Building without an Architect

[Andy H]

I am building a single storey building in my garden 6m by 12m by 3.25m heigh. It will sit on an insulated slab (e.g. Isoquick or Kore) with the walls being ICF. 

 

Apart from a small toilet/shower room and a small room/ large cupboard for utilities the building will essentially be one large room.

 

The building is being done under permitted development rights so there is no need to submit plans to the planners.

 

I am planning on constructing the building myself with a friend and calling  upon external help where needed, this will be my first building project.

 

I would like to avoid any unnecessary expenditure and think that may include architect fees. My thought is that the Architect drawings largely serve the purpose of communicating to the builder how the building is to be constructed but as I will be the builder I will already know how I intend to build.

 

I am currently at the design and budgeting stage although I have done some excavation for foundations and have been able to get quotes from suppliers so far without architect drawings.

 

The one area I am anticipating may be an handicap without an Architect is getting a Structural Engineers calculations.

 

Are there benefits from using an Architect that I am not factoring in or other reasons why I will need to bite the bullet and pay for an architect?

 

Thanks for any feedback

 

 

[Carrerahill]

18 minutes ago, Andy H said:

I am building a single storey building in my garden 6m by 12m by 3.25m heigh. It will sit on an insulated slab (e.g. Isoquick or Kore) with the walls being ICF. 

 

Apart from a small toilet/shower room and a small room/ large cupboard for utilities the building will essentially be one large room.

 

The building is being done under permitted development rights so there is no need to submit plans to the planners.

 

I am planning on constructing the building myself with a friend and calling  upon external help where needed, this will be my first building project.

 

I would like to avoid any unnecessary expenditure and think that may include architect fees. My thought is that the Architect drawings largely serve the purpose of communicating to the builder how the building is to be constructed but as I will be the builder I will already know how I intend to build.

 

I am currently at the design and budgeting stage although I have done some excavation for foundations and have been able to get quotes from suppliers so far without architect drawings.

 

The one area I am anticipating may be an handicap without an Architect is getting a Structural Engineers calculations.

 

Are there benefits from using an Architect that I am not factoring in or other reasons why I will need to bite the bullet and pay for an architect?

 

Thanks for any feedback

 

 

Don't see the need for an architect here, but you will need someone to draw stuff for you unless you can do it yourself. Arch tech/CAD tech/SE.

 

You will need to do Building Warrant drawings - depending on exactly what you build you may not need SE calcs, but realistically I think your roof will need calcs. If you could draw up the build yourself then get an SE to detail the roof you may be OK - or get a friendly SE to do a building design from a structural point based on a drawing with full dims of what you want and get the whole building detailed then that gives you all you need.

 

Architects have their place and we work with them often, but in domestic projects/extensions etc. they are often redundant. The holdback most people have is that they cannot CAD up their own drawings so the net result is they need someone initially to draw it all.

 

If this was just a PD garage with no BW needed you could just instruct a builder what to build, just make sure you convey to them clearly what you want, your build will need BW so you can't do that.

 

You say this is PD, I assume you have checked it all, boundary distances, heights, % of ground built on etc. or has someone just told you it can be PD. You should still get it in writing from the council that it will be PD, to get that, you will need to submit a plan though! We always submit plans for PD approval just so that there is no comebacks. 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 27, 2021 by Carrerahill

[Andy H]

4 minutes ago, Carrerahill said:

You say this is PD, I assume you have checked it all, boundary distances, heights, % of ground built on etc. or has someone just told you it can be PD. You should still get it in writing from the council that it will be PD, to get that, you will need to submit a plan though! We always submit plans for PD approval just so that there is no comebacks. 

I have been thorough on reading the legislation re permited development but have not gone for written approval from the council because of the need for plans!

I will need a structural engineer as my Building Regulations inspector expects them.

What does the abbreviation 'BW' mean?

 

Thanks Andy

[Carrerahill]

4 minutes ago, Andy H said:

I have been thorough on reading the legislation re. permitted development but have not gone for written approval from the council because of the need for plans!

I will need a structural engineer as my Building Regulations inspector expects them.

What does the abbreviation 'BW' mean?

 

Thanks Andy

BW = Building Warrant - i.e. what your inspector wants you to build from.

 

You need someone who can CAD this up for you then. Plenty of engineers and architectural techs and CAD techs do this sort of stuff from their bedroom at night for a few extra £100's in their pocket. 

 

 

[fiaraziqbal]

i learnt autocad architectire on a free 30 day trial and watched youtube videos.  used it as paperwork for planning permision for a new build and was passed saved thousands and gave me somthing to do during lockdown!

[DevilDamo]

@Andy H As the proposals require BR’s, which would normally involve providing them with some drawings, why not use those drawings to deal with the PD side of things? If you’re confident the proposals are PD, there should be no harm or comeback should you deal with that side of things sooner than later.

[MortarThePoint]

It always frustrates me that we effectively have to check that what we want to do under PD is OK and the incurs a cost and wait. Feels a bit like asking permission, but nobody wants to get caught out so...

 

If you have some hand sketches you might be able to find someone on fiverr.com that can knock up a drawing for you. I couldn't believe how good the 3D renders I got made for £20 were.

[Makeitstop]

1 hour ago, MortarThePoint said:

It always frustrates me that we effectively have to check that what we want to do under PD is OK and the incurs a cost and wait. Feels a bit like asking permission, but nobody wants to get caught out so...

 

If you have some hand sketches you might be able to find someone on fiverr.com that can knock up a drawing for you. I couldn't believe how good the 3D renders I got made for £20 were.

 

Who did you use for that Mortarthepoint?

