I'm about to start a major refurbishement of a recently purchased property and would like to use an architect to design a large extension to the rear.

Obviously the architect can assist and develop a brief but we need a starting point and budget before we even speak to an architect. I know that the architect will ask questions and develop a final brief but we want a good idea ourselves beforehand. Are their templates/ spreadsheets that can be used?

All ideas and suggestions welcome.

Pin your architects charges down before you get involved. Mine was rather heavy with the pencil, and he was a very good friend of the family,
Gusty

Most architects are good at architecture but not so good at overall design. Few of them understand that house design involves much more than architecture, so you're doing the right thing by thinking about the brief before you approach an architect.

You can develop your own brief.

Start with requirements capture.
Write a list of headlines - things that you want the house to do for you - aesthetically and practically (the whole house, not just the extension). Below each headline add some detail. Think about every aspect of how you will interact with the house and make yourself review and revise over a period of time. You will end up with a list of requirements that will inform the whole project. Print it out and pin it on the wall.

Diligent requirements capture is, without a doubt, the most important part of a design & build project but it's one that often gets skimped (or overlooked entirely) by professionals (maybe because it's hard to charge for the time it takes)

If you are technically minded and an avid reader of this forum you can probably do a lot of the next stage yourself as well. Concept development. Look at the requirements and ponder how they might be met. There are always several methods for skinning the cat - try to work out which one best meets your needs in each case, never forgetting that everything is interconnected (e.g. living space and heating bills are related to structure, insulation, solar gain, etc.).

The next stage is detailed design, for which you might want the help of professionals.
The final stage is specification, which is where the professionals really earn their keep - making sure the builders have clear and unambiguous instructions of how the thing is to be built.

A comprehensive list of requirements and a bit of concept development will go a long way to providing a brief for an architect, structural engineer, heating engineer, etc. and will increase the chances of you getting the result that you want.

As for budget, you should be able to get ballpark figures off the internet (£/m^2) for both the renovation and the extension. This won't be accurate but it will give you a rough idea. A more accurate budget will emerge as the design develops.

Posted By: qeiplMost architects are good at architecture but not so good at overall design.

Most good architects are good at architecture which necessarily includes the overall design.

Posted By: qeiplFew of them understand that house design involves much more than architecture.

Most good architects understanding of architecture goes beyond what their clients would consider architecture to be and of course includes a diligent research and recording of your requirements, including aesthetics, practicalities, how you interact wit the house. They understand how everything is interconnected (e.g. living space and heating bills are related to structure, insulation, solar gain, etc).

Posted By: qeiplThe final stage is specification, which is where the professionals really earn their keep - making sure the builders have clear and unambiguous instructions of how the thing is to be built.

One of the many stages is the specification which specifically is not a set of instructions of how the thing is to be built. The specification along with other documents, drawings, conversations, sketches etc enable the builder to use his unique skills to build the building.

The other type of less good architect are the ones that Malcolm has met...

The trick is perhaps finding the good ones...

Hope that clarifies.

J

Posted By: James Norton

The other type of less good architect are the ones that Malcolm has met...https:///newforum/extensions/Vanillacons/smilies/standard/wink.gif" alt="" title="" >

The trick is perhaps finding the good ones...

Hope that clarifies.

J

I'm sure there are architects that are good at overall design but my experience suggests that they're rare.

All of architect-driven jobs that I've observed have lacked one or all of the aspects outlined in my post above. The result has always been disappointment on the part of the client, and bad press for the profession.

To be fair to architects, the scale of fees means that domestic housing isn't very lucrative. Hand-holding a dithery client while they work out exactly what they want from a house is probably not economically viable.

I didn't mean to offend any architects on the forum (would I be right in remembering that you're one, James?) who, by the very fact of being here, probably have a much more generalist view of house design than their non-forum peers.