Architectural Design Brief

We will explain in detail the key design considerations and the information we require to produce designs that meet or surpass your expectations as quickly and efficiently as possible. 
 
Before we can produce your architectural drawings, we need to establish and understand your design brief. Each site is unique and architectural design is very personal, what you may like another may not like, and vice versa.  
 
Providing us with a clear brief at the start increases the likelihood of the drawings being exactly what you envisaged the first time around, saving you time and money. 

Written Design Brief

We require a clear written brief that describes in as much detail as possible, what you would ideally like to achieve in terms of the architectural design. The clearer and more detailed your brief, the more likely your first draft of the drawings will match your vision. 
 
If there are no changes to the existing building for example a change of use with no structural changes, you can simply confirm this. 
 
For 2D Drawings for planning permission, there is no need to include details of furniture, fixtures, fittings, plumbing, electrics or structural calculations as these can’t be included in planning applications. 
 
All the council want to see and understand at the planning stage is; 
 
1. What does it look like externally? (Elevation drawings) 
2. What is the internal layout and how will this change? (floor plan drawings) 
3. How will it affect the surrounding area? (block and site plans)

For anything new that will be built or anything that you want to change, the things to consider for the design are; 
 

• Where will it be built in relation to the existing property or site? (Front, side, rear etc.
  
• What are the proposed external dimensions? (Length, width and height)
• What materials will be used for the new development? (Brick, timber, glass, UPVC cladding etc.)
• What style of roof would you like? (Flat, hipped, gable, dormer etc)
• Are there any windows/doors to include? (How many, what style, what size and where?)
• What is the existing and proposed floor plan layout? (how many rooms are there, what is each room type and the dimensions for each room)
• Will there be a staircase? (If so where from and to? If existing stairs how many steps from one floor to next? What is the height, length and width of each step

It’s important to us that the design is exactly what you want! Providing us with a clear brief will save time and avoid unnecessary design revisions.

If you request anything that is not sensible or feasible from a planning or design perspective, we will let you know and suggest alternative solutions.

However, if your ideal design brief is appropriate and there are no obvious issues, we can start working on producing your architectural drawings.

Our process is extremely efficient and in 9 out of 10 cases, the first draft of the drawings is approved by our clients.

Please note that 1 free design revision is included in your quote, any subsequent revisions would be chargeable as quoted.

Each revision can include multiple changes in the same request. For example, if it is your first request and you ask us to make 3 minor changes to the plans, this would count as 1 design revision and would be free of charge. 

Even if we attend a site visit, we always require a written brief before we can start working on the drawings. The architect will use your written brief as a checklist when preparing the drawings to ensure nothing is missed.

If we miss anything requested in writing in your original design brief or a previous design revision request, this would not be considered a new design revision and would not incur additional costs. 

However, if you have used your 1 free design revision and change your mind or remember something you forgot to include, this would be a chargeable revision. 

Don’t worry this is not an exam! If your brief is missing any essential information or anything is unclear, we will contact you to clarify.  

However, the clearer and more comprehensive your brief, the faster we can produce your drawings and the more likely they will be exactly as you envisage the first time.

Site Photos

For every project, we require external photos of the existing property showing each elevation including the front, back and side(s) as applicable. 

You might only be doing a dropped kerb or a fence or an outbuilding in the garden. However, drawings for planning applications must include all existing buildings, boundaries and accesses, to show how your proposed development fits within the current site and the surrounding area. For us to be able to draw all of these things we need to see them.

• For detached houses, we need photos of the front, back and both sides.  
• For semi-detached houses, we need photos of the front, back and the detached side of the building.
• For terraced houses, we need photos of the front and back only.  
• For a block of flats, we need a photo of each elevation where your flat is visible from the outside.
• If the site is an open space with no buildings, we need photos to show the whole site from all angles. 

Please take photos that show the whole elevation for each side, from top to bottom and left to right, without any obstructions if possible.

If you can’t take a single photo that shows the whole elevation, please take several photos that when joined together, show the whole elevation.

If there are parts missing and we can’t see the whole building or site, we can’t complete your drawings.

If you are making internal changes to the property, please include photos of the interior for each room.

If you are doing something like a fence, dropped kerb or outbuilding, that has no bearing on the interior of the property, we do not need photos or floor plans of the interior.

Rough sketch of the exterior

We are not asking you to produce accurate architectural drawings and you do not need to have any artistic talent, they can literally look like a 5-year-old drew them.

A rough sketch helps your architect visualise your proposed design and get a clearer understanding of what you want drawn up.  

This increases the likelihood of the first draft of your drawings being exactly what you had in mind, which saves you time and money with unnecessary revisions.

If we asked 10 people to draw a simple 3 by 3 meter extension we would get 10 different designs.  

A rough sketch limits the risk of misinterpretation, which saves you time and money. 

Our architects will of course transform your rough sketches into beautiful accurate scale architectural drawings. 

Existing and proposed floor plans

Floor plans are required for most planning applications if you are making changes to an existing building or are proposing a new building.  

They are also required even if no changes are being made to the existing main building, but you are for example converting a garage or an outbuilding.  

Even if there are no changes, we need to submit identical existing and proposed floorplans to show the council there are no changes.

Floor plans are only not required if your proposed development does not affect the existing building. For example, a fence, driveway, dropped kerb or roof-mounted solar panels that are external and do not affect the interior of the existing building in any way.  