[Andy H]

1 hour ago, MortarThePoint said:

It always frustrates me that we effectively have to check that what we want to do under PD is OK and the incurs a cost and wait. Feels a bit like asking permission, but nobody wants to get caught out so...

 

If you have some hand sketches you might be able to find someone on fiverr.com that can knock up a drawing for you. I couldn't believe how good the 3D renders I got made for £20 were.

Thats an interesting idea. I had been pondering the idea of trying to learn a simple CAD package but the fiverr.com route would be alot more expedient!

 

Thanks

 

Andy

[Andy H]

10 hours ago, fiaraziqbal said:

i learnt autocad architectire on a free 30 day trial and watched youtube videos.  used it as paperwork for planning permision for a new build and was passed saved thousands and gave me somthing to do during lockdown!

Would you say it was reasonably easy to learn? It sounds like a good skill to learn.

 

Andy

[DevilDamo]

11 hours ago, fiaraziqbal said:

i learnt autocad architectire on a free 30 day trial and watched youtube videos.  used it as paperwork for planning permision for a new build and was passed saved thousands and gave me somthing to do during lockdown!

It’s not only about knowing how to design but what to design and by taking into account both Planning and Building Regulations.

[fiaraziqbal]

On 31/01/2021 at 21:40, Andy H said:

Would you say it was reasonably easy to learn? It sounds like a good skill to learn.

 

Andy

Kind of, i think its like everything in that it feels a bit strange navigating with a mouse.  There is a really good school teacher(me being one too!) on you tube.  

 

I do some 3d printing so it really helped in using fusion 360 aswell.

 

Sometmes you hit a wall (i did with elevations) for a few hours tryong to getthem right and you just have to pay attention to that darn mouse!

 

 

 

 

[fiaraziqbal]

On 31/01/2021 at 22:02, DevilDamo said:

It’s not only about knowing how to design but what to design and by taking into account both Planning and Building Regulations.

You have it spot on.  I managed the PP this way and now i am looking at trying to get building regs done.  

[fiaraziqbal]

On 31/01/2021 at 21:40, Andy H said:

Would you say it was reasonably easy to learn? It sounds like a good skill to learn.

 

Andy

Oh if you ever need a hand drop me a message and i will help out of i can

[fiaraziqbal]

as an update,

 

i have 4 weeks of autocad revit and am putting in  building reg applcation for a fould pipe for a toilet.  so ar its taken me an hour and a half to lay the building out and stcik a toilet in.  The biggest issue was getting an MEP dawing for a toilet and then finding it!

[Andy H]

On 09/02/2021 at 13:18, fiaraziqbal said:

Oh if you ever need a hand drop me a message and i will help out of i can

thats very kind

[Gus Potter]

On 27/01/2021 at 16:01, Andy H said:

I am building a single storey building in my garden 6m by 12m by 3.25m heigh. It will sit on an insulated slab (e.g. Isoquick or Kore) with the walls being ICF. 

 

Apart from a small toilet/shower room and a small room/ large cupboard for utilities the building will essentially be one large room.

 

The building is being done under permitted development rights so there is no need to submit plans to the planners.

 

I am planning on constructing the building myself with a friend and calling  upon external help where needed, this will be my first building project.

 

I would like to avoid any unnecessary expenditure and think that may include architect fees. My thought is that the Architect drawings largely serve the purpose of communicating to the builder how the building is to be constructed but as I will be the builder I will already know how I intend to build.

 

I am currently at the design and budgeting stage although I have done some excavation for foundations and have been able to get quotes from suppliers so far without architect drawings.

 

The one area I am anticipating may be an handicap without an Architect is getting a Structural Engineers calculations.

 

Are there benefits from using an Architect that I am not factoring in or other reasons why I will need to bite the bullet and pay for an architect?

 

Thanks for any feedback

 

 

Well done to you Andy. For all there is a lot to what Andy is doing. ICF etc, sounds like there is a big opening in the front. Although it's done under PD what Andy is doing can add a lot of value to the property.. if it is done right. Imagine it's just an extension not connected to the house. It's also a great way of cutting your teeth which can give you confidence to tackle larger projects if you fancy it.

 

Andy.. sounds like you know what you want so maybe no real need for an "Architect" per say. Many of these "garden buildings" now have a big open front on the high side with bifolds or sliding doors. What you now have is something akin to an open sided, often mono pitched farm shed with a set of doors on the high front elevation. What is required here is to make sure that when the wind blows the building does not fall to the side in the plane of the doors. Here what you often do is to make the side walls, roof and the back wall are stiff.

 

You can try this at home with a cardboard box. Cut out one long side, tape it up along the seams, down to a table and push it along the plane of the doors. You'll see it wants to rotate so if you brace the "gable" it works. For the technically minded this often called a complimentary shear effect.

 

To square this circle the SE will work out the wind load and put bracing or use the panel stiffness on the gables, back wall and roof to show that it works. You'll need to make sure the building is fixed down to something heavy as it also wants to lift up in places.

 

Andy if you can get all the data on the panels, slab and put this into a document. The more info you give the SE the less they need to guess and so on. Also, get the details on how the panels are connected together. No point in having the panel data without the info on how they can interact and connect together. It's a big learning curve to become competant to prove this calculation wise but there are SE's that will do small jobs for enthusiastic beginners so don't loose heart when searching them out. If you do the donkey work on gathering the info then you may get a cracking reasonable price from an SE.

 

One last thing I have observed is that sliding doors need some kind of space above so the roof / lintel over can deflect down. This is a traditional deflection head detail. But I was talking to some fitters of bifold doors the other day and they want to pack the head of the doors tight to stop the mechnism at the top coming loose?