So the point of employing an architect is clearly to get a better product and a well-managed process but this should not be considered a luxury – on the contrary, employing an architect should save you money in the long run because intelligent design is inherently economical. The best solutions to problems are simple and direct but they may not be immediately self-evident; this is where the architect comes in – his or her ability to unearth the right solution is based on seven years training and hard-won experience.

You don’t necessarily need to employ an architect throughout the building process. The amount of work you commission from your architect depends on the level of control you wish to have over the cost, quality and duration of your project. The more time you’re prepared to invest in the design process, the more confident you can be that you are getting exactly what you want; the more detail the architect provides in the tender documentation, the fewer awkward (and costly) surprises the builder is likely to encounter on site; keeping the architect on to administer a contract between you and your builder should help you keep control of costs and reduce the risk of the job over-running.