Tag: planning drawings

SER Engineering

Building a new home, or extending your property? ACJ offers full structural engineering services, to ensure your build is safe, while still within budget.

What is SER and why would I need it?

In Scotland, all new build homes, and certain other projects too, require that appropriate structural calculations are carried out to ensure the safety of the build. These calculations form the basis for a Structural Engineers Registration (SER) design certificate and are submitted with your building warrant application.

How can ACJ help?

ACJ Design offers a full range of structural and engineering services, from timber frame calculations, steel calculations, site investigations and SER engineers. We can provide these services to new builds and existing developments, ensuring that all your information, calculations and plans are correct and that your design certificate is appropriate for your project prior to warrant submission.

Services

We’ll carry out the following services and provide the relevant information that can be used at warrant application stage, if required.
– Timber frame structural designs
– Timber frame engineering and calculations
– Site investigation reports
– SER engineering for extensions and new builds
– Site visits/investigation to check existing property
– Foundation layouts, including specifications
– Floor plans & specifications
– All key structural timber frame junctions
– Sections with all specifications and connections shown
– Timber frame design when required
– Floor joist layouts, specifications and calculations
– Roof truss layouts, specifications and calculations

Safety, standards and your budget

We don’t cut corners, but we know you have a budget to keep to. We always advise on cost-effective options while still remaining well within national and European safety standards. All our structural calculations are in accordance with the relevant BSI standards and we are fully insured.

Building Warrant Drawings

Building warrant applications made simple. Get it right first time with precision drawings from the expert architectural services team at ACJ Design.

Why do I need a building warrant?

In addition to planning permission, you will also need to apply for a building warrant from the local council before you can start building work on your home. While planning permission largely focuses on how the external structure of your home will look, to get a building warrant you will need to show that the design of your home (both inside and outside) will meet all the requirements of the latest domestic building regulations.

ACJ Design Simplifies Building Warrant Applications

The architectural services team within ACJ Design are experienced in warrant applications. We provide accurate drawings of your plans and we can act as your agent and make the application on your behalf, smoothing the process and cutting out the jargon.

Professional, Precise and Thorough

ACJ Design not only designs your property, we specify and manufacture the timber frame systems that will be used in its construction.  This means we’re uniquely qualified to produce and maintain a coherent set of accurate, version controlled drawings for every step of the process.

Once planning approval is received ACJ Design can prepare and submit the application for building warrant approval based on detailed drawings agreed with yourself in advance of the submission.  We’ll then monitor and progress the application, and respond to any technical objections raised on your behalf, while keeping you fully informed at all times.

structurally  sound

Typically, an architect wouldn’t produce full structural designs until after warrant approval. ACJ Design does things differently.  We believe that proper planning is critical to a successful outcome. No-one wants to be faced with delays and costs caused by ill-fitting connections and services clashes halfway through their build, so we have processes in place to be sure we get it right first time.

All structural designs for site, construction and production are produced in conjunction with the architectural drawings used in warrant applications. You can be confident that the services, details and features specified therein have been precisely planned and will work first time in situ.

Design Concept

Over the years ACJ Group has noticed that there are mainly three types of inquiries when it comes to self-builds. Thinking about a self build? Away to purchase a plot? Already own a plot?

Looking to build your home? By choosing ACJ Group to design your timber frame kit home means you’ll not only save
money, but you also save time and gain peace of mind.

Our in-house professional team of architectural technicians have designed a wide range of plans for many different styles of
house design, each of which can be remodelled to suit your requirements, or we can create a bespoke design from scratch.

Our designers plan every aspect of your self-build with precision models using the latest 3D computer systems, providing you
with a photorealistic visualisation of your design, so you can make informed decisions upfront, eliminating waste and costly errors.

Becouse ACJ Group can provide manufacturing and installation, means we’re uniquely placed to select the right materials
and construction methods to ensure your home build is flawless.

Thinking about a self build?    Away to purchase a plot?    Already own a plot?

Over the years ACJ Group has noticed that there are mainly three types of inquiries when it comes to self-builds. Thinking about a self build? Away to purchase a plot? Already own a plot?

What all three types of inquiries have in common is they don’t really want to progress or commit to much prior to finding out the information they need, the problem is within the industry not every company is in a position or confident to provide this information and advise clients to wait until they have purchased the plot and they have architectural drawings produced, then going in for tender. This can potentially create unrealistic goals and can put clients in a bad position, designing a house but can’t afford to build.

