Ask an architect

FAQs / About

  • By appointing an Architect, you are enlisting the experience, technical knowledge and expert intuition of an industry professional to guide you through the journey of your project. A good Architect will have the ability to firstly listen to you and understand your brief and aspirations. They will navigate you through the potential pit falls and elevate the project in exciting and often unexpected ways.

  • Chris Gray | ARB RIBA started trading as Gray Architecture with the aim of providing a one-on-one personalised architecture service. Well considered and critical design thinking is fundamental to the approach, and every project is developed with high creativity and enthusiasm regardless of budget or scale. A personal and tailored service is offered to individual clients, and Chris works collaboratively with you to develop your project vision.

    The individual setup aims to ensure the service is approachable and open. Gray Architecture offers competitive fees with low overheads and can work flexibly to your specific needs.

  • Gray Architecture offers a full scope of services from early project briefing, planning applications, detail design packages, on site support and contract administration. The service can include as much or little as you with a full ‘turn-key’ design and management service, or alternatively stage by stage packages aimed at providing affordable fixed prices. Pricing depends largely on the individual project and fees are typically produced following our initial conversation and a site visit.

    Find out more about the full services available.

Your Project

  • We start with an initial consultation to discuss your project and aspirations. This is held at your convenience and we will discuss your project ambitions and offer initial professional advice on design, the approach, and issues of feasibility, planning considerations, structural impact, cost and management.

    A fee will then be tailored to ensure the service meets your needs and budge. Surveys and desktop studies will be undertaken, and we will quickly begin to start exploring ideas and refining your brief through a series of design workshops and conversations.

  • Yes. This is quite common when starting a new project. With years of industry experience, we can discuss outline project costs at an early stage and undertake QS-lead cost reviews throughout the process.

    Gray Architecture also offers early feasibility studies. This is a broad, cost-effective service that is ideal for where you may still be considering starting your project. It aims to investigate opportunities for improving your existing property, developing your site, or unlocking a potential purchase. A range of low to high impact options can be considered, and in collaboration with QS or with early contractor input, we can establish a range of realistic project budgets.

  • It depends. If you are planning to build a new house, or remodel and extend the exterior of your existing property, the chances are you will need a planning approval prior to starting any construction work.

    Permitted development rights, however, do allow homeowners and developers to extend their properties WITHOUT the need for a planning application IF certain criteria are met within the design. The guidance often changes and current eligibility can be discussed as part of our initial consultation.

  • Yes. A good quality measured survey is required to document the existing building and is used throughout the process from describing the current arrangement in a planning application, providing key information for other design professionals, to aid contractors working on the building, and to provide useful historic records of the building fabric and services for future use.

  • If you are constructing a new build, extending or refurbishing an existing property, or altering any services, these will need to be compliant under the UK Building Regulations, and require sign-off by Building Control. A Completion Certificate is issued by Building Control at the end of the project once the Inspector is satisfied the works comply with key standards in areas such as structural design, fire protection and egress, accessibility and thermal performance.

    Obtaining a building control completion certificate will involve the checking of detailed drawings, inspection visits at various key stages, and receipt of various commissioning and testing certificates from competent contractors for their work. A Completion Certificate is a requirement that confirms a statutory compliant building. As well as ensuring safety and performance, these are often critical documents with any future sale of the property.

    Gray Architecture offers tailored packages for detail compliance information and support.

  • No. This is a separate specialised design service. Gray Architecture can assist you in appointing a Structural Engineer as part of the project design team and will work collaboratively to ensure a fully coordinated design.

  • The Architects Register is the definitive record of all UK architects. If someone is not on the Register, they are not an architect – it’s as simple as that. The title “architect” is protected by law in the UK. Under Section 20 of the ‘Architects Act 1997’ it can only be used by people who have the appropriate education, training and experience needed to join the Register and become an architect. Once registered, an architect must hold appropriate insurance and adhere to the standards set out in the Architects Code.

    Chris Gray has been a ARB UK registered Architect since 2011 and trades as Gray Architecture under the Architects Code and with appropriate PI insurance.

  • Make a wish list. Think about what you want to achieve, your aspirations and any problems that need solving. Collect images, ideas and references. Try to think about a broad budget (it will help focus your priorities) and where you would most like to see your investment realised.

    Do your research. A new building project is no small endeavour whatever the scale. Making sure you have the right people and fit is critical. An early conversation can lead to exciting and unexpected possibilities.

    Get in touch for an initial consultation.

Get in Touch