What is design and build?
Design and build is a single-contract procurement route where one company takes responsibility for both the design and the construction of your project. Instead of appointing an architect, then a structural engineer, then separately tendering to builders, you appoint one team that carries the work from first sketch through to completed handover — with one point of contact and one accountable party for cost, programme and quality.
How is design and build different from the traditional route?
Under the traditional route the client holds separate contracts with the designer and the contractor, and gaps between them become the client’s problem — design clashes, variations and blame-shifting. With design and build, the architects, structural engineers and construction team sit under one roof, so buildability is designed in from day one, the quote reflects what will actually be built, and there is no finger-pointing when something needs resolving.
Do you handle planning and building regulations?
Yes. Our in-house RIBA architects prepare and submit the full planning application, conservation area and listed building consents where needed, and the building regulations package. Because the same team then builds the scheme, the consented drawings translate directly into construction.
Is design and build more expensive?
Usually the opposite. A single integrated team removes the duplicated fees, design-to-site translation errors and variation claims that inflate traditionally procured projects. You receive one fixed price after the design stage, and the cost certainty is one of the main reasons clients choose the route.
Which areas of London do you cover for design and build?
We deliver design-and-build projects across North London, Central London and South West London — from our design studio on Finchley Road in Hampstead NW3 — including Hampstead, Highgate, Belsize Park, St John’s Wood, Belgravia, Mayfair, Chelsea and Kensington.