Some tips on starting out on a new building project:

Make sure your architect it’s someone who you are comfortable talking to and who you feel is listening to your ideas. You have an important  role to play at the beginning setting the scene for your hopes and vision so speak out  and be clear with your objectives.  Try to take part in the design process. Your designer should be comfortable and able to bring their own innovative ideas, listen to your ideas or feedback and be able to convince you that you are getting the best of the fusion of this process.

The easy way is definitely not always the right way when it comes to building. If your ideas have been communicated clearly in drawings then your builder will have made the necessary allowances and should build what he has priced to build. If it was a genuinely good idea on the drawing board it is still a good idea that’s worth carrying out. If you’re not confident dealing with your builder then your architect should be there to help smooth things out and find a practical solution as part of a construction monitoring service.

Start out with loose sketches and agree in principle before any bad ideas get entrenched. Keep focused but keep an open mind and ears. A good idea and concept becomes a great place to live but a mediochre idea is hard to resolve as you get into more detail. SANP image 03 of rough 3d sketches.

This context is where all good designers should take their lead to create a home that relates to it’s site minimising any negatives and maximising on the positives. Views, sunshine, privacy, shelter ease of access are all things we should want from our homes. A good designer will be designing a house for your site not giving you someone else’s house plonked onto your site.

Once you have the good ideas and are happy in principle you should expect your architect to make them into robust technical proposals that can be clearly communicated with local authorities for planning and building control approvals and most importantly to your builder as construction documents. This will ensure that you realise and protect the concept during the topsy turvy of the construction process.