Non-Boaty..Architect recommendations anyone ?

[billcole]

Hi All
Can anyone give me any information on architects in East Anglia. We're thinking of extending our house and would like to hear any experiences, good or bad, with local domestic architects. We're near Colchester, so architects in Essex or Suffolk would be of interest.

It won't be a very big project, but we'd like a moderately interesting design that we probably wouldn't have thought of ourselves.

Thanks
Bill

 

[tugger]

http://www.wkparchitects.co.uk/

Have a look at Wincer Kievenaar, based in Hadleigh. Mark Wincer is a classic yacht owner himself so you there could be a mutual interest too.

 

[greylag]

http://www.wkparchitects.co.uk/

Have a look at Wincer Kievenaar, based in Hadleigh. Mark Wincer is a classic yacht owner himself so you there could be a mutual interest too.

If I am not mistaken, they designed the control tower at Shotley Marina. Not sure if that is a good reference though.

 

[Charlotte Anne]

Ben Powell is another local architect that sails… he has a trimaran that is usually moored off Harkstead beach on the Stour.

http://www.benpowellarchitects.co.uk

My wife is related to two happy clients.

 

[billcole]

Thanks for both these suggestions, very useful.

Bill

 

[Corribee Boy]

I wondered if Grayson Perry might be persuaded to run something up for you, but then I thought that wasn't very useful at all!

 

[Leighb]

Ben Powell is another local architect that sails… he has a trimaran that is usually moored off Harkstead beach on the Stour.

http://www.benpowellarchitects.co.uk

My wife is related to two happy clients.

+1 for Ben, he did a very good job for us when we were extending our cottage 14 years ago.

 

[billcole]

I wondered if Grayson Perry might be persuaded to run something up for you, but then I thought that wasn't very useful at all!

I did specify "moderately" interesting, I don't think Grayson does moderate !

 

[Corribee Boy]

So, you don't think a neo-byzantine reinterpretation of the parish church, implemented by toys r us as a Barbie playhouse, would suit the Essex countryside?

Many people of Wrabness might share those views!

 

[sailorman]

http://www.wkparchitects.co.uk/

Have a look at Wincer Kievenaar, based in Hadleigh. Mark Wincer is a classic yacht owner himself so you there could be a mutual interest too.

would he have been related to Ken Wincer

 

[ianc1200]

I'd advise looking at the Planning website of your local council, where you can see recently submitted/decided applications. You should be able to see who puts in a lot of applications locally. I'm a building inspector in West London and we have about a dozen local plan drawers, none of which are architects, who put in a high % of the Planning/B Regs applications. Unless you've got something much different to the norm, an architect might be a bit overkill for the usual domestic extension/alteration.

 

[Leighb]

An architect will do more than just draw up the plans and submit them for planning permission.
He will - or should - select a suitable builder, sort out the contract, supervise the build including and especially dealing with the pricing of the inevitable "extras" which if not carefully managed can greatly inflate the costs.
Ben did all that and more.