Chartership

Receipt of a renewal certificate for our RIBA Chartered Practice status
prompts us to remind prospective clients that we are Chartered Architects
and, via our Planning Director, Kelly Grunnill, Chartered Planning
Consultants, carrying full professional indemnity insurance.

These standards give you assurance of our professional capabilities and
conduct, and we are proud to be unusual as a small, domestic practice, in
offering BOTH.

The title ‘Architect’ is protected by law, and can only be used by
individuals or practices with suitable accreditation (ARB registration or
RIBA membership). Unfortunately, the title ‘Planning Consultant’ carries no
such protection and it’s not unusual to find unqualified plans-drawers
styling themselves as such, on the basis that they think themselves expert
having submitted a few Planning applications. Sadly, Planning law and
practise is a lot more complicated than that, these days, so always look for
the MRTPI (Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute) as an assurance of
Chartered status when you’re looking for Planning expertise.

Beware that many small practices and individuals offering domestic design
services have no formal accreditation at all, and some don’t even carry
professional indemnity insurance. That might seem fine when you get their
cheap invoice, but you’re on your own if something goes wrong.