May | 2014 | Isabel Barros Architects

Archive for May 30, 2014

barros | May 30, 2014

Are You Our Type of Client?

At some stage, when business gets very busy we will have to start selecting our clients.

“What?!”, you say. And we can hear you laughing and scratching your head!

No, we are not being snobbish or picky, it is just that there are persons we love to work with and others that not so much.

In recent years we have been fortunate enough to love 94% of the clients we had. From these, we were madly in love by 53% of them, this means they ticked ALL the boxes below and we even became friends.

We offer a service of excellence and we want to keep it like that. Full stop. So we decided to put together a list of what makes our ideal type of client (in no particular order):

1- Passionate

2- Friend of the environment

3- Design educated OR open to learn/appreciate

4- Funny and relaxed

5- Honest

6- Will let US solve the (design) problems and challenges

7- Respects our work

8- Provides feedback (good or bad!)

9- Has a realistic budget

10- With a holistic approach to life

If you have ALL the characteristics above do get in touch with us TODAY. We would love to work with you!

And we know, from experience, YOU will love to work with us.

Did you like this? Share it:

Category: General | Tags: clients, Guidance

barros | May 19, 2014

No comments

The Secret Guide to Deal with Architects – Take 6

Our 6th secret tip about how to deal with an Architect focus on relationship building as an important pillar for collaborative work.

If you have just landed here do not miss our previous tips:

6. Build Trust

Build a relationship with your Architect based on trust and credibility. Your Architect’s duty is to always act in your best interest. An Architect has the most appropriate training and experience to design, co-ordinate and manage your building project, and you need to believe this!

An Architect that feels trusted by a client will definitely go an extra mile and you may even get some freebies along the way (most likely extra time not charged and extra care and passion for your project).

Hot tip: Become a friend rather than just a client. Open your heart and share your interests with your Architect (even if they are as simple as liking giraffes!), you may find out that your Architect has similar interests and what best way to start a relationship where teamwork is so important!

Go to Take 7 – Enjoy the Process

Start from Take 1 – Stages

Did you like this? Share it:

Category: Architecture, General | Tags: Architects, construction, Guidance

barros | May 2, 2014

One comment

3 Reasons You May Need an Architect if You are Selling Your House

If you are planning to sell your house you will soon realise there are a number of legal documents that are required to complete the sale. Some documents you probably never heard about and others you may have overlooked until today.

We are seeing more and more solicitors undergoing a strict assessment regarding the required documentation and they are likely to recommend their clients to move away from the purchase if the documents are not in order.

These are the typical issues that may cause you enough headache:

1 – Your house does not comply with the grant of Planning Permission, or you have carried out work (ie.: an extension) that does not qualify as “Exempted Development“.

2 – You do not have an Opinion on Compliance with Planning Permission.

3 – You do not have an Opinion on Compliance with Building Regulations.

The solution:

1 – Any house built in Ireland after the 1st October 1964 requires planning permission. You should apply for Retention of the unauthorized development as soon as possible. Arrange for your Architect to visit the house, do a survey and prepare the Planning Application. The length of time it takes to get planning permission is affected by the completeness of the application and by whether or not there is an appeal. Generally, a valid application will be dealt with by a planning authority within 12 weeks, from the date the application is made to the final granting of permission.

It is very important to ensure the planning permission is in order before the proposed sale. Otherwise the potential purchaser may pull out of the transaction at a very late stage, when s/he discovers the problem.

You can also find the Planning Applications Fees for Co. Wexford here.

2 and 3 -Opinions on Compliance are important legal document that certify the building is in accordance with the planning permission granted and Building Regulations. They represent an essential element of conveyancing documentation and as such Architects adopt a significant liability in relation to the opinion they give.

RIAI Architects are advised to use the standard forms prepared by RIAI. You should ask your Architect to prepare these documents but please note that RIAI advises their members to exercise extreme caution and avoid offering opinions on Building Regulations when they were not the original Architect for the building or development.

Please contact us today if you need us to help you with any of the issues above.