You’re just mean and nasty. Why can’t you be more like me, and be nice to everyone?

Because I’m not on powerful antipsychotic drugs ?

GRRRRizzlygus …….

never trust anyone who does their top button up and doesn’t wear a tie.
if they wear snazzy colored thick rimmed glasses and have an obsession with propelling pencils then steer well clear.

That sounds like some very sound advice to me MrSmith. Which I’m going to try my best to remember.

I’m one, built a fair few buildings in Devon & Hampshire…

Mr Smith – I don’t wear a tie, does that mean I’m dodgy or maybe my ravishing good looks distract people from seeing my lack of a tie!!!!

I am an engineer… but I do have an MSc in Environmental Architecture as well 😉 Doesn’t really count though!

(Technically it is MSc Architecture: Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies)

(With Merit)

Never mind all that bollox RobS ……. do you have a ‘propelling pencil’ ?

Can i just make a small suggestion to all you architects on here. Firstly, I love your work but ….
…. see when you get asked to redesign a house for budget X can you please design something that can ACTUALLY be built for budget X. Not something that actually can be built for budget X + $135,000 even after just about every decent feature (bifold doors, windows) etc have been taken out so i am left with basically what i have now, just bigger and uglier and still $49,000 over budget. Please communicate with your client and think “If this was me what would I expect”. What i expect is a phone call to say “Hey we need some more time/$/scope to be removed before we carry on”. Not to carry on then get all feisty when i refuse to pay yor bill as I have not authroised your work. And then don;t fling the contract at me if you don;t understand contracts. Tragically I do and when you don;t meet your OWN obligations under the contract then you are in a slightly less than ideal position to start waving your small, albeit with black rimmed glasses in, w1lly. *and breathe* Please, talk to your clients. Please.

Thanks and sorry i had to just say that 🙂

Sounds like you had a really bad experience, was your architect doing the whole QS thing or were you doing it or did you have a proper QS. Unfortunately if prices aren’t looked after from day one and a reserve kept in the back then this can happen

Our “conservation specialist” architect, offered a reduced size of building to the planners without asking us first stitching us right up with the planners.

When we queried this with them afterwards they got all stroppy.

We then had to re-submit a new Listed Building application ourselves to get something that actually worked.

Not used an architect since, we now do it all ourselves.

Man you guys have some horrors.

Well im a Building Surveyor / Designer / PM, but work alongside our architects day in day out, and they are not having a good time right now, esp considering roughly half the architects in Manchester are currently unemployed (as so many of them worked for developers and housebuilders – remember them??).

To make matters worse, all my colleagues spent about 95% of their time working on BSF / Learning Skills Council school and college designs, which have all now basically been put on hold (*read “panned”) by the Govt. Constructions a shite industry to be in right now, infact, I bet they’d even consider working for TJ right now!

Ah mr marin that reminds me was going to send you an email in response to the FM question.

Yes, I do have a propelling pencil somewhere… and proper technical drawing pens too 😉

Most architects seem to have bollox all idea about environmental design and at best add a veneer of greenwash to projects. Makes me sooo Maaaaaad so it does!

Taff – we went through detailed design, got it QS’d and our builder worked with the QS and architect to see what it could be built for. Came back 130,000 over budget. They then tweaked the design and removed, well lets be honest, most of the features we wanted for energy efficiency. Came back 60K over budget. Then they silently (without telling us) removed the bifold doors and double glazing off one side. That was 45K over budget. They than told the builder to tell us that it could be built for budget because, they had a plan. The plan was to remove the contingency $ from the budget ……. 😕
They were relying on some miracle to occur if we went to tender (which we had always said we would not do as we already had a builder who we have used on other properties before and who we trust completely, he is also a mate). Anyway, end of the story is still some time away ….

It’s interesting that most experiences are related to a single architect or firm of… but then the phrase “most of them…” is used.

Being an Architect is tough and most people have no idea what the role involves. Unfortunately most architects aren’t very good at explaining their services either. It is a profession and most act with the highest professional standards.

If you are unhappy with the performance of an architect you can always complain to the ARB. As a profession that has a protected title members can be struck off for misconduct or negligence.

