A guide to Architectural services and fees

February 2022 saw the introduction of a €1bn government scheme for energy retrofitting of existing homes. In this leaflet we provide an outline of the scheme and the grants available. We also include various supporting documents from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Click on the link below to download the full guide in PDF form which includes hyperlinks to the SEAI supporting docs and application forms. Hope you find it useful.

Planning is often regarded as something to avoid at all costs. So much so that our built environment, when viewed from the air, looks like cookie cutter architecture: swathes of homes with the ubiquitous 40 sq m extension, often at the expense of providing truly useful space. However it is our experience that planners want to give planning so long as it complies with the development plan (which is very flexible). Hopefully this guide will remove some of the mystery and encourage more clients to embrace the planning process. It will explain how to apply for planning and give some insight into how planning is adjudicated.

This leaflet is a practical guide to attic conversions which are more complex than first imagined. If you want to create a habitable room in the loft it will outline many of the considerations.

This useful infographic presents 25 key rules for low energy passive sustainable design. It includes guidelines for site layout, solar orientation, window placement, passive ventilation and more. It will be useful for designers, students and clients interested in more detail on the passive design process. It can be downloaded in PDF form free of charge and without having to register.

What is Passive House? What are its benefits? This download is a guide to Passive House design. It explains the 7 key ideas that make up the passive house approach to building. I also outline the benefits and have developed and include an online calculator for working out cost benefit.

Download our practical guide to the work you can do on and around your house without needing to apply for planning permission. It sets out the limits and constraints and conditions you must observe. Exempted development is development for which planning permission is not required. This leaflet outlines some important exemptions regarding domestic developments. Exemptions are usually subject to conditions in areas such as height and/or floor area of structures. Where thresholds of the conditions are exceeded, the exemptions no longer apply. Click on the image opposite to download PDF.

If you are interested in better understanding what drives building costs and want a strategy for dealing with the inevitable cost uncertainty then this guide may be useful. You should also be able to establish a preliminary cost estimate using our online calculator and cost templates introduced in this document and the associated downloads.

1 minute video exploring the design of roof glazing and some of the science behind its effectiveness.

1 minute video offering really useful Window Design Tips. You’d be surprised how much science is behind the side and positioning of windows in architectural design.

1 minute video exploring the place of eco tecnologies and eco design