About Us
What is Architect GP? And how can we help?
Let’s be clear - Architect GPs are experts in design and homes, not medicine. We borrow the concept of the GP - your local first point of call for medical advice - because we believe that concepts like local accessibility, trusting relationships, person-focused practice, continuity of service and referral networks can inform the delivery of built-environment professional services, just as they do for medical professional services.
The Architect GPs that you can book on this site all run their own practices, are fully insured and registered, and have been invited to be part of the Architect GP model. All of them have demonstrated an active understanding of person-centred practice, because this is not a service provided by just any architect.
Just like your trusted local GP — we’ll help you make informed decisions in life’s big and small moments
Your local Architect GP will meet you at your home, workplace or project address. They will arrive ready to work on the spot to respond to your questions, give specific advice and sketch in real time.
Our advice might be preventative, such as in helping you to avoid common problems and expensive mistakes.
Sometimes we deliver a lightbulb design moment, like, “Oh wow! Can we really do that!?”
Sometimes our work takes the form of confirming that a property you “think” is right actually does have the potential you can visualise, with the added bonus of a design drawing to describe how you can realise your goals.
We’re just like your trusted local GP - only for your home not your health
We’ll help you made informed decisions in life’s big and small moments.
Big moments - like the need for more space to accommodate a growing family, considering buying a new home, downsizing for retirement or reorganising your home to better suit your needs once your children move out.
Small moments - like whether you should relocate a Legal Point of Discharge for some new landscaping, whether the spare bedroom can be turned into an AirBnB, or how to get more storage space in the kitchen.
All of these big and small moments have the potential to be life-changing, and we know you’ll benefit from expert advice, customised for your situation and needs.
We believe architecture is fundamentally a people-facing profession
Yes, houses and homes are the end-product, but the right decisions about what to build, how much to build and even whether to build at all, can’t be made without the involvement of the people who will live in and use them. And that means you.
We believe you are the champion of your own project, and the only person who is guaranteed to be there from start to finish. Your Architect GP will support you with expert advice, analysis, design and referral at critical moments, to keep you on track for a great outcome.
We are experts and approachable. You can ask us anything
It takes a minimum of seven years to qualify as a registered architect. Plus, all of our Architect GPs have a minimum of ten years’ experience in practice working with clients and their homes, in addition to their formal study and training.
We are ready to listen, to ask the right questions, focus on the right problems and provide you with solutions and options that will give you the best value for your investment and the most enjoyment from your home.
How did Architect GP come to be?
Once upon a time, some like-minded architects found each other through social media. We shared stories of frustration that our profession isn’t as helpful as we’d like it to be. And were often relieved to discover that we weren’t alone!
We knew that architects can make incredible impacts by helping their clients to make small and inexpensive changes, in incremental ways. And we’ve experienced the joy that our clients feel when their needs and wants are taken seriously.
We saw other architecture firms (including firms where we had worked) give away design and construction knowledge in the hope of winning the “big job”. But this approach has two major downsides.
First, it devalues our expertise and experience, and second, it creates a conflict of interest, because the bigger the project, the higher the architect’s fee. And we don’t think that’s fair for the client.
So what did we propose instead?
Our story is still being written: there is no “happily ever after” (yet!). But that is what we want for you - to live happily in your home, because it is just right for you.
The members of Architect GP are not interested in only doing big projects; actually, we’d rather focus on providing great advice to more clients. That means that more people can tap into the design and building knowledge of an architect, in an affordable and accessible way.
So, Sarah decided to create something new, and she looked to another established model of person-centred care: the GP. She invited other like-minded architects to contribute their thoughts, she went to talks, she found allies in academia, and listened to doctors about their businesses, and so a great idea came to life.
Throughout our start-up phase, we’ve kept the focus on how we can offer clear, fixed price architecture services to homeowners, to help them work through and overcome the real issues they are facing in changing times (Covid and climate change are big drivers of how we occupy our homes).
The Architect GPs that you can book on this site all run their own practices, are fully insured and registered, and have been invited to be part of the Architect GP model. All of them have demonstrated an active understanding of person-centred practice, because this is not a service provided by just any architect.
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