Can architects work from home?
Fortunately most private residential architects are very well placed to work from home and in fact many freelancers / sole traders already work from a home office. A home building and extension project doesn’t usually require more than one or two people to be working on it. This really helps reduce the need for an office based environment that might be required for larger or commercial architecture practices.
Initial consultation and quotation
This can be done remotely – either on the phone or a video call. If you have any floor plans, e.g. estate agent plans, this would be helpful for the architect to better understand the space and dimensions if they can’t be there in person. We’d really recommend a video call if you can, as it will really help build a good relationship, give you a good sense of who they are and if you would like to work with them. If you feel you have a good connection with the architects, you can ask them to prepare a quote for you.
Survey
During the initial appointment, ask the architect how they would deal with creating ‘existing’ drawings. They may be happy to work from an existing floor plan that you have for the time being – asking for some check dimensions from you. Otherwise, they will have their own strategy and survey partners to ensure this process is done safely and in line with current guidance.
Concept design
Architects can send sketches, drawings and visualisations via email, for discussion over a video call. This is something that is already very common in the industry. Computer generated images (CGIs) are now frequently used by residential architects to help the client understand the design, like the image at the top of this article. Screen sharing will also allow your architect to sketch/annotate while you talk and explain the drawings. You and your architect can start collecting ideas and inspirational images like these below. Sharing a board with your architect on Pinterest is a great way to start this collaborative process. See Design for Me’s Pinterest feed here, featuring hundreds of the best residential architects and designers in the UK to get you started.
Design by Oliver, architect from Wandsworth, London. Click the image to see his full profile and shortlist him for your project.
Planning applications
These can be done online via The Planning Portal website. Being able to send drawings as PDFs means that there is no longer any need to have access to large format printers, usually found in architects’ offices. The planning process takes up to 13 weeks. However, this may well be extended due to the social distancing measures. With this in mind, it would be wise to get your submission in ASAP, particular if you plan to start construction later in 2020.
For your architect, the vast majority of their workload will happen in the design and planning phases of the project, i.e. before the project starts on site. A typical extension project will take roughly six months in design and planning, and a self-build can take a little longer.
After you post your project you can choose up to three interested design professionals for an initial consultation. And it’s all completely free!
- quickly see who’s interested in your job
- create a shortlist
- invite up to three for a no-obligation consultation
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