At Home with Sarah Beeny 2013 - (Page 165)

| SLUG| Architectural advantage HOWEVER LARGE OR SMALL YOUR IDEAS, AN ARCHITECT MAY BE ABLE TO TURN THE HOUSE OF YOUR DREAMS INTO A REALITY H ow right Winston Churchill was when he once said: ‘We shape our buildings, thereafter they shape us.’ Everyone wants their home to be their castle and a lot of people dream lofty thoughts of better spaces and luxurious interior design. While some aspirations can be satisﬁed with the £7billion DIY route, not everyone has the vision and skill of putting ideas into practise. If you’ve never used an architect before, it might be a daunting prospect – but it shouldn’t be. Architects aren’t only for £1million makeovers; there’s an architect for everything, however big or small. Why use an architect? You want to convert the loft, knock down an interior wall or two, build an extension or construct your ideal home from scratch. Perhaps, you don’t actually know what you want, but you’d like ideas of what might be possible. Sometimes the most important task facing an architect is to set out the facts before the client; what’s realistic and what’s not. There’s a good reason it takes seven years to qualify. Architects have to possess both creative ﬂair and technical know-how to make your dreams a reality. Whatever plans you have, architects can play an important part. You can ask your architect to do as little or as much as you like, from simply drawing up your plans to project managing every detail of the process and the other professionals involved (landscape architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, builders, interior designers, planning consultants and subcontractors to name a few). This might cover advice on materials to be used, to time scales with the contractors and negotiating planning consents. Architects and their expertise can also save you time. Most people don’t have enough time to deal with all that’s involved – conducting site visits, meeting with local planners, submitting drawings for planning consent, dealing with difﬁcult builders or tree preservation orders. Phillip Mumford, managing director of Cowan Architects, explains: ‘A key role of the architect is to help you navigate the vagaries of obtaining planning consent. This is important if you’re in a conservation area, or if your property is listed.’ An architect can also help save you money by advising on ﬁnancial matters, coming up with the best design for your budget and getting competitive building quotes. ‘Over the longer term they can make your property energy efﬁcient and so save on running costs,’ says industry body, Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA, www.architecture. com). A great design should also increase your property’s value. > www.athomemagazine.co.uk APRIL 2013 | 165 165-166 benefits of architectFINAL.indd 165 28/2/13 17:40:57 http://www.architecture.com http://www.athomemagazine.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of At Home with Sarah Beeny 2013

Editor's letter
Sarah's Welcome
Notebook
It's a date
Mellow yellow
Blooming wonderful
Proper copper
Rent revolution
Home upgrade
Leading locations
Property virgins
Safe as houses
On the move
Good on paper
A distressed look
Turn up the heat
Fire it up
Trendsetter
Another 48 hours
Something old, something new
Suite dreams
Inside the box
Bathtime
On stylish ground
On the rise
DIY for girls
The blueprint
A glass act
Final draught
Heat beneath your feet
Silent enemies
Real-life renovation
Eco exclusive
Hot stuff
How very cultivated
Turn over a new leaf
Lofty deals
Keep your antenna up
What Sarah says
How bizarre
Colour cocktail
Last word
Stockists

At Home with Sarah Beeny 2013