Approach
Our Approach
We firstly approach a project by finding out what the client brief is.
This includes a brief priority hierarchy which determines what brief requests are; supplementary, important and critical. Once a brief is established, we discuss with the quantity surveyor or the client the budget and programme. At this stage, we advise on which elements can or cannot be achieved. This frank and transparent discussion is important to ensure that client expectations are managed as well as providing an efficient design rather than commencing something too expensive which requires significant redesign at a later date to fall within budget. We then provide a scheme design and energy strategy for the project which we discuss with the rest of the design team including what extent of energy efficiency is provided from the mechanical and electrical services and how much is provided through the building fabric. Throughout the whole life of the project, we discuss the servicing strategy in detail with the design team, focussing on how it will fit into the building, its appearance and functionality. A successful design will fully integrate, and be in keeping with the style of building.
Our Workflow
For designs, we firstly meet with the client and the other design team to determine the client brief and budget.
We like to understand the client’s operational requirements and rationale for specific requests to enable us to advise on the best solution. This ensures we meet the needs of our clients which satisfies criteria dictated by engineering solutions, space restriction, programme and budget. We work with our clients to help prioritise their brief requirements to gain a better understanding before providing a solution. We provide the client with options and discuss the pros and cons of each so that they fully understand any risks, allowing them to make an informed decision as to which services solution best meets their needs. For Surveys, we also meet the client in the first instance to determine the extent and purpose of the work required. Our surveys provide a fully detailed assessment of the services while reporting them in a clear and concise manner ensuring the information can be easily shared with non-technical colleagues as required.
Ongoing Support
Fully integrated support for our clients.
We can provide ongoing support for projects by carrying out a client monitoring role throughout the duration of the project. This includes attending site meetings and helping review the installation against the specification and good workmanship standards. We also review any of the contractor’s proposals including plant manufacturer and selection, which helps ensure a safe installation of high-quality products. We provide tailored designs to our clients’ requirements. Due to our experience in the industry, we would say that we are experts in both utilities and residential design. We have carried out multiple successful design projects providing utilities to houses, terraced housing and flats. That experience with so many, simple and complex residential designs has given us a deeper understanding of almost all of the design options, their pros and cons and which is best for each scheme. We keep up to speed with industry developments by reading the CIBSE & IET journals, looking through the Building magazine as well as having regular meetings and attending seminars with manufacturers within our industry.
