Virtual reality

Wow, just wow. I been playing on the PlayStation VR and it is incredible. Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, virtual reality was a dream. We never really believed that it would become a reality, much like hover boards and robots that talk and think like people. But these things are becoming reality. 

I am blown away by VR. It was the first time I had tried it, I recommend that everyone gives it a go. You can go deep sea diving with a shark, go on a rollercoaster and go into outer space, all in your living room. It is so unbelievably lifelike. You enter into a room and look up and you can see a vaulted ceiling with mouldings and detailed 3D statues in the walls. You look down at a very realistic tiled floor. All around you is a new room you have never entered before and it’s so real that your mind is tricked into believing that these things are there and can be touched. 

Which brings us to the future of architectural design. One day soon we are going to imagine our dream house and be able to take a tour of it before it is built. We could check what furniture would look good, we could wake up in the morning looking at the view from the window and adjust the position of the rooms according to the sun. Would we even have to build it at all? Would it be possible to actually live in a virtual world? 

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De Montfort University Architecture students (class of 2004) reunion!

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I had great night out with some old friends from university in Leicester yesterday - it was good to catch up and see what everyone is now doing! I’ll try not to leave it so long next time!

It’s amazing to see how much of the city has changed since I was last there over ten years ago, parts of it were unrecognisable and completely transformed. I finally saw first hand the shiny John Lewis building with its glass walkway above the road and patterned glass facades, adjacent to the silver metallic cinema complex. The urban design of the city has been transformed with a glossy new finish; roads and buildings having been removed making way for large, welcoming pedestrian areas and open spaces. Shops and bars are livelier than ever in the modernised parts of town.

What was sadly shocking though is that although the city has been transformed, the cost of living has escalated and there were a lot more homeless people on the streets than ever. I don’t remember passing so many in one area, other than on the streets of London. 

I also felt very alienated, as it had been so long and I didn’t recognise my old home town, surrounded by today’s young students enjoying their Saturday night out, I have become suddenly very old! Fortunately I had my old friends with me who felt the same way!  

Back home now and off to collect the boys from Gramdma and Grandad’s, back to normality and the home comforts of rural Suffolk. 

 

Bridges

Travelling home from Norfolk. These road bridges remind me of a university group project where we had to build a bridge from balsa wood, glue and string. I remember coating the thing in PVA glue to make it as strong as possible. It had a triangular structure underneath and didn’t take the weight very well. It wasn’t the worst, but it wasn’t the best in class either. The tutor said it would have worked much better if we had built it upside down!! 

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Full Architectural Services

Stowmarket

Planning, Building Regulations, Principal Designer & Tender Documentation

My Client has recently gone out to tender on his project in Stowmarket, which involves a living room extension, conservatory and first floor extension. For this project I have obtained planning permission and building regulations approval, as well as having been appointed Principal Designer for the design stage and completing the preparation of tender documentation.

I have recently issued the invitation to tender to competing building contractors on the Client's behalf. This involved putting together a full tender package for the building firms to work from, including details of the planning permission, building regulations drawings, Principal Designer information and Structural Engineer's details. 

The Client is hoping to make a start on the project in February 2018 and we aim to receive the quotations back mid-October.

Having had feedback from one of the Main Contractors to whom I issued a tender invitation, he thought that my tender package was very thorough and was impressed with the level of information provided.

This is the first project which I have completed as Let's Design Architecture through from design stage to tender submission, since becoming self-employed. I hope it is the first of many!

Further details of the project under my Projects page:

Housing Development

Benhall

9 House Development

I have been appointed to carry out a 9 house development in Benhall. The project is still in the preliminary stages - the 9 houses will incorporate a mix of house types, designed in a traditional Suffolk form with modern features including large elements of glazing and open plan living.

It is an exciting project to be involved with and I look forward to updating you on further development of the scheme.

News and updates

Welcome to the new Let's Design Architecture newsfeed!

I've started a newsfeed to keep my followers updated with the projects I have been involved with as well as keeping you updated on recent developments within the business and anything which may be of interest happening within the building trade or local area.

Since becoming self-employed in early 2016, I have been involved with a variety of different and exciting projects. These include: -

  • Obtaining planning permission for new build properties including both bungalows and houses
  • Obtaining planning permission for a number of extension & alteration projects
  • Advising on Permitted Development rights and obtaining consents or agreements from the Local Planning Authority where necessary
  • Assistance with obtaining retrospective planning consent
  • Barn conversion projects under Class Q Permitted Development
  • Conceptual design
  • Building regulations drawings for a number of extension and new build projects
  • Electrical layouts and details

I am currently also involved in a housing layout project for 9 new build properties, works to a shop with first floor flat as well as ongoing home renovation and extension projects.

I can undertake architectural services as required, from initial measured surveys, design concepts, planning applications and advising on listed buildings, to building regulations drawings and project co-ordination.

More information on some of my projects so far can be seen on the 'projects' page. I hope to soon be in a position to put up photographs of finished projects, when the building works are completed for the projects I have obtained consent for and am currently working on.

If you have any architecture related enquiries for your own home or new build site, please contact me to discuss your project in more detail and I will come out to you to provide a free quotation. I work from home so am flexible when it comes to meetings and site visits, so I should be able to fit around your schedule.

Zoe

Planning Portal - website change

For those who use Planning Portal on a regular basis, for planning applications and building regulations information - the Planning Portal website has changed this weekend from planningportal.gov.uk to planningportal.co.uk. What this means is that if you try to search it on Google you may not be able to find it!

Just type https://www.planningportal.co.uk/ into the search bar and you should be redirected to the new site. When you log in you will be asked to change your password, check your junk mail for the temporary password, and eventually you will be able to log in to the new site and see your existing saved planning applications.

Hope that helps for anyone who was having the same problems I was!