Design Services

Onaek can provide you with a full repertoire of services to assist a building owner or occupier carry out virtually any scheme. Our team have the necessary skills and qualifications to undertake the Principal Designer role required under the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2015.

Projects could involve refurbishing or extending a building, constructing a new building from scratch, or providing detailed plans to assist the asset management.

Architectural Services we can provide include:

• Architectural Design
• Mechanical and Electrical Design
• Specification Writing
• Contract Administration and Project Management

Our team’s skills and expertise acquired in these services have been honed over the years on a wide range of properties including: offices, lecture theatres, art galleries, student accommodation, schools, libraries, colleges, restaurants, sports clubs, sheltered accommodation, private and social domestic dwellings.

Architectural Design

This process begins with an initial site visit to consider the feasibility of any proposal in relation to legislation and costs and the formulation of a design brief. At this stage we would then advise if a full Feasibility Study is required which we can also proceed with on instruction. This would then be followed by the preparation of appropriate and accurate scheme drawings leading to the submission of applications for Planning Permission and Building Regulations approval. Where applicable our Designers Risk Assessment would also be issued to highlight any residual Health and Safety risks which could not be ‘designed out’ of the scheme.

For the majority of domestic schemes a fixed price quotation for our professional fees can be provided. For commercial schemes the work stages would be in accordance with the RIBA ‘Plan of Work’. This provides the client with understanding of when each stage of the project will be carried out and also when payments must be made.

Mechanical & Electrical Design

Our team also has the experience to produce designs for mechanical and electrical installations. It is rare that any alterations and refurbishments to a building can be done without implications to items often overlooked by clients such as; heating, lighting, power supplies, fire alarms, networking points and security alarms. Most Architects and Building Surveying firms are simply not qualified, experienced or insured to carry such design works.

We however, are able to provide these services using our own in-house staff, giving the client a single point of contact which in turn also helps to minimise fees.

Specification Writing

Specification writing and the production of Schedules of Work are often carried out in conjunction with architectural, mechanical and electrical drawings which would then form a package suitable for tender purposes and for the implementation of a construction scheme. This enables us as the designers and you as the client to control the exact products required and the exact details of how each task in a project is carried out. Perhaps most importantly though it ensures the project budget can be controlled.

A specification or schedule of work can also be used as a sole document. Most buildings require repairs and refurbishments during their life cycle. Generally, the older they get the more frequently repairs are required and the more expensive they can become especially if they are not constantly managed. Also a building may on occasion undergo a change in use. Such repairs can include redecoration, re-roofing, window repairs and replacements, structural repairs, re-pointing and stone cleaning to name but a few. We can advise on the scope and urgency of repairs to ensure that these are carried out in the most economical way.

Our repair/refurbishment specifications can be prepared in a variety of formats, all designed to be ready to issue for tender purposes.

Contract Administration and Project Management

Contract Administrators duties follow on from the scheme preparation. We offer a bespoke package to suit each project. This provides the client with the ultimate flexibility and gives the option of handing over as little or as much of the project management responsibility as they wish.

In brief the C.A. / P.M. roles on a typical project are: confirming general standards of workmanship, agreeing any cost variations, certifying interim payment claims from the contractor, snagging the works and issuing Certificates of Practical and Final Completion.