Your Guide to Church Growth Trust's Architectural Services and the RIBA workstages

Your Guide to Church Growth Trust’s Architectural Services and the RIBA workstages

CONTACT DETAILS Church Growth Trust 1 Manor Farm Barns, Baines Lane, Seaton, Oakham, Rutland, LE15 9HP 01536 201339 enquiries@churchgrowth.org.uk www.churchgrowth.org.uk Church Growth Trust is the operating name of Church Growth Trust Limited, a registered charity no. 1138119, and a company limited by guarantee no. 07352319, registered in England

CONTENTS

Introduction

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0 Work Stage 0: Strategic Definition

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1 Work Stage 1: Preparation and Brief

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Project Planning

2 Work Stage 2: Concept Design

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3 Work Stage 3: Developed Design

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4 Work Stage 4: Technical Design

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5 Work Stage 5: Construction

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6 Work Stage 6: Handover and Close Out

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7 Work Stage 7: In Use

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The RIBA describe the Plan of Work as an organisation of the processes of briefing, designing, delivering, maintaining and operating a building into eight stages. This Plan operates as a framework for all disciplines involved with construction projects to be used as guidance for the preparation of detailed professional services and building contracts.

The rationale of the diagram being circular seeks to highlight the imperative upon all project stakeholders to consider building projects as being ‘circular’ exercises in terms of their resource allocation and environmental impacts. In practice this means considering the full life-cycle of the building right from early concept design stage taking in account matters such as durability and environmental credentials of construction methods, ease of on-going maintenance and repurposing of the building at the end of its useable life span.

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Sources: The RIBA Plan of Work 2020.

Introduction

At Church Growth Trust we are committed to seeking God’s will with you for your church and will prayerfully consider how your property can be used to fulfil its potential. We employ a Chartered Architect who can assist you in the full range of Architectural Services to help you with your building project whatever its size.

This document has been prepared to assist you in understanding the typical stages that are necessary for most building projects. The Royal Institute of British Architects has set out a Plan of Work, a copy of which can be found at this web address: www.architecture. com. Stages 0, 1 and 2 will take as much as 60% of the total time of the project. At the end of this process the design for the building will be fixed. This is a fundamental point. Beyond this point there is no changing the project without incurring delay and increased costs.

However, why would a project need to change when so much time, prayer and money has been spent ensuring that the project is the right one? Stages 3 and 4 will take normally about 20% of the time; although this will depend in some measure on how smoothly the planning process goes and the permission is obtained.

Stages 5 and 6, which is the building period, will take about 20% of the total project time. This will also depend on the time of year the project is begun. For example, one which runs through the winter may be delayed by falling temperatures, which can impair the setting of concrete and mortar, and poor ground conditions.

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No two projects are the same, and if you do wish to use our Architectural Services, we will need to discuss what applies to your own particular project. We can help you with all, or part of your building project and will tailor our services to suit you.

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Work Stage 0: Defining the project Strategic definition 3-12 months

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A building project usually starts with a need for either more space or to create a different space. You may not know exactly what you want at this early stage and part of an Architect’s skill is to help you establish how your needs can be met within the context of your building and its location.

At this stage it is essential for the church to think about what your role is within the local community, how God wants to use you to serve the specific needs of the people around you and the particular people He wants you to reach with the Gospel.

The reasons for the building project may be obvious (e.g. lack of space requiring an extension to the main worship area) and easily defined. However, there may be other less obvious things that come up during the discussions, such as fire exits or improving access for people with disabilities. There may also be the added possibility for an overall approach to improve the building, which will be worth exploring, even if this is not pursued. A key thing is not to close down discussions too soon, as some simple and cheap upgrades may be missed through a drive to move on. Discussions will need to be “managed”, as some people become initially enthused and emotionally engaged. This is positive, but it can lead to other more thoughtful people with equally helpful views and opinions being ignored or silenced.

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It will be important to prayerfully think about the proposed works in the light of your church’s vision, who you are looking to help and reach, and possibly concerns about how the building frustrates initiatives and current outreach. Out of this initial work, a draft project will emerge which will have a goal (i.e. what the work is intended to achieve) and a draft layout plan, which shows how the goal is intended to be achieved through the work. NOTE – this is NOT a church meeting to agree the project. This is a meeting of elders or leaders to establish the brief.

Feasibility Study It can be really helpful to start by looking at the feasibility of a project – to see if something is possible. We can produce rough ideas based on your initial thoughts which can be used to formulate a brief, and decide if there is to be a project at all.

