Why accurate survey information matters
The design journey from inception to completion is a long road.
Design development and navigation of statutory consents for a micro-project can exceed 12-months and if you’re talking about a commercial project, then get ready to start counting the years.
The quantity of information exchanges during the development journey is massive. Complex projects naturally intensify information exchanges between Project Team members (design and technical consultants) and increases the importance of accurate information. But project complexity isn’t the determining factor when deciding how best to start an architectural project.
Even the smallest and seemingly straight-forward of projects should commence with an accurate digital picture of the existing scenario. Why? Because everything is built upon the beginning.
Opportunities and constrains diagrams. Concept design. Design development. Planning drawings. Building Regulation information. Tender Pack. Construction details. Actual construction. This is a headline sequence of the main stages only. You could break each one down further into isolated design and construction tasks.
Just a couple of scenarios I have experienced when poor survey information has been used:
The survey is showing the existing dwelling to be orthogonal but in reality, the existing dwelling is significantly angular. Nightmare scenario. If you accepted this survey information as accurate, all of the design work would assume 90-degree junctions. Consequently, it would all be wrong and if left undiscovered until the construction stage, you would have some serious issues on site. This type of ‘survey’ is most likely to have been performed by hand, using a tape measure and will be highly erroneous.
Poor survey data was originally used by a developer for a HMO conversion and they couldn’t achieve the nationally described space standards for the proposal. When Unity Architects commissioned a professionally performed laser measured building survey, it revealed that we could in fact achieve the space standards. This presented significant value to the developer, which will far outweigh the cost of the professional survey.
Planning consent had already been approved for works to an existing dwelling prior to Unity Architects’ involvement. This consent was based upon poor survey information commissioned by others and was highly erroneous in scale, mass and form. The client who subsequently purchased this dwelling, wanted to re-work the proposals and make a fresh planning application with the support of Unity Architects. Our client did in fact commission a Measured Building Survey and a Topographical Survey. However, the Local Planning Authority held the client against the details contained in the previously consented scheme, which were all wrong. This created significant complications during the planning determination period. An unfortunate scenario for our client who followed the correct path. Demonstrative of the issues poor survey data can introduce for others down the line…beware purchasing that building or piece of land that benefits from ‘planning permission.’ Permission for what exactly? Done by who and to what level of accuracy?
There is no such thing as a cheap architectural project. They all cost many thousands of pounds to procure. So why undermine the future success of your own project by cutting corners in the first instance?
If you use poor quality survey information at the beginning, someone, at some stage, is going to need to resolve this on your behalf. The further down the project journey this is discovered, the more timely and expensive the remedy.
Unity Architects’ approach:
If you are working with an existing building, ensure you commission a professionally performed Measured Building Survey.
If you are dealing with a piece of land, ensure you commission a professionally performed Topographical Survey.
If you are dealing with a site that may have concealed below ground constraints, ensure you commission a professionally performed survey which attends to the nature of the potential below ground elements. This could be a utilities survey, as an example.
If you are dealing with a site which may have sensitive ecological or environmental implications, understand the matters at hand and address these as necessary, with appropriately timed and suitably conducted professional surveys.
Each project is unique and may require a combination of different surveys, to ensure the site is understood as best possible, prior to commencing significant design and construction tasks. Whilst there will always be unforeseeable instances, the best approach is to use comprehensive information at each step of the design journey and this starts with accurate survey information.