DESIGN & PLANNING SERVICE
Aesthetically transforming the exterior of buildings and creating kerb appeal is absolutely at the heart of every Back to Front project however, having a house that looks drop dead gorgeous on the outside, but is hopeless to live in, is not a good outcome for any homeowner. For over a decade Back to Front have been transforming interior layouts with internal re-configuration and extending to create a better function and flow ensuring the house performs Back to Front - both inside and out.
We understand how careful spatial planning can support a busy home, whilst the exterior kerb appeal makes coming home a real pleasure. If you are looking for assistance with areas such as creating an open plan kitchen/dining/entertaining space that flows onto the garden, making the most of your loft space, creating a welcoming entrance hall with a bit of wow factor, providing a better master bedroom suite, or guest accommodation, creating home office spaces or additional garaging, Back to Front can offer a complete whole house, holistic design solution.
Please see below for an example of a Design and Planning project along with our process:
DESIGN & PLANNING PROCESS:
GETTING STARTED: CONSULTATION & MEASURED SURVEY
1. The first step is to have an initial consultation, where we will assess where you are with your current plans, understand where the house is or isn’t working for you and how we might go about resolving things together. We will discuss the style direction you are hoping for and whether this is appropriate and consider the planning implications of a given style, plus the all-important budget to have in mind.
2. We will then arrange a Measured Survey to be undertaken of the property. This is where a team of surveyors visit the site and measure the whole property, inside and out and draw up plans of the existing building. These are needed so we can work to scale and provide these to the planners, if required.
This is the base of our design, and a good quality survey is the foundation for all remodelling projects.
We will also discuss with you any third-party surveys that may be required to support a planning application with respect to protected species, and assist with making arrangements for these.
If you have already been working with an Architect, we may be able to use your Architect’s plans instead of undertaking a Measured Survey.
DESIGN PROCESS
1. We will arrange a Design Visit with you at the property to go through things in more detail, understand how you and your family like to live and the needs of the house.
2. Following the Design Visit, we will draw up the design in our 3D software. Designs are tailored to suit the needs of your project but will also include furniture layouts and suggested interior design finishes to give the look and feel, as well as outside entertaining areas, patios, decks, and re-landscaped driveways where required.
3. Once the design is ready for your review, we will arrange a Zoom meeting to present the model to you and discuss your thoughts about the look and feel, function and flow. We will highlight rationale behind certain design decisions and any compromises that may be necessary to optimise the overall scheme.
4. Following the meeting we will incorporate your feedback into the scheme and repeat step 3 two to three times until we have a scheme that is just right.
5. Once we have a scheme that you are really happy with, we will prepare the drawings for the planning application along with any supporting documents required.
At the end of the design process you will receive:
- Concept visualisations of the front and rear.
- 3D floor plans/slice throughs including internal furniture layouts and design.
- 2D floor plans and annotated elevations highlighting explanations of the design, colour scheme and recommended products and materials, along with notes on exterior detailing, plus supporting product sheets with further clarification.
- An interactive 3D model which you can fly yourself around at your leisure in the comfort of your own home – this is also super helpful when discussing design intentions with your builder.
To help save the environment all drawings are supplied digitally.
PLANNING PERMISSION
Once the design is finalised, we will prepare and submit your planning application to the relevant Local Authority.
This will take between 8 - 10 weeks once submitted and we will be on-hand during this time to assist with any questions the Local Authority may have and negotiate the scheme on your behalf.
After planning permission is granted, we will hand the project back over to you/your builder/technician and can provide ongoing support on a consultancy basis as your project develops. We also like to get involved in the specifying and detailing of the windows and doors, as this is a vital component to a successful remodelling project and is one that is frequently got wrong. Please don’t leave this up to your builder! Hop over to our Windows and Doors page for more info.