Coordinate the frame with the home you want to build.
A new home offers an opportunity to align the structural system with the architecture from the beginning. Ground information, spans, materials, stability and build sequence all shape that system.
Small domestic alterations still deserve careful engineering. The focus is on what carries the load, what will change and the information your contractor needs to price and plan the work. For new-build homes, the first conversation is about your objectives, what is known about the building and what needs to be established.
What the appointment can include
- Review of the architectural concept and structural options
- Design of the specified foundation and superstructure
- Coordination of openings, floor zones and roof supports
- Agreed structural drawings and calculations
- Interface review with relevant specialist designers
The written quotation will identify the actual deliverables and exclusions for your project.
Questions to resolve
What ground information is available?
Start with the available drawings and observations. Where the information is incomplete, agree the necessary survey or investigation before making a design assumption.
Which structural material suits the proposed layout?
Consider how the proposed work connects to the existing property and any specialist design. Record interfaces and limitations in the project brief.
Who designs the interfaces with specialist systems?
Make the responsibility clear in writing. A coordinated project needs a shared understanding of who provides, checks and uses each part of the information.
Explore an illustrative project
Our concept study explains the design questions without presenting generated imagery as evidence of client work.
Opening up a family kitchen ↗