Commercial
Architecture
We know you’re keen to get your new business space up and running as soon as possible.
We know you’re keen to get your new business space up and running as soon as possible. We’ll work together to understand your vision, taking into consideration all the needs of your business to offer designs that are ideal for customers and employees.
The more you share with us, the more we can do for you. Our experienced team provides both creative and functional architectural solutions to help you make the best use of your business space.
We have experience working on listed buildings and within conservation areas, and can lead you through planning and building regulations approvals. We’ll keep you informed throughout the project, supporting you to stay on time and within budget.
How we can support you
We deliver commercial projects through a variety of procurement scenarios. Working in a range of sectors, we work on the design and build of both new and existing properties. Communication is key to the successful delivery of these projects, and we are experienced and skilled in obtaining relevant briefing information from our clients and their stakeholders. We establish a detailed brief with our clients at the outset, identifying key drivers such as construction cost, programme, and other project specific constraints and aspirations, providing a benchmark against which the success of the project can be measured. Our approach is value-driven, and cost management is central to our design philosophy.
We have experience with innovative approaches to cost estimating, risk management and whole life costing, allowing budget risks to be quantified at the earliest stages. Assessing and prioritising of project risk according to cost impact helps clients structure their expenditure and achieve an acceptable level of cost certainty at each stage. We can carry out assessment studies for complex projects identifying constraints, stakeholder requirements and project risks. All our projects are designed to be as environmentally sustainable as possible. We will prioritise strategies that reduce construction costs before considering those that minimise running and maintenance costs to meet and exceed building regulation requirements cost-effectively.
Projects we can support
Industrial
Whether you need a large farm shed or a fully operational work unit we have experience in designing and building in this sector. Finding the right site and communicating with the planning department at an early stage is key to getting these projects off the ground.
Hospitality
Over time we have worked on a variety of buildings within the hospitality sector, from a small deli through to bars and restaurants. We understand the need to balance function with the visual impact whilst making the business as economically viable going forward.
Education
Understanding how a school or college operates is key to getting a high end user friendly education building. We have a wealth of experience in the education department and work closely with staff and governors to ensure a well designed building meets the budgetary requirements.
Ecclesiastical
Most ecclesiastical buildings are used for a variety of different functions and we have the skill set to visualise the space and how it can be used for small functions to larger gatherings.
How we work
We offer free, no obligation meetings with clients at the start of any residential architecture project. Here, we’ll discuss your requirements and ideas. We’ll then carry out a full measured survey of the property prior to preparing the concept design drawings.
Upon completion of the measured survey we will prepare the concept design drawings based on our discussions and the brief provided. In many cases client request 3D sketches so that they can visualise the end result.
Once a design has been agreed we will prepare all the drawings and documents required for a planning application. Once an application has been submitted we are in regular contact with the planning department to enable as swift and straightforward a planning approval as possible.
Almost all building work requires building control approval. We produce a full set of technical drawings that comply with current regulations and are suitably detailed for the builder. We will guide you through the building control process and supply any additional information required.
We will assist you with obtaining competitive tenders from contractors, review their proposals, and provide guidance during the selection process. We also offer an on-site inspection service where we make regular site visits. We'll ensure everything is built according to the drawings and the workmanship is of a high standard.
We will ensure that all as built drawings, health and safety files and associated documentation is available at the completion of the project.
Explore our guides and checklists for commercial projects
Commcercial Projects
Frequently Asked Questions
Commercial architecture is any design and building work that is not residential. We are happy to discuss any project that you have in mind and see how we will be able to assist you.
Not all the time but the majority of work will require planning, we can advise you on the best way forward.
It depends on the level of work required for the change of use, if drawings are required then we would encourage you to engage the services of DMA.
In most cases a residential property can be changed to commercial but planning permission is required. The planning department will want to know what the new use will be, what the opening hours are, how many staff will be working there, is there adequate parking, etc. We can work with you to gather all the information required for the planning permission.
We are open to consider all projects and judge each project on the resources available at the time.
We offer a full service including onsite inspections, contract administration and regular meeting with the client, contractor and design team throughout the construction phase.