You will need to look at the financial viability of a scheme and we can help you to think realistically about this, using basic cost formulae for the size of the potential project.

It might be necessary to contact your Local Planning Authority at this stage to establish any planning issues that might affect the development of the building. There are charges for this type of preapplication advice that vary according to each Local Authority.

It is important for you as a church to form a building project team who are able to guide the church towards making decisions and establishing the best means of project communication which is channeled through one designated contact person.

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Work Stage 1: What are your objectives and what will it cost roughly?

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Preparation & Brief 3-9 months Preparation will entail some practical procedures described here: Survey The first stage of most projects is a survey. We generally carry out our measured surveys on all but the biggest projects. We also carry out Asbestos Surveys – it is now law for all non-residential properties, including public buildings, to have an Asbestos Management for the safety of “those persons who are likely to disturb asbestos while carrying out their everyday work, or who may influence how work is carried out”.

History of Site and Building It is vital for us to know about your site in as much detail as possible. Every site is different, but here are some things that you might be able to provide for us: • Previous Health & Safety Files – if you have had any work done since 2000.

• Legal definition of boundaries and any covenants on land.

• The planning and legal history of the site, including whether it is a Listed Building or in a Conservation Area.

• Details of any services under or above the site and the adequacy and age of each service.

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• Details of previous asbestos surveys carried out at the property and any asbestos management plan documents.

• Details of any flood risk assessments, or notes relating to any previous flooding events.

• Details of previous foundations. Any historical plans.

• Details of any wells or watercourses known on the site.

• A 1:1250 scale plan of your site – available from the Local Authority. We can source a digital copy of this on your behalf if you do not have one.

Brief We will help you with any information you might need to compile a written brief. This brief may be as little as a few ideas written down or it may be something more detailed. Whatever form it takes, you need to express your wishes to us.

Other matters that might need further input from specialists: • Structural Survey – a Structural Engineer might be needed to assess the existing fabric of the building, to establish existing structural problems and to ensure that any alterations or additions will be possible.

• Ground-bearing Conditions and Soils Investigation Reports as necessary.

• Ground Contamination Report – most important, especially for new buildings.

• Environmental Survey – there may be protected species in the area, such as bats and you may need a specialist survey to prove that your development will not have an adverse impact on them.

• Noise Survey – places of worship sometimes encounter difficulties with planning due to amplified sound and it is occasionally necessary to seek specialist advice.

• Travel Plan – in all cases it is necessary to provide a Travel Plan to prove that an increase in the capacity of a building will not cause problems with parking and increased traffic.

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Feasibility Having defined the brief you will then discuss in more detail with our Architect what you are aiming to achieve through the project. In response to this our Architect can then produce some scale drawings of the property with different options to meet the brief.

Outline costings for each option will be provided at this point for you to think about and discuss with us. It will be important to have an understanding as to what will be required financially, so that an early view can be formed about whether the project can be paid for or not.

If the project is thought to be beyond your reach, in faith, then revised building options can be considered. If it is considered that the project is viable, then it will enter Stage 2. By the end of this Stage, the members of the church project team should be known.

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Project Planning This Timeline illustrates the length of time usually allowed for each Workstage on a typical small job up to commencement on site.

Initial Design

A smaller less complex project may take less time during the design stage and a larger project could take significantly longer. The length of time allowed for fundraising can also significantly affect the timing of the work and, if quotes are required for grant applications, the project

Workstage

Description

Time Allowed

0 Strategic Definition

Initial visit

1 day

1 Preparation & Brief

Fee proposal & appointment

2 weeks

2 Concept Design

Survey & feasibility study/sketch schemes

6 weeks

Feedback & adjusted design

4 weeks

Detailed drawings completed

2 weeks

Planning application

8 weeks

3 Development Design

4 Technical Design

Planning decision date

Detailed Design

Detailed drawings prepared

8 weeks

Building regulations submitted

5 Construction

Allow period for making changes

4 weeks

Documentaion for tender prepared

4 weeks

Contractors invited for tender

Minimum of 4 weeks

Construction Phase

Analisys of returned tender

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Fundraising Contractor prepares for starting work

3 weeks

Contract period

Typically 3-6 months

6. Handover

Defects liability period ends

3 months after completion

7. Use

Please keep in touch

3 Months Defects Liability Period

Month 12

Month 11

Month 10

Month 9

Month 8

Month 7

Month 6

Month 5

Month 4

Month 3

Month 2

Month 1

will be on hold between receiving the tender information and being awarded the grant funds. Builders can normally only hold their price for three months and will want to adjust their price after this period to reflect any increase in building materials.