This is why ACJ group offer a design concept service. For a small fee, we will sit down with you or talk to you over the phone and email finding out your requirements and budget on what it is you’re looking to achieve. We will design you a house and produce a 3D model to suit your requirements without any other commitment thereafter. During this service we will also advise you on the timber frame wall systems and renewables for the house and build costs helping you make informed decisions at the beginning.

After this service we can offer you an architectural fee propsal and deducting the design concept fee.

This means before you even apply for planning permission or purchased a plot of land you know ACJ Group can provide you with a build solution that comes within your overall budget provided, giving you the confidence that you can actually achieve your goals.

Planning Permission

The experienced planning team at ACJ Design can help you get your planning application right first time, saving you time and money.

Do I need planning permission? How do I get planning permission? These are the questions we get asked most frequently and for good reason.

Get it right first time

Even for medium sized building projects such as extensions, gaining planning permission can be a headache if you’re not prepared. The wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly and even the smoothest application can take at least two months to complete, so it’s important to get it right first time, as a resubmission could cost you a further three to six-month delay.

Your trusted advisor

We have plenty of experience in dealing with planning applications, so if you need advice, talk to us, or for complete peace of mind, leave it all to us and we’ll represent you. ACJ Design can take your applications through the full planning consent process to get you a decision by the relevant local authority in as short a time as possible.

Accurate and consistent plans throughout the project

Having a single source of plans, rather than working with an independent architect, cuts out delays in planning and warrant applications and saves you time and money.
We will prepare and submit the planning application based on drawings agreed with yourself in advance of the submission. Our team of professionals ensures that throughout the design process, from the planning to production to construction, you have a set of version controlled, consistent and coherent plans.

Keeping you informed

In full consultation with yourself, we monitor and drive forward progress on the planning, carry out any negotiations required with planning officers and consultants and respond to any representations/objections we are made aware of.
In the unlikely event that the application requires consideration by the council’s Planning and Regulatory Services Committee, we will make a presentation to the committee making full and visual use of the information submitted with the planning application.

Latest legislation

Dealing with so many applications, we keep ourselves fully informed on latest legislation and guidance and will work with you to minimise the requirement for further procedures and assessments, wherever possible. We communicate with the planning officers, to understand their view of the proposal before recommending how to proceed.

Architectural Works

ACJ’s in-house architectural services design team are fully qualified to design and plan your complete build, saving you time and money.

Do you need an architect?

ACJ Group has an in-house design services team, fully qualified to design every aspect of your new build property, extension or renovation.

Working closely with the other services within the ACJ group, ACJ Design is uniquely placed to select the right materials and construction methods that will ensure your home build is flawless.

Advanced 3D modelling eliminates errors

When you work with ACJ Design, our architectural technicians design and plan every aspect of your build.  We precision model each project on the latest 3D computer systems, eliminating waste and errors upfront, enhancing efficient production and construction, and allowing you to see an accurate view of your project, so you can make informed decisions about your build, with no surprises.

Save time and money with one point of contact

When one team of professionals takes responsibility for all aspects of your design, from the planning to production to construction, you can be confident of a set of consistent coherent plans throughout the process.

Having a single source of plans, rather than working with an independent architect, cuts out delays in planning and warrant applications and saves you time and money.

Energy-efficiency designed in

All ACJ homes are designed with energy-efficiency built in, so heating your home is cost effective and hassle free.  Our design team are uniquely placed to advise you on the ACJ wall system to suit your needs and budget, we carry out energy performance calculations based on your selected materials and advise you where and how to make savings.

We are justifiably proud that ACJ Design team developed the industry leading Therm-U-Wall system, a breakthrough in energy-efficient wall systems, suitable for use in the demanding specifications of passive house builds.

Industry leaders in PassivHaus technology

ACJ Design designers have been behind some of the most prestigious designs.
We designed wall systems that were certified and used within the most innovative energy-efficient builds of their kind within Scotland and the UK, including;

– The First Fully Certified PassivHaus in Scotland.
– The First Fully Certified Affordable housing PassivHaus in Scotland.
– The First Fully Certified terrace of passive houses in Scotland.
– The First Fully Certified PassivHaus housing development in the UK