too often we hear stories about couples and individuals splashing out on more expensive fittings, upgrading roofing tiles or splashing out on fancier glazing, then finding they have run out of cash for the next stage and have to borrow more. Continue reading “How Much Would It Cost To Build My Own House?”

Thanks to the existence of Computer Aided Design (CAD) packages an increasing number of householders are becoming tempted to design their own home extension. However, even if they become experts with a particular CAD software package, there are a whole lot of other obstacles to overcome in terms of design layout, planning permissions and basic building regulations. And that’s just for starters. Continue reading “Can I Build Without An Architectural Drawing?”

Every architectural design practice has a different means of going about a project but in essence there is a strict timetable of phases that must be adhered to if a project is to run efficiently, on time and on budget.

This allows the client to be kept fully informed of all stages of the design in hand, giving them an element of control and a sense of inclusion over their own project. It also prevents the contractor being held back in their building schedule by having to explain particular works being carried out since the detail will be contained within the Works Programme. Continue reading “What Are The Different Architectural Design Phases?”