Re: Re: Architect’s help needed

Mr Burns
There is no Magic to achieving planning, just rules.

I do some work for people who have made the mistake of getting planning permission for a mock georgian. Alterations to approved planning to turn the design into a low energy open plan solution. Georgian style façades are very formal and restrictive on our modern spatial expectations. For instance symmetry is used as a tool to convey order and power, something we are more modest about nowadays. Georgian is fine if you have a cook butler and maid to work in the basement instead of a modern bright open kitchen and use bedpans instead of en-suites and bathrooms.

We normally remodel these McMansions to low energy design with Natural Materials. Energy is always the guiding principle with smart adaptable use of floor space. Energy is a good bookmark for a house, The BER is merely an asset planning tool and measures energy in relative terms. Passive house is a performance tool and measures absolute use of energy. When buying a car engine performance is critical, yet when we want a house, a nice elevation is all we want. In my local peope used to boast that they got away with 3000 square foot from the planners, now the boast is about A2 rating and soon it will be passive house certification or net zero energy.

Be careful a lot of architects will give you what you want rather than taking you on a learning journey. The trend now is for passive houses. These are the buildings we need for the coming decades. Good luck in your enterprise. Just remember we are all on a re-learning curve, the old ways no longer work. As the man said we’re all socialists now, that might as well be, we’re all greens now.