Brief Builder
A guided way to describe how you live, what matters most and how your new space should feel, in a brief you can share with your architect.
A good brief is more than a list of rooms. It describes how you live, what matters most, and the things that are hard to put into words if you’ve never done a building project before. Start by telling us what kind of project it is, and the questions will follow from there. Skip anything you’re unsure about; “not sure” is a useful answer too.
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Choose your project
Each type has its own questions.
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Answer at your own pace
Add numbers, priorities and pictures. Your answers are saved as you go.
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Download your brief
A PDF for your architect, with our projects that match.
Build your brief
Things to think about
Prompts to help you describe the place you want.
Places you love
What do you love about where you live now, or places you’ve lived before? The cosy, sunny spot for your morning coffee, or the window where you watch the world go by.
Connection to your surroundings
A stronger link to the garden, the neighbours or the wider community. How the building meets what’s around it shapes everyday life.
Light and views
Sunlight through large windows, a framed view of trees, soft light from above. These shape the atmosphere of a space more than almost anything else.
Holidays and places you remember
The feeling of arriving somewhere you loved. The spaces, the sounds, the light. They can all inform the place you make.
How life might change
Think about now and the years ahead. A building that can adapt stays useful for longer.
Making your budget work
Getting the most from what you spend.
Your budget as a design tool
A budget isn’t only a limit. Being clear about it early leads to inventive design decisions and adaptable spaces.
Spend where it matters
Put money into what you’ll notice every day: a special window, a material you love, a kitchen to gather in.
Planning for future change
Designing so a building can be extended, altered or divided later often leads to richer ideas, and to buildings that are comfortable and easy to heat.
Who else might be involved
Other people your project may need.
Quantity Surveyor
Architects aren’t cost consultants. A Quantity Surveyor reviewing the cost of the design is often essential.
Measured Survey
An accurate survey of the existing building or site is needed early on so proposals can be drawn properly.
Structural Engineer
Most projects need one. They usually work after planning approval, though earlier input can help.
Heritage Consultant
Often needed for listed buildings and conservation areas, to assess what’s significant and support planning and listed building consent.
Ecologist and Tree Consultant
Needed if the site is ecologically sensitive, if roofs or buildings are being altered, or if trees could be affected.
Ready to share your brief? We’d love to hear from you.
Download your brief and send it over to us.
We’ll get back to you to talk it through.