Graham Lea Architecture

Graham Lea Architecture is an architectural design firm based in Preston, Lancashire. We take pride in creating exceptional residential and commercial buildings. Our architectural services range from contemporary home extensions to innovative commercial developments. We also provide services for minor applications and alterations. We believe our greatest skill lies in helping our clients explore their design needs and visualising their desires for each project. Getting to the bottom of every small but important detail is key to the success of our projects.

Planning permission isn't always required for a house extension. It may be that your project can proceed through the Permitted Development rules. However, if it is needed then the following process must be followed and permission granted before work can commence. Works on site should not commence until Planning Approval has been granted (where applicable), and any works carried out need to comply with the approved scheme. The planning system looks at the impact the development may have on the surrounding environment.

It is almost always advisable to carry out a feasibility study. In fact, the start of your own thought process is the start of that study. Questions like: Is there enough room for six bedrooms? Am I likely to get planning permission? Will the type of material I want to use give me the results I need? During our first site visit we'll talk to you about any obvious concerns we have regarding the feasibility of the project. Given that a lot of these queries will relate to planning, a feasibility study will often also include obtaining pre-application advice from your local Council.

We at Graham Lea offer a wide range of Architectural Services including both Residential and Commercial Services. Our services include: Commercial buildings, New Builds, House Extensions, Office Conversions, Industrial Building Design, Garage conversions, Loft Conversions, Internal Alterations, Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs), Licence plans - whatever your design needs may be Graham Lea Architecture provides a comprehensive range of commercial and residential architectural services. Having building work done or commissioning a commercial project can be complicated, particularly if it's unfamiliar territory.

It's important to be honest with yourself at this point. If you don't have the space to meet these requirements then you might need to rethink your plans. Once we have established if your loft conversion project is feasible we will be only too happy to discuss the architectural design and development of this with you and submit all the necessary paperwork for a planning application if one is needed. Loft conversions can sometimes be done within Permitted Development but you are limited to 40 cubic metres.

You love your house and like where you live but you need more space. Building an extension is a great way of creating additional living space and increasing the value of your property. The first thing you need to do is find out is if the house extension you want is going to be feasible. To do this we would do abasic feasibility study. This might involve a site visit or taking a quick look over the plans on Google. You need to know if what you want to do with your project will work or not, what permissions will be required, what restraints the site hasand ultimately determine if it is worth preparingplans and going a head with the build.

It's common knowledge that you don't always need toget planning permission for some development and changes of use- this is known as Permitted Development. However, there are complex rules as to what can and cannot be done without planning permission, which we would discuss with you from the outset. Commercial permitted Development includes among other things : the conversion of offices to dwellings, changes of use between certain use classes, and the change of use of barns to dwellings. Householder Permitted Development includes the erection of porches, extensions and loft conversions.

If it's a home extension you are planning, we always advise our clients to explore and organise their key ideas into a ‘mood board' or collection of images, using as many resources as they can. Seeing what is already out therecan help generate ideas you might not have considered before and inspire you to create your own highlyoriginal design concept. As part of the design and planning process we will spend time discussing with you how you live now and how you expect your new space to enhance your quality of life.