Consultation

At DAK we're here to help and offer all of our potential clients a free consultation and project review, covering feasibility, planning constraints, structural considerations, design options, budget requirements, design and build process, and time-frames. 

Begin with the end in mind

It's really important before you start any project to spend a significant proportion of time thinking about what you want to achieve when the project is complete. What's the vision you're trying to create, what sort of space do you want to build, what materials do you like, what will it be used for, and how will it integrate into your life and your current home or building. What are the things your trying to find solutions for and what are the key goals and aspirations for the project. The more time that can be spent developing a clear project brief and the more detailed the brief, the faster the project will move forward. 

Consider all options

Every project is unique and brings it's own challenges. Sometimes, due to budget, structural or planning constraints it's important to be able to assess all options and develop a solution that will work within the planning framework, budget, and characteristics of the site.

Think about what you can do

Some projects can be really challenging and may have already failed at the first hurdle in the past, however, when stretching the boundaries it's really important to think about what is possible and what can be done rather than what can't. In the majority of cases, there's always a solution with the correct strategy and approach. 

Be clear about what adds value and what doesn't

If you're planning to remodel your forever home, creating a return on your investment may be less of a priority but it's still important to be clear about what adds value and what doesn't. If your an investor or you're looking to progress up the property ladder at some point in the future then it's really important to understand the return different types of design will generate. It's possible to invest the same amount of money into the same project, with the same brief, and generate vastly different levels of return. Size isn't always the most important thing, however in the majority of cases adding square feet will provide a significantly better return than structural alterations and large amounts of steelwork. Usually, both are required but it's important to get the balance right.  

Surround yourself with brilliant people

When planning a project the key considerations in addition to the project scope are usually:

- How will it look and what will the layout be?

- Do I need and will I get planning permission?

- How much will it cost? 

- How long will it take?

- Is it possible from a structural perspective?

In order to answer these questions surround yourself with brilliant people. This means a planning consultant that is not only an expert but can also think strategically and creatively about the different options available within the existing planning policy and framework. A designer that really cares about your brief and developing a design that will meet all of your aspirations. It's really important your designer, registered architect or otherwise listens to you, takes time to understand you and your individual needs, and develops a design that fulfills your brief within the restraints available. Lastly the design needs to reflect the realms of whats possible within the existing structure. The structural engineer will determine the specifications and design elements for the key technical aspects of the build and will need to be great problem solvers as well as be able to find the simplest and most effective solution.