“Staying Updated On The Latest Building Standards And Regulations”

Preparing any design requires a group of integrated professions and so I have always found it important to design through the entire project with every element listed and drawn out, the process helps to nudge my creativity and brain into recording every item as it’s those compliant and forgotten items that can throw the budget out.

I then test it with each skill around the table from H&S to the building inspector and when appropriate I have a walk through with the Building Inspector as his direction on fire requirements can impact my design substantially. Recently I was converting office space and the building inspector advised that I needed a fire curtain and that added £6k to the Budget. The contractor and I decided that it was also a nuisance in the location it would be as it was close to the staff kitchen and experience suggests that burning toast can set them off and they can then be dangerous if people don’t pay attention when they drop down. So we created a separate doorway and frame in glass which provided the open plan view I wanted but complied with the revised building regulations and fire regulations.

I think its when things like this occur, they are simple but they can hit the design and the budget completely off target and the outcome on aesthetics can be the most talked about item for its negative aesthetic impact.