Funding needs to be in place before contractor work starts work

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Work Stage 2: Fixing the design for a planning application Concept Design 3-6 months At this point it is important for the professional specialists to start talking to the Planning Authority (perhaps through a pre-application enquiry) about what you have in mind to build, to get advice and respond to suggestions and comments from the Authority about what it will and will not accept. This part of the process will lead to what we call a project fix – that is, what we all agree is going to be built, subject to planning permission being granted. Everyone agrees this as the fix so that no major changes are allowed beyond this point.

Scheme Design We will develop a scheme design based upon the preferred option and produce a suite of drawings for review. These will usually be outline scaled drawings for the floor layout, site layout, elevations (looking side on), structure and services. We also generate 3D views to help form an understanding of the proposals.

Feedback Your feedback is essential at this stage to ensure that we are providing a building that meets your needs.

Church members and building project team Often it is the church members who will be raising funds to finance the building project and it is essential that the church is united in a shared vision. To help communicate

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the process of a project we are able to present the proposals to the church membership at each relevant stage if you request this.

We would then discuss this scheme with the building project team and either agree to it, amend it, or produce further thoughts until we have reached an approved scheme to take forward to the next stage.

Cost Plan At this stage, we can provide a more detailed cost estimate, based on previous work that we have been involved with, to help you plan a budget for the project. Alternatively, a cost plan can be prepared by a Quantity Surveyor, who will measure quantities of materials and give an approximate cost. This independent service is not within our fee. It is essential that you consider the whole financial viability of the project at an early stage. Please also allow for VAT, which is generally applicable on all alterations.

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Work Stage 3: This is what we are going to get permission to build Developed Design 3-6 months Planning Application This is the stage where we would make a planning application (and Listed Building Application if applicable).

It is a really good idea to be in communication with your neighbours about your proposals early on and certainly before the application is submitted. Every application is available for public comment and any issues that surface at this stage can delay the application and in extreme cases result in a refusal. This application will attract a planning fee. The cost will depend on the size of the development and you will be required to send a cheque directly to the Local Authority for the application to be registered.

A 1:1250 scale plan of your site will be required to accompany the application (if we have not already bought this for a previous stage).

The Local Authority has an eight-week statutory period to make a decision and they generally try their best to comply with this period; although delays are sometimes unavoidable. Generally, the Local Authority will contact us if there is a problem with the application. The application and any comments received will usually be available for public viewing on the Local Authority website.

The more complicated projects may require a meeting on site with the planners. Detailed planning permission is valid for three years. You will also need to comply with all conditions on the permission or apply to have them removed or varied.

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Detailed Design and Building Regulations Application Our detailed design will involve preparation of construction drawings.

We will need to discuss everything in more detail at this stage and agree on internal finishes, fixtures and fittings that will be included in the construction phase.

We would then be in a position to make a Building Regulations application. This application will attract a fee payable to the Local Authority which will vary according to the size of the project and will also attract VAT. It is possible to use an Approved Inspector, rather than the Local Authority Building Control Officer. It is important to lodge a Building Regulations application prior to issuing the tender, so that any feedback from the Inspector’s plan check can be incorporated into the detailed drawings prior to pricing.

The inspector will usually require structural calculations at this stage, which would be prepared by a Structural Engineer. We do not include structural calculations within our work.

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Work Stage 4: These are the technical drawings Technical Design 3-6 months The Architect continues to prepare designs. There may be the need to employ other specialists such as Heating, Ventilation and Electrical Engineers. We will co-ordinate their work and obtain their proposals in detail at this stage. On most projects, we produce our own layouts with a performance specification for installations by the sub-contractors.

Depending on the size and scale of the project, these designs are coupled with the developed design to form a tender document which is sent to builders to provide a total price for building the project. On larger projects, an updated cost plan from the Quantity Surveyor is recommended at this stage before going out to tender. This helps to work out costs for any reductions (or additions) to the project, if these are required later. This work can take place at any time during the design process and you may have a preferred contractor or supplier that you want to use. It is important that we start communications with these third parties early to be able to accommodate their recommendations within the overall design.

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Work Stage 5: Let us get building Construction 3-12 months* (*depending on the size of the project)

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Tender Action We would invite competitive tenders at this stage from three or four contractors. You may have a nominated list of preferred contractors who have carried out work for you previously. We are happy to invite tenders from your nominated list, provided that we are assured of the quality of their work. We will also analyse the returned tenders on your behalf and advise you on the returned information.

