Architectural and Planning Services

Wherever you’re at with your project, our team can help you design, plan, build and certify it –  from start to finish. Simple.

ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND PLANNING

Site Surveys

This is the first step in your architecture journey. Once you’ve engaged us, we’ll visit your home or plot and take detailed measurements of everything so we know what we’re working with, and can get an idea of the location, existing building and its possibilities. Armed with this information and knowing what you want from your build, we can move onto the exciting part…

Architectural Design

With these drawings, our skilled architects will get the best out of your existing home, design your dream extension, or go flat out for a fantastic new build house. 

Having good-quality architectural drawings at this stage will help further down the line, as they are easier to convert into any technical drawings you might need for pre-application, planning permission or building regulations drawings. 

In partnership with Court of Protection deputies, occupational therapists and family members, our inclusive design projects go beyond just standards and solutions. We’re looking to provide comfortable welcoming homes for our less able clients to be able to thrive. 

Integrating the findings from our property appraisal, we then design bespoke treatment spaces for our clients that meet both their needs and their carers’, so that everyone can enjoy a high-quality home together. Find out more about the inclusive design services we offer for deputies and their clients here in our article

Planning Permission

During the previous phase, your architect advise you on what what permissions you need to build your new design – you’ll most likely need either a Lawful Development Certificate or full planning permission from your council.

  • If you have Permitted Development Rights attached to your home, we can help you get a Lawful Development Certificate to prove that the design falls within your PDR guidelines – this is really useful when it comes to selling, and avoids headaches all round.
  •  If you haven’t got Permitted Development Rights attached to your home, then you’ll need to apply for full planning permission to build your design. In addition, if you live in a conservation area, listed building or a green belt area, it’s worth sending in a pre-application advice form to sound out the council, and get their advice on how you can get the planning permission you want.

As part of the planning permission stage, it’s likely you’ll need specific information and reports from industry experts – we can help you with that too with out trusted contractors and bespoke building regulations packages.

TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION AND REPORTS

These are a necessary legal upgrade of your design drawings to ensure your project meets statutory requirements on a range of things from structural integrity, sound-proofing, drainage, thermal performance – and many more. We can handle this part, but we also get assistance from experts such as structural engineers, and party wall surveyors.

The drawings ensure your design meets UK building regulations and, when approved either by the council or by an approved building regulations inspector, mean your contractor has a set of detailed instructions on how to build. At this part, we can come up with a building regulations package that covers all you need, or you can use your own preferred contractors.  

If you’re a Court of Protection deputy looking to buy property for someone who’s suffered a serious injury, Lapworth Architects can help you assess whether the home you’re looking at can be reconfigured, redesigned or extended to meet the needs of your client.

With our fast property appraisal service, our architects can give you the professional advice you need to move forward with your purchase, and provide a comfortable home for your client that meets all their needs.

Party Wall Agreements are an important document that you’ll need if you’re going to build an extension or other outbuildings, as it sets out the conditions for any work, above or below ground, that might affect your neighbours – find out more about them in our article on the subject. Rest assured, we can help you with this sometimes prickly topic and give you the documentation you need for both sides to have peace of mind.   

If you’re building a house from scratch, another document you’ll need are compliant plans to register the property with the Land Registry and for any conveyancing you might need in the future. Again, we’ve got you covered as part of our architectural services, with a quick turnaround time and an efficient service – find out more about land registry plans.

An architect’s certificate of completion is a document issued by a professional consultant, such as a chartered architect or surveyor, on a new build or newly converted property that vouches for the quality of the build and can be used to raise finance on it – they’re very useful documents to have. Read more about them here.

OTHER ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES

If there’s something not listed here, or if you have any questions about our architectural services – get in touch! You can write to us on the chat, drop a message in the form below, or give us a call – let’s get your project started!