Working with a reliable architect with a great reputation and the proper credentials is key to ending up with your dream home. They will be able to help you create a home tailored to your personal needs and tastes with their extensive formal education and practical experience. Their credentials mean that you can be sure of design quality when working with them, and their strict codes of conduct mean you can be confident that your build is in safe hands.
But just how are you supposed to choose the right architectural practice, when there are so many out there? There are a few things you can do – checking out their portfolio and setting up an initial consultation are just a couple of things you should start with. However, the first and most important thing you should do is ensure that the practice you work with is RIBA chartered.
Here, we’ll go more into detail about this as well as why you should select a RIBA architectural practice for your project.
First Steps
Before you talk to an architect, you will ideally draw up a brief and establish your budget. With these two things, you’ll be able to discuss costs and what you can afford from the get-go so you can avoid disappointment later on down the line. Your architect will want to bring your dream to life, so make sure you’re prepared.
Sometimes, even just a consultation with an architect can be a huge help and they will help you to guide you on all aspects of your project in a short space of time. They will usually be happy to share their expertise and knowledge with you, and this alone can help you to create something incredible.
Your architect can also help you select your builder and supervise the build through to completion. They’ll ensure that the build remains to your standards and that your money is well spent. They can also help you with planning permission and manage it for you if needs be. They do a whole lot more than most people realise.
An architect is an invaluable member of your team, and working with one will help you to maximise the potential of your space, whatever it is you’d like to achieve.
Choosing a RIBA Architectural Practice
Why choose a RIBA Architectural Practice? If an architectural practice wants to be in the Royal Institute of British Architects, there is a strict criteria that they must adhere to. When you choose to work with a RIBA architectural practice, you are choosing to work with a practice that meets a recognised set of standards. You’ll have peace of mind as RIBA will only ever support practices who can demonstrate effective business performance and those who commit to excellence in the industry.
By selecting a RIBA architectural practice for your project, you will have total peace of mind. They comply with all kinds of strict criteria, including that of covering insurance, health and safety and quality management systems. Ideally, you should select a RIBA practice that has experience with the kind of project you are looking to begin. If you can find a RIBA practice that suits your requirements in terms of the type of project you’re looking to create, then you know you’ve found ‘the one’.
To help you figure this out, take a look at the amount of projects they have built that are similar to the one you would like to start, as well as the contacts that they have with the local planning department, and their track record of approvals. You can also ask for references to see how responsive they were to changes, how their team communicated, and how well they managed the budget they were given.
By having an initial consultation, you should be able to gather all of the information you need and figure out whether a practice is actually right for you. There are websites you can use that can help you to choose from the 3,500 RIBA chartered practices if you want more choice.
Conclusion
The right architect can help you to bring your dream project to life, and as long as they are RIBA chartered, you know that they are going to commit to high standards and complete your project whilst striving for excellence.
There are many architects out there, but you can immediately narrow down your search by only looking at RIBA chartered architectural practices.
Lucky for you, Scenario Architecture is an RIBA chartered practice and we’re ready to help you with you project. Get in touch today and we’ll discuss your project with you.
