Anne's blog: From the architect's notebook

I'm often asked if I can recommend a good builder. I always answer with another question. That’s because a recommendation for a good builder relates to all sorts of factors that are individual to you. Here are seven things that you should think about before you start looking for your perfect builder: 1. Is time or cost your top priority? A small builder might be cheaper than a larger company because they don’t have the overheads of a big firm, but they’ll probably take longer. That’s because they will rely more on subcontractors who might not be available at exactly the right time, and they don’t have the same influence over suppliers of materials. This can affect your building programme and slow down progress. There may be a knock-on effect – if you’re moving out of your house during the works, for example, the rent you pay adds to the overall cost. The longer you spend in temporary accommodation, the more it mounts up. A bigger contractor will often be able to respond ...

I’d go so far as to say the success of any architect’s design hinges on communication. A clear, shared understanding between you - the client and end user - and your architect, is crucial.  At an early stage of your project, you’ll meet with one or more architects to decide whether you want to work with them. The clearer you can be about what you’re trying to achieve, the better view you’ll get of how the architect would respond to your brief and whether their design approach and working style will work for you. From You Choose (Nick Sharratt) - a wonderful book for kids of all ages! Here are some of the things I suggest my clients might think about before that first meeting, or at a more detailed briefing meeting once they’ve appointed me. Some clients find it helpful to make notes in advance or create a rough written brief. Others like to show me pictures of styles, objects or buildings they relate to. Or it’s fine just to talk it through.  1. Think about wha...

What I do from day to day First things first. Initial meetings and conversations with clients help us both decide if I’m the right architect for their project. Once we’ve agreed that, I might spend the day measuring an existing building so I have accurate dimensions to work from. That’s quite an important part of the process, not just to get the lengths and widths but because I get a really close understanding of the space, which sparks off ideas and thoughts about the design. Other days I might be working with my client to get a deep understanding of how they live and want to live. And there’s a lot to talk about. I ask about what they like about their current home, the sort of furniture they have and want to accommodate in a new space, their preferred style. I find out what a typical day in the building consists of –do they work in the home, do they have children to think about or elderly parents who visit often or are moving in?  The next day, I might not talk to anyone...

It’s probably not what you think  Everyone has heard of an architect as a title of a job, but when you ask people what they think I do, I get a raft of different answers. When I go to a party and meet someone for the first time, in conversation people often ask what I do as a job. They always say “Wow, that’s interesting!” (or cool, or arty or other positive descriptions that I’m happy to hear!) but when we get talking about twhat it entails, it turns out that’s a lot to do with what they’ve seen in the movies – a sexy man with directional specs standing at a drawing board with a cardboard model beside him on the table or striding around a building site with a blueprint in hand. In fact, my big drawing board now lives in my loft, gathering dust, cardboard models are more often than not replaced by 3D computer imagery… and while I do have my own hard hat for site visits, the plans in my hand aren’t blueprints, they’re just as likely to be on my iPad! So, what do I r...