Perhaps some of the horror stories are not from architects at all, many people claim to be architects without having qualifications. You should check on http://search.arb.org.uk/

wow totally even forgot i had posted this topic haha! quite a lot of stories there… well guys i shall endeavour to become an architect of the future, an architect that is liked :D!!

im studying at the robert gordons university in aberdeen, not the best place for architecture but then i might have chosen it for the biking too…… no really. i dont have a saab dont really want one, dont have a fixie though they look cool, and dont wear my top button done up though my mate on my course does.. eek.

As a planner I am on the ‘other side’, I encounter some great architects and some truly appalling ones, I suppose it just mirrors society really.

Much like planners really, only we tend not to be Australian and only staying for 6 months. 😛
On a project which may take 18 months to grind slowly towards getting planning permission having no continuity in terms of development control costs us and our clients tens of thousands of pounds.

All down to consultation I am afraid. When planners are consulted from the beginning, projects tend to tun a lot smoother. Never met an australian planner.

The fact is, architects need planners more than we need architects.

Plus, if you have compalints regards time and costs (SPA, s106 etc), then it is the DCLG who set the parameters, not the planners. It is government beaurocracy, of course it is not going to run exceedingy quick an smooth is it?

You don’t work in London then.

Most of my projects tend to use Transport Works Act Orders so fortunately I don’t have to deal with planners as patronising as you are.

And I would hope you never ever have to….

LOL – this thread is full of reasons for punters not to use architects and the shed thread has a photo of why punters shouldn’t not use them!

Ah, you carefully edited your post as I was typing.

Planners are fine if you treat them with respect then they will treat you well back. The projects I have worked on have all had very good relationships with them, mainly due to the fact that we’re trying to do something good and with real quality, unlike this lot below.

http://badbritisharchitecture.blogspot.com/

I feel I am being drawn into this…

Planning + Creative = Good.
Planning > Creative = Bad

I don’t have a good word to say for LA planners, abysmal. A one year course bolted onto a 2.2 in Geography/Sociology… you could only work in the public sector you talentless, feckless, arses.

<and breathe>

Blimey, and I thought I was being a bit iffy by saying that someone was patronising.
That blog is quite funny though.

me?

I have a lot of money riding on the daily fluctuations of an early 20’s LA planner who just has to have her say. I tried adding random bits on just so she could tell me to take them off…

Have you ever seen a 3 bed Northumberland farmers cottage with brise soleil and an atrium? have you?

Oh dear, at least you make up with being a biker 😉

No, but I think I might like it……………..

Maybe a couple of canons à lumière might help out?

I am a Roadie… 😯

that’s weird…..I have another internet tab open right now, on the hunt for an architect in the NE Highlands…..
Should I just close it down and revert to reading STW forums now?

miket-23, how does one in Huntly sound?

aP: No need, the atrium was partially glazed in reclaimed, locally sourced hard coat low E glass and worked as part of the active stack ventilation system controlled by an off-site computer.

My! That one ticks all of the wrong boxes 😉

You want to see the stupid things the council appointed architect has done to my building. Its going to end in court. He has commissioned works that he has no authority to do, he has altered a listed building significantly without listed building consents and done significant damage to it that can never be corrected now. I think his stupid decisions have put £500 000 on to the bill out of £1.5 million – thats £40 000 more we have to pay!

loddrik – Member

All down to consultation I am afraid. When planners are consulted from the beginning, projects tend to tun a lot smoother.

When planners stop hiding behind the phrase ‘This advice is given without prejudice’, stop changing their minds (for whatever reason), read their own local/unitary plans, and get at least a rudimentary understanding of Listed Building Legislation, it might be worth taking that seriously.

The fact is, architects need planners more than we need architects.

Is that council policy? I’ll show that quote to the next client I have to explain a planning related delay to.

TJ sounds like he made a right mess. At least in theory north and south of the border Listed Building protection extends to the whole building. Messing up on this is a criminal offence so unfortunately his indemnity insurance may insist the architect pays this element of your claim should it come to that.

Like others have said in all professions there are good and bad practitioners.

you need to get the right level planner when discussing a job.

you need to get the right type of architect for your chosen job.

you need to get the right engineer for your design.

you need the right sort of contractor for the building work.

most of the time the above never happens due to cost being the driving factor so it all ends in tears. check experience as well as quotes.

Richie – better than that – If I win my court case not only will we not have to pay the part of the bill but he will have to pay for correcting the errors. Council out of pocket £500 000 and him another many tens of thousands to repair it. Unfortunatly some cannot be repaired – holes drilled into original stones and so on.