Our approach is simple.

We aim to produce beautiful, forward-thinking designs and clever spaces to bring your vision to life. To do this, we will take you through various key stages: Survey and Brief Development, Feasibility Study, Planning Permission, Technical Design and Construction, within a process that delivers maximum value and joy.

Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA)

We are a RIBA chartered practice which means that we work in accordance with the RIBA’s ‘Plan of Work’. This means that we work through the sequential work stages as set out by the RIBA’s conditions of engagement 

Architects Registration Board (ARB)

We are registered with ARB and work in accordance with their Code of Conduct.

How we work with you.

Our approach typically covers six RIBA work stages. You do not have to appoint us for all stages, but we would be delighted to help you see your project from your initial vision, right through to completion.

PRE PLANNING APPROVAL

Stage 00.

Survey and Brief Development

We conduct a thorough survey of your site and work with you to clearly define your vision, needs and expectations.

STAGE 01.

Feasibility Study

We will take you through a series of design proposals that satisfy your brief and allows for further development.

STAGE 02--03.

Planning Submission
(Planning Application)

Your chosen design is submitted with all the required information to the relevant planning authority. We prepare all the deliverables needed for the planning application.

At this stage we anticipate a period of 6-8 weeks before a decision from the planners is received.

Over the last 21 years we have worked very hard to build good relationships with planning authorities across London and the south east and the overwhelming majority of our projects gain planning consent. Although we are very proud of our success rate it is very important to mention that planning authorities can be unpredictable. Therefore, we can never guarantee success in gaining a planning consent.

POST PLANNING APPROVAL

STAGE 04.

Technical Designs

We collate the technical designs needed for building control submission and work alongside you to choose the right contractor for your project. (We always recommend that you tender to at least 3 contractors for a quote, and if needed, we are happy to help with recommendations)

STAGE 05.

Construction to Practical Completion

We can offer our services here in two ways:
1. Administration of the building contract between you and your chosen contractor, to make sure the work happens as you have agreed.
2. Project Management, including helping to solve any design queries that arise during construction.

STAGE 06.

Handover and Close Out

Project Completion. Woop woop!

Our fees.

 

As is typical with most architectural practices, our fees are calculated in two ways. Either as a percentage of the contract value i.e. the build costs, or on a time basis, which means that we’ll apply an hourly rate for the time it takes to complete the project.

Our fee proposals are always clear, transparent and broken down according to the stages above, and as mentioned above, you are not obliged to appoint us for all stages.

 
 
 

Percentage based fees

Fees based on a percentage will vary according to the size and cost of the building contract.

As a rough guide, a relatively small project would normally have a higher percentage fee (around 15%), while a larger project would have a lower fee percentage.

The fees for a typical project for us falls within the region of 11%-13% of the construction contract value.

Time-based fees

Our hourly rates are charged based on both the complexity and scale of the project or task and the experience level of the architect(s) working on the project.

  • >Measured surveys /topographical surveys

    >Specialist interior design services, colour schemes, furniture and furnishing selection

    >Design of freestanding and built-in furniture

    >Specialist lighting design

    >Landscape design

    >Party wall negotiations with adjoining neighbours

    >If we haven’t been appointed through to Stage 05 (see above) we can charge for design queries, changes and resolutions on an ad hoc basis

    >Liaising, on your behalf, with public utility companies in respect of gas, electricity, water, drainage matters

    >Liaising with home automation and IT specialist suppliers / sub-contractors

 

SURVEYING AND PARTY WALL SERVICES.

We are a multi-disciplinary practice meaning that we can offer you services that go far beyond architectural designs. We offer surveying services on a full range of residential and commercial matters and are proud of our exceptional track record working with clients across London and the South East and internationally.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

  1. You Contact Us and tell us all about your surveying or party wall query or needs.

  2. We arrange a call to discuss your needs in detail.

  3. We shape our proposal, service and fees to suit your specific needs, ensuring you get the most effective solution.

READY TO GET STARTED?

 

Our design values

As a black-owned practice based in South East London, we never want to take Inclusion and Diversity for granted, especially as we grow our practice and take on increasingly challenging and exciting projects.

We believe that until we have centred the most traditionally excluded, we can never create truly inclusive design. For us, this means a practice of deep listening and involvement, limiting assumptions and exploring the plurality of experiences that can exist within communities we work in and with. As a practice, no matter how close we are to these communities, if we don’t listen we will never capture this nuance.

For this reason, we hold the following five values in everything we do.  

 
 

  • We don’t impose what we think we know on people or communities, we design alongside our clients to produce more impactful outcomes

  • We want to ensure that the talented people that work at Bolans reflect the nuanced experiences of the communities we work in and serve.

  • Actively listening, not taking anything for granted.

  • Inclusivity means designing spaces that also serve those people and communities that exist on the margins.

  • People and communities are not a monolith and are never one thing. We want our designs to celebrate the nuances.

 
 

Lets work together.

For us every project is personal. Our Architects and Designers design with passion, rigour and integrity. We fight your corner to make sure that you get the most out of your investment and space. Get in touch to see how you can make the most of your project today.