LDNRennovation

Well then why are you telling them to put a cavity wall around the garage if you don’t need one. You are getting ratty and I don’t appreciate your tone. Lots of things you post aren’t correct, and out of date. Maybe update your building regs knowledge.

not thicker than the cavity wall shown, thicker where the walls are too thin, where the door is. You just misunderstood what I was saying, no need to get ratty because you misunderstood me.

if you have 4 bedrooms the standard parking space requirement is 3 parking spaces. I was just pointing out you should show these on the site plan, are you ok?

I meant it needs to be thicker around a garage, to insulate it from a house. I was pointing out the thin walls where the door is are too thin. “Need to thermally separate the garage - the cavity wall needs to completely enclose the garage including the door access.“ that’s what I said ugh.

Seconding the upstairs double skin wall. Why… The massive span on the back so you can support the ff wall over the kitchen is just so silly. Fyi wall needs to be thicker for fire reasons around the garage, but then the door to the garage is set in walls that are not thick enough. You also need a step down into a garage. The WC door is not to visitable standard. You should move the door down. your window openings are also pretty random, go to brick dim sizes? And make your front door wider so people in wheelchairs can access. https://www.wienerberger.co.uk/content/dam/wienerberger/united-kingdom/marketing/documents-magazines/technical/brick-technical-guidance-sheets/UK_MKT_DOC_Brickwork Dimension Tables.pdf

Look at your local councils design standards for how many parking spaces you need, find out the sizes and draw them on the site plan. I think you might need to prove there’s enough spaces for so many bedrooms.

You can have a protected escape route instead of escape windows, contact your local building regulations officer to check. Op could post their layout so we know and also what the rooms are so they can have the right sized windows. I think the first design was nicer. I like using the same scale of windows only in different configurations. The only one that looks off is the one over the 4 doors. Where they stuck the planter seems like a cheat to hide a big blank wall. the garage parapet needs to be higher for the structure. That will help the weak intersection between the garage and house. might be an idea to get your solar gains checked out from the glazing.

No that’s amazing thank you so much. I’ve helped a lot of self builders, they haven’t always been perfect but I’ve got the experience and the passion. I love doing the 3Ds and it does help. People don’t know what they are getting sometimes because seeing in 3d is not instinct for everyone. You always get strange things on your first design you haven’t anticipated if you don’t go 3d. I’ve no problem with price upfront but it’s a worry because some people are time wasters.

I hate this, and I am a skeptic all the way. I have studied physics. but I have seen dowsing work, by my relative, who’s a farmer who uses it to find drains. He found a drain in France for my family when I was building a villa. I’ve seen a guy working for Anglian water secretly use them to find a culvert, then he got embarassed and pretended he didn’t have them. Is it micro suggestions? The way the ground slopes? No clue at all. I don’t know how or why, but I’ve seen it.

I don’t really like the flow of your kitchen, it’s being treated as another utility area and not the star of your house. You spend a lot of money and time there, it should feel more open and less boxy. How about you take some space of your furnace, and open that area up? I also think your dining are is in the way and will always annoy you there - it doesn’t look spacious to me. Also, it’s nicer to have something at the end of a corridor rather than a blank wall.

That’s excellent. Good luck! if they vote against it then I’m guessing it’s political.

Usually you have the key ones, and escape are these:

I guess a good website is going to be key. Not a lot of repeat customers since it’s such a big one time (usually) investment!

Ok well, moving on.

Most self builders I’ve met don’t want passive-houses, and I think a limitation that’s not required. I’ll offer it certainly and I’ve designed several. I don’t really agree that designing houses isn’t special, it’s a skill I’ve trained hard for and I’m proud of it.

Many thanks Bancroft, some really good ideas there and stuff to really think about. I’ve made approaches to a few timber frame companies who don’t have their own design department but work with mainly self builders (that’s my background). I’ve found two who would be willing to point people my way. I do have a current job which isn’t architecture so I’ll be doing this with a safety net to start with. I do feel like self builders are wary of architecture firms as they can be expensive and not listen to their needs. My idea is to provide a better service as I like to think I understand they are a bit of a unique group sometimes. I would also be making ‘self help’ packs so that they can get info on self build. I looked into a principal designer and CDM course and you’re right, I’m not that into it. Mainly design and planning and helping them project manage maybe.

Hmm, I don’t know what my sell would be. I usually just come up with a nice design people usually like, and I do a 3d for them. Main sell isn’t cost base no. My sell is a personal design service.

Well no it won’t be free. I have about 10 years of helping self builders around the country. I was thinking around 3k for the concept and design stage. 1k for extra planning items.

No worries, I’m a fully qualified architect. ARB and RIBA.

To be honest I did everything by Skype during the pandemic, it was fine. I was looking for some supportive ideas.

Just checking you understand the situation … it just means no key, you can lock it but you have to be able to push button open it from the inside?

Ha, no thanks I would like to be a self build architect specifically - extensions would be included.

Yes of course you do, Timber Frame right? I’d suggest you need someone to design your house to your brief and get you planning.

I’d rather keep it anonymous for the customers! Since they don’t post here anymore I can PM you I think though.

Thanks Mike. Did you go for a specialist self build architect? Would people be interested in that. I should say designer really, my training is designing self build houses and I’d like to give people that 1-1 personal service you don’t really get with an architectural firm.