iarchitect blog for news, tips and advice for your building projects

iarchitect is Award Winning!

2/2/2018

You're wondering if iarchitect is the best architecture practice for your project?
Stick around and you'll find out why it is!

At iarchitect we can be a bit too modest about shouting about our achievements and as the architect director I realise that this needs to change. Now the tax returns are in and 2018 is in full swing I am going to give you an update on our successes from the past year and hope you'll join me in some virtual toasting and celebrating.

At the beginning of last year I transformed iarchitect from a sole trading entity to a limited company and am now celebrating nearing the end of a first successful year as a limited company. After setting up the practice 9 years ago as a sole trader in the depths of recession, through perseverance and optimism it has thrived. Now it feels like iarchitect is growing up! Cheers to transformations and developing!

Over the course of the last 12 months iarchitect has received a number of awards and completed many successful projects for our customers.

Best of Houzz for Service Award 2018

Our latest award is from the online residential design platform Houzz. They have awarded us “Best of Houzz for Service” for which we must thank our kind customers, their glowing reviews and 5 star ratings.

Houzz also awarded iarchitect with “Best of Houzz for Design” in 2017 as our project photographs were among those most shared on the platform.

Houzz has also marked iarchitect out as an “Influencer” as we regularly help out members of the Houzz community through the dilemma forums.

We use Houzz with many of our customers to create ideasbooks which are great for communicating ideas and visualizing options. Cheers to communicating beautiful ideas and delivering good customer service!

"Jane's help and advice has been invaluable" Caroline Ellis, Homeowner

"Jane was able to come up with some fabulous ideas that ticked all our boxes and then some." Trasie Einig Jones, Homeowner

"Made the whole build process much less stressful and delivered on every level" Tracey Gibbs, Homeowner

"We are very pleased with the result" Elise Watson, Homeowner

Try Houzz for yourself

Best Full-Service Architect Firm, Manchester
and
Excellence Award for Conservation Services, North West

Also in 2017 construction industry magazine Build awarded iarchitect with 2 awards:
Best Full-Service Architect Firm, Manchester and Excellence Award for Conservation Services, North West.

Since joining the RIBA conservation register as an accredited registrant, iarchitect has worked on a number of conservation projects. Our highest profile conservation project being the landscape refurbishment and access improvements for Northenden War Memorial. Cheers to protecting and enhancing architectural heritage!

Featured in Ideal Home, Dream Homes Edition

Another highlight of 2017 was a beautiful editorial piece published in Ideal Home, August edition. This piece showcases one of our completed projects in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, South Manchester. It is a lovely example of a Victorian Terrace for which we designed the extension, reconfigured rooms and refurbishment throughout to create a striking and comfortable modern family home. Cheers to warm, energy-efficient and characterful homes that meet the needs of modern families!

If you'd like to read about this project you can still get a digital copy of Ideal Home August 2017 edition:
Read about our project on page 100, August 2017 edition.

and every day...

We've had many every day successes too including planning approvals, building control approvals, tender returns within budget and completed built projects. This is what we do. Cheers to successful projects!

We specialise in helping homeowners with period property and recommend starting with our Big Picture Plan. If you have a cold house with an outdated layout that doesn't work for you then we can help you create a home that suits your lifestyle and sense of style, while maintaining period character and being kind to the environment.

I want to know more about the Big Picture Plan >>

Seasons Greetings

12/21/2016

Merry Christmas 2016

Thank you to all clients, colleagues, collaborators, co-designers, friends and family for helping make 2016 the most successful year that iarchitect has had yet.

It has been filled with many achievements including:

a successful application to the War Memorial Trust, funding works to Northenden War Memorial
several successful planning and building control applications for homeowners and businesses
opening of the first Sultan Ahmet restaurant - an exciting new UK franchise
helping worthwhile causes with Landaid though their pro-bono programme

This year has also had many memorable moments such as:

meeting the latest in voice controlled technology with Steve and Siobhan
many Home Design Consultations during which I have loved getting to know homeowners and their homes
chasing around after a toddler whilst discussing bandstands with Joy and the ups and downs of projects with Julie
behind the scenes in photoshoots for completed projects
catching up with past colleagues starting new adventures like Sally

It's been a fantastic year and I hope it has been for all of you too. Lets hope that 2017 brings more of the same.

Best Christmas wishes to everyone.
Jane x

Max out your Architect!

5/27/2016

Part 1: Which Architect?

