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

He won't be doing much of the work - but sub contracting (I will pay the sub contractors separately to reduce the VAT implication)

Norfolk-based, enviromental credentials seem present and has experience of your sort of project

I have done a few projects without an architect and am an interior designer and it was v hard!!As it has to be fit for public use be very vareful.If i was near you i would help out but even i would worry about something that ahs such a specific use.Get in touch with a local practice and see if they have any juniors seeking experience xGood luck

Actually, I'm with you Katymac. I'm renovating a huge farmhouse in an eco friendly way and I think architects just add cost and no value at all. They do things the way they are used to doing and aren't prepared to look at alternatives. You end up spending your time arguing with them.

No thanks.

A good builder will be much more useful. All the good ones I know also hate working with architects, they tend to think they are patronising gits. If you have a good structural engineer that will cover all the important safety aspects.

I'd expect to ask an architect I was employing what they were going to bring to the project.

I think that deciding not to employ one without fully researching it is foolhardy, especially on a project that has the potential to piss yet more money.

Hunker - I will ring them, but it's so damn complicated

And you're not making it any easier for yourself, KM!

Had you not seen that firm then?

I googled "environmental architect Norfolk" to find them!

When I was last looking it was before they moved to Loddon - I don't know where they were before that

I have tended to google eco/green or sustainable but it was in 06

The second one I linked to is in Norfolk, I think?

Well it is now.......

Dh deals entirely with commercial property rebuilding, usually after fires or flooding, and he is of the very firm opinion that even in a house extension you need an architect - to ensure that all current building regs are met, to project manage everything and keep it on track, and to take the financial responsibility should the builder etc fail to do the job properly. Otherwise you leave yourself very exposed

Any architect will listen to the things you want such as extra insulation and solar water heating etc and incorporate them into the design, so they don't necessarily need to be an eco specialist.

Well they didn't last time