Journal

The ‘scope of work’ is a usually a quantitative rather than qualitative (see the Design & Approach keystone) description of the intended project. The chosen scope of work is likely to be heavily interlinked with both the design and environment keystones, and will also have a significant impact on each of the other four keystones.

The Building Control system is concerned with the statutory codes and standards that buildings are required to meet, as set out in the Building Regulations. These are separate from the planning system, and are generally focussed on standards of construction, performance and safety of the building for a given use. The regulations are very wide ranging, but key aspects include energy use & thermal performance, structural integrity, fire safety & escape, protection from falling,

In your role as client you will have great opportunities to promote high quality design within your project, and you will also then enjoy and benefit from it for many years to come. Design and the process through which it is created can be subtle and delicate. Like tending to a garden, you will need to nurture the design process regularly and diligently, allowing it to grow and thrive. There are a number of steps that you can take to encourage great design in your project:

Alongside decisions about the financial aspects of your building project you should also consider the value of comfort and wellbeing. Environmentally sustainable buildings will generally be easier to keep warm in winter, cool in summer, provide better levels of natural daylight and ventilation, and provide improved connection with the landscape and nature; factors that can provide real benefits for comfort and wellbeing.

To create an environmentally sustainable home it is important to start with a clear focus on this objective from the outset. This will set the agenda for feasibility and initial design work, so that sustainable approaches can be investigated and incorporated into your design. You will also need to ensure that your project team have the right level of skill and expertise for this type of work. Your design team will be able to consider options and opportunities for sustainable

Contingency is a proportion of your budget that must be allocated for unforeseen costs. Your design and construction teams should help you to avoid spending this unnecessarily, but it is important to be aware that it is normal to expect some unplanned costs on almost any construction project. Contingency may be required due to the condition of an existing building or site, errors or omissions in surveys, designs or information, regulatory requirements, non-performance by s

Most construction projects have the potential to be complicated and challenging, even smaller residential projects. Successful projects require a number of key mechanisms, which include a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities, good communication & collaboration between the project team, and careful monitoring and reporting on variations, risks, budget and programme.

Breaking a larger project down into phases can be a very useful technique in certain instances. Phases of work can overlap in part, or can be scheduled to be carried out years apart. Phasing benefits from a particular approach to project planning, documentation, and sometimes also design, so it is important to identify this early and plan with phasing in mind.

There are many factors that may affect the actual timeframe of your project. By understanding and considering these you will be able to reduce delay and make best possible use of time available. The efficiency and effectiveness of you and your project team will be essential to this. For this reason, it is vital for professionals to coach and educate clients on the project process, implement rigorous project planning at every stage, and to tie these together with great comm

Although administered through similar channels to the planning process, works in Heritage and Conservation buildings and contexts require additional levels of consideration and approval. Conservation Areas are generally used to control the overall look and feel of a particular area, usually due to its architectural or historic significance, while Listings are used to protect the look, use and fabric of buildings of architectural, historic or cultural significance.

We use the term design to describe the qualitative nature of a scheme, in contrast to scope that describes it quantitatively. An extension may provide say 35 square metres of open plan living space, with kitchen, dining and sitting zones (the scope). The same space might create a lofty and spacious feel, from materials with natural grains and textures, be laid out to maximise efficiency and elegance of the plan, to perform to a very high environmental standard that is com

In the early stages, it can be useful to compare your project to other similar projects to get a general indication of likely cost. Be careful to understand how similar, or not, the two projects are, and also whether the comparison project was recent enough for the numbers to still be relevant. It is worth bearing in mind that people may not always be clear on the full level of cost when recounting a past project. It is also worth considering what sort of project structure, t