6 May 2014
Simon Open Door 2014 takes place next weekend: have you signed up yet? Here are our Top 10 Tips for getting the most out of your 60 minute consultation….
1. Issues: Think about your issues in terms of Space, Light and Storage. Architects are champion problem solvers and relish the opportunity to address your particular needs. Whilst you may have your own solutions in mind, consider adding them to the discussion after your architect has made some initial suggestions.
2. Map: Bring a location map for your home – a pin on google maps is fine, otherwise an Ordnance Survey or Lease or Site Location Map. This is important for the architect to get an understanding of the physical context of your home, as well as its orientation and how the sun moves around your home throughout the day.
3. Planning History: If relevant, bring a summary of the planning history of your home. Is it a Protected Structure or in an Architectural Conservation Area? Has it been extended before? If so, what is the overall, internal area of the extension(s)? Was Planning Permission granted?
4. Floor Plans: Bring floor plans of your home if you have them, preferably to a scale of 1:50. This is the best scale for working out options and ideas. If you have plans at a scale of 1:100, enlarge them by 100% to convert them to 1:50.
5. Sales Brochure: If you don’t have floor plans, the plan in a sales brochure showing the room layouts will be useful or even your own sketch showing how the rooms relate to one another.
6. Dimensions: Bring dimensions, in millimeters or centimeters, of all relevant rooms. This applies even where you have floor plans as the built dimensions often differ from those planned. Measure overall wall lengths, door and window widths and positions of all openings.
7. External Spaces: If you are planning an extension, bring dimensions of the relevant external spaces (side passage, front or rear garden etc,) as well as those internal rooms adjacent to or relevant to the extension.
8. Photos: Bring sufficient photos to describe your home in context as well as the parts of your home most relevant to your project.
9. Clippings: bring clippings of projects you admire.
10. Be Succinct in summarizing your needs and your existing home…1 hour goes very quickly so allow maximum time for your architect to give you lots of ideas in your consultation for Simon Open Door 2014.
Best wishes to all participating in Simon Open Door 2014…and here’s hoping we can exceed our targets and generate much needed funding for the great work of the Simon Community!
Eva