This is the first part of a series looking at working with an architect throughout a project. I'm going to give you my top tips for how you can get the best from your architect.

I often get asked for advice on how to choose an architect. There are so many factors to consider and all architects are different, so how do you choose the one that will suit you? This post gives you my top 5 things to consider when selecting the architect who will turn your dreams into reality.

1. Is an architect really what you need?

Obviously as an architect I'm a little biased here and can see benefits for architects to be involved in all types of design work! However, there are often other designers or construction professionals who might be better suited for the particular type of work that you are looking at having done. Here are some examples where you would choose another building professional over an architect:

Where you want a single structural opening, or a wall removing, perhaps to create a more open plan space. While it is beneficial to get an architects input to decide the positioning of an opening or which wall to remove, to create the space the best suits you, once these are decided then what you really need is a structural engineer to check structural stability and provide calculations for building regulations. It's important to note that any structural alterations require building control approval.

If your property has damp, cracking, etc... and you simply want to solve the problem. For these kinds of defects the most knowledgeable construction professionals are building surveyors, who specialise in detection, analysis and remedial work specification. Architects will take these problems into consideration during a whole building refurbishment or large scale extension or conversion and will design solutions that can overcome these but we often seek the input of a specialist to advise on matters such as damp or structural movement. An independent surveyor who can advise on remedial works objectively, without the incentive to sell you their own companies chemical injection service or similar is preferable. They may cost a little more for the analysis and report but their recommendations are likely to be more effective and better value for you.

When you want to be able to enjoy your garden space and create outdoor living “rooms” then a landscape architect or garden designer is the professional you need. An architect can help you to connect inside to outside, opening up with configurations of doors and windows and designing spaces inside to sit and contemplate views. While a landscape architect will design and locate garden features such as patios, ponds, external seating areas and choose planting that suits the soil, climate and level of maintenance you want while creating beautiful effects of colour, texture and pattern.

2. What kind of architect do you want?

Architects have similar training so develop ways of thinking that they tend to have in common, however, we are all human each with our own biases and idiosyncrasies. I believe that the most important thing about architecture is creating spaces for the people who are going to use it. For me people's enjoyment, comfort and ease of use comes first. Some other common primary drivers for architects are:

Form: strong sculptural approaches to design often using unusual shapes. Think Zaha Hadid and Frank Gehry. “Less is a bore.”

Function: clear to understand spaces that are easy to use and move around in. Think Mies Van de Rohe and Luis Kahn. “Form follows function.”

Technology: cutting edge use of materials that push them to their limits or integrate the latest technological advances. Think Norman Foster and Santiago Calatrava. “Machine for living in”

Consider which kind of architecture most moves you and discuss this with the architects you are considering. Ask which buildings they love and why to get an understanding of the aspects of architecture which are their primary drivers.

3. How involved do you want your architect to be?

Architects work in different ways and some will do the initial design and pass the rest of the project onto a team in their office, possibly outsourcing some work, while others deal with every aspect of a project themselves, or maintain a close eye on work done by an assistant or junior architect working alongside them. Ask your architect how they work and who works with them.

4. What have they done before?

An architects portfolio can show you what types of project they have experience of and areas of specialisation. All architects work to brief and within budgeting, legal and technological restraints so the designs may not show all that your architect is capable of in design terms, but they should give you some idea. Ask your architect what it is about the designs they are showing you that they are most pleased with and conversely what would they change about the designs if given the freedom.

5. Do you feel relaxed, comfortable and confident with your potential architect?

You're putting a lot of faith into your architect who is going to interpret your needs and desires, creating a life-size three dimensional semi-permanent representation of these that will cost a fair amount of money to build. It's probably best that you feel some kind of connection and that your architect “gets” you, as a common understanding is going to be key to delivering a built result that will suit you.

If you'd like to see if iarchitect is your best fit to design your project give us a call.

Has this been helpful? What criteria will you use to select your architect? Comment below.

Meet the Architects

4/22/2016

Next week on Thursday 28th April, I'm looking forward to taking part in a lively and interesting debate. We will be discussing the latest developments, innovations and trends in architecture design and BIM, Art and Architecture, as well as forecasting investment opportunities.

If this sounds like your cup of tea then I look forward to meeting you there.

I'd love to hear what you think about the latest developments and innovations in architecture design and BIM, art and architecture or what you hope to be investing in next. Let me know by commenting below.