Before you start the process of hiring an architect, one of the most valuable uses of your time is to create an in-depth design brief that will outline exactly what it is you are hoping to achieve from your project. “When creating a brief for an architect or designer, it should be much more than an Excel spreadsheet of rooms and room sizes,” says Neil Turner, an architect and director at Howarth Litchfield Architects. “A good brief will explain how you live, work and play in the house and express your personality, views and opinions. All sorts of mediums can be used, so you shouldn’t feel tied down or restricted by one type. Your brief can be created with pictures, diagrams, drawings, models and materials — the more information the better.
“I always advise clients to take the time to prepare this, as this description is the start, the script from which the new or altered house