Floor plans are also not required for outline applications or planning permission in principal applications.  

Thanks to OS mapping software we can see the external footprint with accurate measurements for any existing buildings or structures that already have planning permission approved. However, these maps do not show the internal layout of the rooms.

If there are previous planning applications at the site address there may be previous architect drawings including floor plans that show the current layout of the rooms with measurements. This would be all we need to draw your existing floor plans with accurate measurements.

If the property has recently been advertised on an estate agent or auction website there will likely be floor plans to show the current layout including measurements for each room. These are unlikely to meet the council’s validation criteria but should be all we need to draw your existing floor plans with accurate measurements.

If you do not have access to existing floor plans, we simply require a rough sketch to show the current internal layout with the length, width and height measurements for each room.

If you are not making any changes to the floor plan you can simply upload the same version for your proposed floor plan and note in your written brief that there are no changes to the floor plan.

If you are making changes to the internal layout we need a sketch to show what the proposed new layout (floor plan) will look like with the length, width and height measurements for each room.  

If you are only making one or two minor changes it might be easier to mark on the changes on your existing floor plan and save as a copy as your proposed floor plan.

Please label what each room is, for example bedroom, bathroom, living room, office etc.

Our architects will then transform your previous plans or rough sketches into accurate scale floor plans that are correctly labelled to show what the existing and proposed layout will be.  

Measurements for the proposed development

For us to prepare your architectural drawings, we require some measurements from you.  

Don’t panic, you do not need to be a professional, anyone can do this, and we will explain how with easy to do this quickly and easily.

Bear in mind, thanks to OS mapping software we can see the external footprint with accurate measurements for any existing buildings or structures that already have planning permission approved but it is a good idea to cross-reference these with your measurements.

If there have been previous planning applications at the site address this might be all we require to see everything for the property as it is before your proposed changes

For anything NEW or CHANGING

For anything that is not yet built, there is nothing to see or measure, so whether we come to the site or not, we need you to tell us what you would like us to design and how big it should be.

If you are making changes to the existing property, again we can’t see or measure what is not already done, so we need to understand exactly how you wish to change the current design.

For anything EXISTING that will NOT change

Even if nothing is changing, for example, if you are simply changing the use, we still need to submit architect drawings to demonstrate this. 

For the external measurements, we can usually get accurate scale measurements for the property, providing it has already had planning approved and has been added the OS mapping software. However, it is a good idea cross reference these with your own measurements.

For the interior, we require floor plans with length, width and height measurements for each room.

Exterior Measurements for Elevations

For the existing building(s) please provide the following and label them on your rough sketches to limit the risk of confusion or misinterpretation.

Height – from ground level to the highest point of the roof.
Width – from the far left-hand side to the far right-hand side.
Length – from the front to the back of the property.  

For any extensions, additions or changes to the property, we need to know the proposed measurements. These can’t be measured if they don’t exist yet so you simply need to tell us the proposed size including height, length and width as applicable for any new extensions, buildings, balconies or dormers etc.  

All we require is a rough sketch to show the proposed design with measurements including height, length and width.

The sketch does not need to be to scale or look good, it is simply for us to work from.  

If you are buying something from a manufacturer such as a shed, prefabricated outbuilding, solar panels, heat pump, windows or doors please include these details in your design brief.

If there are multiple project components, such as an extension and a porch, we will need the dimensions for each component.

Interior Measurements for Floor Plans

Typically for any project relating to a building we need to submit existing 2D floor plans to show the internal layout of the rooms with dimensions for each.

We also need to submit proposed 2D-floor plans to show the internal layout of the rooms with proposed dimensions once the work is complete.

If your project does not impact the existing building in any way, then we usually won’t require floor plans for the existing building.

Typically Requires Floor plans – New build house, extensions, garage conversions, loft conversions, outbuildings, change of use, house in multiple occupancy (HMO) or porch.

Typically Does NOT Require Floor Plans –  decking, dropped kerb, driveway or wall, fence, roof-mounted solar panels, detached outbuilding such as a shed. 

For each room, please label the room type and the following measurements: 

Height – from floor to ceiling  
Width – from the left-hand wall to the right-hand wall
Length – from the front to the back

The sketch does not need to be to scale or look good.

The measurements do not need to be millimeter precise, so you do not need to be a professional. 

For your reference please see below a selection of example design briefs together with the approved architect drawings for each;

Example Design Brief for a Dropped Kerb
Example Design Brief for an Extension
Example Design Brief for a Loft Conversion
Example Design Brief for a Loft Conversion with Velux Windows
Example Design Brief for a Garage Conversion
Example Design Brief for a Fence
Example Design Brief for an Outbuilding
Example Design Brief for a Change of Use
Example Design Brief for a Conservatory

Design Brief Checklist

Written Design Brief (as much detail as you can)
Photos (all sides of the property + internal pics if applicable)
Rough sketch (showing external design or architect drawings if you already have)
External Measurements (for each project component as applicable)
Floor Plan Sketch (with length and width for each room as applicable)

To speed the process, please send us everything that is applicable to your project as detailed above. Once we have everything we need, we can begin working on the drawings immediately. 

If we require further information from you, we will let you know but it will save time if you are able to send us what require straight away.

If you have any questions about what we require please email or call us and we will be very happy to clarify what is required for your project.

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