Frequently Asked Questions
How do AURA work and what's the process?
- The first step is to have a consultation with a member of our Design Team, where we will gather your full brief. We will then prepare a fee proposal for you.
- For a better understanding of our process, see our AURA process page by clicking here.
Which areas do you cover?
- We cover a wide area of London and the Home Counties from our main base that serves West London, South West London and Surrey. We also have regional bases in St Albans, Herfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, and most recently Bristol.
Can you arrange a Thames Water Build Over Agreement?
- I’m afraid we can only help arrange this for you if we are the Architect instructed to your project.
Do you work with Local Builders?
- Yes, we have built a great network of trusted professionals over the years and can build a Tender list around this.
Do you organise external 3rd party consultants?
- Typically yes, but you are more than welcome to use your own contacts if you have them. There is a management fee associated with any constultants that we coordinate.
How much is an initial Home Consultation?
- We offer initial consultation both over Video and In-Person. A Home Consultation is £250 + VAT and a Video Consultation is £100 + VAT. Both are deducted from our fee should you appoint us for your project.
Why do you charge for a consultation?
- We value our Design team’s time and our clients find an on-site meeting or video call with one of our team extremely valuable and worth paying for.
Do you offer an Interior Design service?
- Yes we do! For more information on this, visit our Interior Design page.
Do you Project Manage?
- In a word, “No”, but we offer Contract Administration and Site Monitoring which is typical of an Architect. Project Management infers that we would be organising trades/suppliers, and ‘looking ahead’ to programme the project. The role of the Contract Administrator is to ‘look back’ and Value the works completed by the builder, check quality and liaise with any statutory bodies like Building Control and Party Wall surveyors to ensure works are being undertaken as per the Contract. We will also deal with Variations to the Contract and Requests for Information from the Contractor to keep your project moving forward.
Which Planning Consultants have you worked with?
- We have a network of various consultants that we work with and would chose the most suitable consultant for your project based on location, previous work, potential relationship with the council, cost and capacity.