Building Regulations and Technical Design
Your Home Plans prepares detailed Building Regulations and technical drawing packages for extensions, conversions and residential projects, in Chichester and the surrounding towns and villages. We coordinate the architectural design with structural and specialist information to provide a clearer route towards construction.
CIAT Chartered Practice · Established 2007 · Chichester & Surrounding Areas
From Approved Idea to Buildable Detail
Planning and Building Regulations Are Different
Planning Drawings
Show the scale, appearance and layout of the proposed development for consideration by the local planning authority.
Technical Drawings
Develop the approved design into coordinated construction information, considering how the structure, building fabric and principal elements work together.
Detailed Drawings
Project-specific plans, sections and construction details covering the principal elements required for Building Regulations assessment and construction.
Structural
Co-ordination
Architectural and structural information coordinated so that beams, foundations, openings and other supporting elements work with the proposed design.
Specialist Input
Additional reports and designs identified where required, with relevant information from engineers, consultants and manufacturers coordinated into the project.
Building Control
Preparation and submission of the Building Regulations application, followed by reasonable liaison during the plan-check process. Approval remains subject to Building Control’s assessment.
A clear route towards construction
01
Confirm Design
02
Develop Details
03
Structural Design
04
Finalise Drawings
05
Building Control
Technical Design in Practice: Oakhurst ~ Pulborough
Retaining the Existing Building Without Compromising the New Space
Oakhurst involved the extensive remodelling and extension of a large existing property. An earlier single-storey addition was to be
retained and adapted to accommodate a new kitchen and two bedrooms with en-suite facilities.
Replacing its entire roof would have added considerable cost. The challenge was therefore to retain as much of the existing construction as practicable while integrating a modest rear extension and creating a coherent roof above the enlarged kitchen.
Coordinating the Roof Structure
The Building Regulations drawings were developed sufficiently to establish the proposed construction and give the structural engineer a clear basis for their design.
Once the structural information was received, the cranked beams, roof valleys, rafters and ceiling supports were incorporated into the architectural drawings and checked against the proposed ceiling levels, walls and openings.
Potential conflicts were then identified and discussed with the engineer so that the structural design and architectural intent worked together before the drawings were finalised.
Adapting to Later Changes
A further small extension to Bed 3 was introduced after the principal design had been developed. This required an additional flat-roof structure to be coordinated with the bedroom, en-suite and the wider Building Regulations package.
The change illustrates why it is valuable to consider the requirements of the whole property as early as possible. Later additions can still be accommodated, but they may require further planning, structural design and revisions to information that has already been coordinated.
The Value of Technical Coordination
Oakhurst demonstrates that technical design is not simply a matter of adding construction notes to planning drawings. It involves understanding how decisions about floor levels, ceilings, roof geometry, structure and existing construction affect the experience of the finished rooms—and coordinating those elements so that the design remains practical to build.
