I've made a decision not to use an architect to convert the chapel into a nursery........but that means I have to do it all myself

[KatyMac]

& I'm feeling quite daunted

I struggle with staircases & headheights

& water treatments plants

& electric stuff

& plans

& it's all a bit much on a Saturday evening

erm, is an architect not really quite important for a big project like this??

blimey Katy - are you not taking on a bit too much.......again!!

You will have a breakdown at some point.

do you not need an architect??

Apparently a good structural engineer and a clever builder will do

My dad a structural engineer and I have a good builder

But still

is this the place that bubble found for you?

I think its a big thing to take on regardless, are you really sure??

This is a false economy Katymac. there is no way that trying to figure out all this stuff yourself is going to save you money.

if the plans are farked, then your whole project is farked. what about a final year architect student? cheaper?

i think if you are going to cut the budget, this is not the place to cut it!!

Well I've sorted out a price for the mezzanine & the company will draw the plans

I won't find an architect who will consider anything green - my old one cost too much money - Im already 18K down on the old site

This is never going to happen whilst you tit around with the grand plans and harebrained schemes.

I am beginning to think you prefer the planning to the doing, KM - and I know you work hard, etc - but have you actually taken decent business advice?

Why do you persist in making life hard for yourself?

There are people whose job it is to sort this stuff for you - yet you choose not to let them? You're setting yourself up for a fall.

I have employed a kitchen designer & that seems to be going well

I have an advisor - she is working hard atm getting me new funding because the old money won't carry across

She thinks between building, dad & I we can

I have insulation, windows and kitchen pretty much sorted

When it's all in place I will et a structural engineer to draw the plans (as my dad doesn't hold insurance anymore - he used to build big buildings)

you have lost so much money already katy.

I really think you should quit now and I second what Hunker said.

You need proper solid advice and not be messing about with this stuff on your own.

does it need to be so green?

is it the one Bubble found, or a diff one??

You need Kevin McCloud, imo.

He'd look disgusted with you, raise his eyebrows and shake his head, then talk in gloomy tones of the weather worsening and budgets skyrocketing.

But if you took his advice, it might just work.

I thought it was the one Bubble found.

wow ! £18 000 down and not broken ground yet.

my dad builds property developments

you have to stick to what you are good at, he is a surveyor and a good business man, what he is not is a designer or architect. you pay people to do that. that is why they exist

you cannot be a jack of all trades in this

have you tried various forums for green businesses>? there must be a niche architect or someone out there!

i am agreeing with hunker on this

i really admire your passion and enthusiasm, but at some point you have to take a step back, and penny pinching to the point of not having someone as integral as an architect smacks of desperation .

No - but if I go with the local chap I'll end up with minimum u values & 25mm of multifoil insulation & it will cost a fortune to heat

Plus if I have a woodburner with a boiler of 82000 btu to central heating & 24000 btu to water then my heating will be sorted backed up by solar HW in the summer

Whereas the oil prices go up every month & i'd need to find somewhere to put the oil tank away from the childen

I will buy in everthing I can't do - but there is a limit to where you can put the toilets & kitchen - so what would the architect do (apart from bill me & put in inappropriate finishes - like oak skirting boards?)

It's not the one bubble found - it's one that was offered to me 4 days later

I find it very hard to believe that you can't find a 'green' architect who would listen to you and work within your budget. All architects that have been qualified within the last 10 years should be well up on green issues. I know that lots of these posts might sound disparaging but the truth is that no one on here wants to see you lose more money and it is a dodgy area to cut the budget.
Iiwy i would make it as green as possible within my budget, but getting it up and running and getting some fees in has to start to become your priority or else it will only ever be an expensive pipe dream.

we recently had an extension built, and I'm convinced that our architect saved us a fortune, probably at least as much as he cost us.

Sorry, but I think it is important to involve a professional at least in the planning stage....building warrants, legalities etc.

You may need to look further afield for one with "green" experience, maybe, but they all will be used to using highly energy efficient materials. You need to be highly specific in your brief to them....using recycled materials, where possible, using the most effective insulators, etc.

I found this website very useful.

I guess you are right but I don't want to phone 17 architects and get turned down again

I think refurbishing an existing building is different to converting a barn

My builder will project manage it for me

That's a nice site Tissy

If you like that Tissy you might like this one?

Probably expensive but am sure you can find someone who's starting out who would love this in their portfolio

Hmm....wonder about the builder being project manager; bit of a conflict of interests there- builders are the ones that cause the most trouble, IME! For example, our architect specified solid oak doors for our shower and utility rooms. Builder fitted veneered chipboard(£40 vs £200 ). It has taken us a year to notice- when the shower water penetrated the poorly varnished veneer, it started to lift! As it's all in the contract, architect has just told them to replace the doors, or they won't get their retention!

London Architects don't generally travel

If you look at here there aren't many in Norfolk

But I will look around again