Design & Architecture
Architecture is the process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, environmental, and aesthetic considerations.
Architecture and Design require the creative manipulation and coordination of material, technology, light and shadow. Architecture also encompasses the pragmatic aspects of realising buildings and structures, including scheduling, cost estimating and construction administration.
Design
We work with private and commercial clients and are as at home working on a single domestic extension to the design and construction of large mixed use commercial and residential developments.
To ensure our clients realise their vision through design we encourage the client to engage with the design team from the earliest opportunity and then look to incorporate other disciplines at key stages of the clients’ project to ensure a seamless transition through the feasibility stages and onto detailed design and thereafter delivery.
Through the design development stages we promote key stakeholder reviews to ensure the design development follows the critical path whilst ensuring it is conceptually optimised and that clients are fully appraised of key design changes.
Bearing all of the above in mind we establish from the outset with all of our clients their primary objectives and constraints through the design process. These may be time, quality or cost focused and ensure that all options remain not only calculated but realistic.
In addition to our full design service we are able to offer the following bespoke and tailored services:
Building Regulations
The building regulations are statutory documents that seek to ensure that the policies set out in the relevant legislation are carried out. Building regulations approval is required for most building work in the UK.
The building regulations specify that certain works must be undertaken by an appropriate qualified professional (such as works on gas or certain electrical matters), or must be notified to the relevant local authority's Building Control department (LABC) for certification or approval. An Approved Inspector can be employed who will review and check the plans and undertake site inspections and will then notify the LABC on your behalf.
Sometimes confused as one, building regulations are however very distinct from planning permission; they control how buildings are to be designed or altered while planning permission is concerned with appropriate development, the nature of land usage, and the appearance of neighbourhoods. Both must be considered when building works are to be undertaken and their timely consideration and notification is paramount.
Here at Primmer Olds B.A.S we have access to online building regulatory reform and updates and are therefore fully informed and able to incorporate at preliminary or detailed design stage. We can therefore take your design and prepare a full building regulation compliant drawings and specification for submission to the LABC or Approved Inspector.
A fundamental component and prerequisite of the interior design, space awareness and co-ordination process.
Working with large, open plan office floor plates, single or multiple new build residential developments to small cellular office or domestic extensions, our key objective is to listen to and understand your objectives and requirements and collect this data through our ‘space planning analysis checklist’. We will then co-ordinate this to preliminary concepts and onto design development ensuring we communicate with you every step of the way.
We seek to block out interior spatial areas, define critical and non-critical circulation patterns and derive plans and layouts for furniture and equipment placement.
Whether it is an existing property or space or one which you are speculatively considering, we can assist you with the planning of that space and realising its most effective configuration.
Many Local Planning Authorities (LPA) now have minimum space standards for residential dwellings. It is imperative with existing dwellings that these ever constraining standards are thoroughly understood and put to best use to maximise space, return and effectiveness of the dwelling.
For commercial buildings, every occupier’s requirement is different. We appreciate that and working in parallel with our consultancy team of surveyors and project managers, we can provide you with a one stop shop.
Domestic Extensions (Remodelling and Refurbishment)
As the housing market has changed over the past five years or so, we have experienced a shift in many clients choosing to remain in their existing property rather than considering a new acquisition.
This shift has brought with it a change in culture where these clients are now reconsidering their existing property and looking to extend, alter or refurbish.
We have found during this period that much of our work in this sector is a result of word of mouth recommendation.
The key factors that we believe place us strongly to provide a one stop shop service from consultation through to the design and specification stage to management of the works, is our approachability, friendly and personal service whilst remaining very cost effective.
National Building Specification (NBS)
The Specification document is an essential and integrated part of the design process and should form part of the tender documents.
A badly written and uncoordinated specification will inevitably cause major problems for every member of the project team, and can cost the client a great deal of money.
A well written specification will enhance project delivery and save money.
At Primmer Olds B.A.S we have full subscription to National Building Specification and Contract Administration programme suites.
NBS is a UK based system of construction specification used by architects and other building professionals to describe the materials, standards and workmanship of a construction project.
All of our project managers and project co-ordinators have access to NBS suites. Through our internal project management co-ordination and design stage gate review process we ensure that when writing a specification the design team and author of the document regularly communicate and have stage gate design reviews to ensure that design evolution and change is fully coordinated and represented through the detailed specification and tender documents.