Do You Need An Architect For An Extension?
All over Australia, people choose to extend their homes rather than move to a larger property. This is because most suburban back gardens in the country have enough room to accommodate additional living space. So, if you like where you live but want a bigger house, then adding an extension is likely to be a good option. Of course, you do not necessarily need an architecture firm to extend your home. However, proceeding without an architect can be a big mistake. Why should you hire a professional architect to help you plan your extension?
Planning Consent
To begin with, an architectural firm will help you to come up with a plan for your extension that will be acceptable to the local authorities. Remember that depending on where you live in the country, you may be restricted as to what sort of extension you can build. With a professionally put-together design, it is much more likely that your plans will be accepted by the planning authorities the first-time. This saves both time and money since every new application you make will need a fee to be paid.
Design For Living
When you have an architect on board for an extension project, he or she will not be solely focused on the structure alone. A well-planned architectural extension will take into account the whole of your home, not just the extended portion. Because architects are trained for many years to design entire buildings, you can expect your entire house to be considered from the point of view of the new project. This may mean that ideas you had not previously thought of can come to the fore, such as remodelling parts of your house that will face the extension, for instance. In short, it comes down to thinking about your future lifestyle and not just the foundations, walls and roof.
Sustainable Building
Many Australian architectural firms are concerned with sustainable construction these days. If you design your extension yourself and hire a builder to erect it for you, then key aspects of sustainability are likely to be missed. Sometimes this comes down to the amount of insulation that will be included. However, it is more likely that an architect will bring knowledge of sustainable construction materials to the table which will help to make your extension a much more environmentally friendly project than it otherwise would have been. Using less energy in construction projects is a key aspect of carbon reduction, but it only tends to work when it is thought of at an early design stage.