What exactly does an architect do and how can he help you? Most people know broadly what an architect does, but it is sometimes difficult to put your finger on exactly what tasks an architect takes on. In this article, you will read what exactly an architect is, what the work is and what costs are involved.
What does an architect cost?
The total cost of an architect varies per project and architect. On average, you pay between £70 and £150 per hour. The price is often calculated on the basis of an hourly rate, fee or per m². A fee is a percentage of around 8 to 14% of the total building sum. See the chart below for the average cost per project.
| Project | Average price per job, incl. VAT |
|---|---|
| Drawing out the house or extension | From £500 |
| Construction of ground floor, including design and building application | From £2.500 |
| House extension including design, building application and specifications | From £ 9,000 |
| Full project (house extension) | £ 10,000 – £ 15.000 |
| Renovation house | Renovation house |
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What does an architect do?”
What an architect does is design houses and other buildings and visualise them in design and construction drawings. Apart from new houses, he also designs renovations you want done to your existing house and gives advice on their design. He then supervises the technical and administrative process of the conversion. Within craftsmanship, there are also specialisations, for example, an interior designer or interior decorator. You will find more explanations about these below. An architect focuses on one specialisation (a master builder) or delves into several specialities (a companion).
Information architect
An information architect reports to the manager of the architecture team. So when an architect takes on this role, it automatically means that there are multiple architects working on the project. So this really only happens on larger projects. The information architect creates an architectural design of complex and large systems. He focuses a lot on the process and information flow.
Garden and landscape architect
A garden and landscape architect is employed by the government to design city parks and green spaces in a municipality, but can also be employed privately. If you don’t know what to do with your garden, you can hire a garden architect to help you with this. You can discuss your wishes with him or her, what you would like to see as a final result and what you absolutely do not want. This architect will then do his utmost to get the most out of your garden.
Interior designer
An interior designer gives advice on the colours and decoration of furniture, accessories and lighting. He makes a lighting plan, creates a mood board and may take professional photos of your home. This consultant does not need any recognised training and is therefore not a member of the Professional Association of Dutch Interior Designers.
Interior architect
An interior architect (also known as an interior designer) provides advice on the layout of your home, along with advice on building structures. He arranges building and permit applications for you. An interior architect also draws up quotations and may be authorised to supervise construction.
How does an architect work?
Designing a house or extension involves many different stages. To get a better idea of what an architect really does for you, the process is summarised below.
Sketch design
You get round the table to find out your wishes and needs and discuss the possibilities. Based on this, the first sketch will be made.
Preliminary design
This is the first elaborated sketch. It is often already 3D visualised. You indicate what you are happy with and what you are not.
Definitive design
This is the modified version of the preliminary design; the final design. You submit this to the municipality so that they can check it against the zoning plan and submit it to the aesthetics committee. They determine whether the appearance of the building fits in with the municipality’s plan.
Technical design
This is the technically elaborated version of the final design. It contains several decisions on: the materials, foundation drawing, drainage layout, beam plan and a detail drawing. Based on this, the architect calculates the energy efficiency.
Permit application
To start building, you need an environmental permit. For this, you have to submit the technical design to the municipality. The municipality reviews this design, on what exactly varies from municipality to municipality.
Specifications
This is administrative and legal and forms the basis for the contract with the contractor. An alternative to this is adding finishing statements (the finishes of walls, floors and ceilings) to your technical design.
The working drawings
The architect, contractor and other advisers come together to conclude a working agreement. The working drawings include installation provisions and data from the structural engineer.
The execution
What an architect often does during the execution is to provide construction supervision in the building process to assist you.
A reliable architect
To be sure that you are working with a reliable architect, you can check whether the architect is registered with the Branchevereniging Nederlandse Architectenbureaus (Association of Dutch Architects). This is because these architects meet all the requirements and are therefore definitely capable of helping you realise your dream home. So it is smart to pay attention to this when you ask for architect quotes. Architects registered with the BNA meet the following requirements:
- Be registered in the Architects Register and meet the European educational requirements.
- Have at least 2 years of experience.
- Have professional liability insurance.
- Please attend at least 16 hours of continuing education and training per year.
- Before accepting assignments, check whether they have expertise, professional competence and capacity for the assignment.
- Will handle assignments confidentially.
- Guarantee proper mutual rights and obligations in agreements.
- Adhere to the code of conduct of the BNA.
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Frequently asked questions
An architect’s salary averages between £70 and £150 per hour. For an average project, this cost ranges between £500 and £15,000, depending on the type of project and the architect’s experience.
An architect designs houses and other buildings and visualises them in design and construction drawings. The architect looks at how best to implement your wants and needs into a home or space.
You can ask an architect various questions. For example, he can give you interior advice if you have specific questions regarding your furnishing. He can also answer your questions during the renovation about the status of the renovation and give an indication of the total costs in the interim. For pretty much all questions concerning the construction or renovation of your home, you can turn to the architect.