Legal Agreement/Pre-Contract We would strongly recommend that all works be completed under a written Building Contract with the Contractor, and we are happy to advise on the best type of contract for your works. It is essential before you enter into a legally binding contract with the Building Contractor for you to make sure that a number of matters have been addressed satisfactorily. If these are not dealt with in advance the likelihood is that this will have cost implications for the client if the contract has been signed and then an unresolved client matter prevents progress of the project. The following list is not comprehensive, but things to consider: • Funds - You have sufficient funds in place for the project both in total and for the monthly certificates (payments to the contractor).

• Ownership - You have a proper legal title to the land, there are no legal disputes at all and boundaries are clear.

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• Party Wall - An agreement must be in place where there is work not just on the party wall or boundary but within 3 metres (or 6m in specific circumstances) of the boundary. This normally requires an agreement to be signed by the parties (i.e. your neighbours) at least 14 days before the work begins.

• Contract - We can arrange the contract documents on your behalf with the appointed contractor. These documents commit the contractor to build in accordance with the contract documents for a certain sum in a certain period. It also commits you to pay the contractor in accordance with the terms of the contract. Usually in monthly stage payments throughout the contract until completion.

• Insurance - The Principal Contractor is responsible for his general Insurance and public liability insurance. You are responsible for your own public liability insurance. On new works, the fire insurance is the responsibility of the Principal Contractor. Where work is taking place on an existing building, then you will need to take out fire insurance in joint names with the contractor and yourself. These insurances will all need to be in place BEFORE work starts. We would always recommend contacting your existing building insurer to make them aware when you are looking to undertake any building works, to check if these works will have any implications on your cover.

During the contract, the following will need to be considered: • Retention - Normally a “retention” of 5% of the value of the contract is held back from each interim payment (usually paid monthly) to cover any potential defects. Half of this cumulative retention sum will typically be paid to the Contractor at Practical Completion of the works, with the remaining balance being due to the Contractor upon completion of the making good of defects arising during the agreed defects liability period specified within the contract. (Please refer to ‘snagging’ below)

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• Building Control Officer - The Building Control Body will need to inspect the works during construction. They will require a fee for this work which is payable by you in advance. The Building Control Officer will issue a Completion Certificate to you at the end of the project. We can help advise on getting the relevant Building Control body in place to carry out both a Plan Check and the Inspections required.

• Planning conditions - There may be certain planning conditions that will need to be discharged during the course of the construction works and prior to you being able to occupy the completed building. CGT can help to assist, working alongside the Principal Contractor, to ensure that these conditions are closedout in a timely manner.

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Work Stage 6: It is finished Handover and Close Out 3-12 months Snagging Before a project is handed over to the client, the Architect will inspect the work to see if anything has been done that is either not in line with the contract or has failed since it was installed. This is known as “snagging” and a snagging list is produced. The Architect will only issue a Completion Certificate once these works have been completed. The retention figure is normally then reduced to 2.5% of the contract value.

Any documents such as Electrical Certificates or similar will be handed over to the client, and will make up the Health and Safety File. The contractor should also demonstrate to the client how installations like burglar alarms work.

Health & Safety Plan Under the Health & Safety Plan, which is part of the CDM Regulations, necessary documents such as Electrical Certificates, Building Control Certificates, Heating Certificates, Guarantees and Building Manuals are to be given to you at handover. This is known as the Health & Safety File. The Contractor will also show you how the building works (e.g. heating system and alarm controls)

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Defects Beyond this initial phase there is Defects Liability Period (typically 3-6 months), which covers defects that emerge after the completion of the work and when the project is in use by the client. Often minimal cracking and other minor defects do occur. You should keep a list of anything that happens or is noticed and let the Architect know in writing.

However, if there is anything which prevents you from enjoying your new building, please let us know immediately.

The Architect will carry out a further inspection and give the contractor a list of defects. The Contractor will have to address this list to be able to have the balance of the retention money released.

Work Stage 7: Let us get in the building!

In Use

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You now have the building back and will be using it. Our prayer is you will be thrilled by the work that has been done and be able to better serve God and those He has given to you through your improved facilities.

We welcome the opportunity to revisit you after completion, to take photographs for our own marketing purposes and to see how the project has addressed the issues raised at concept stage. It is also useful for us to hear feedback from clients, both good and bad, in order for us to improve the services we offer.

We hope you have found this information useful, if you would like to discuss our services in more detail, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Church Growth Trust’s Architect: Jonny Heaney 1 Manor Farm Barns Baines Lane Seaton OAKHAM LE15 9HP Tel: 01536 647162 Mobile: 07707 938977 Email: jonny.heaney@churchgrowth.org.uk

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December 2021