FAQs – Muse Architects

Quick and clear answers to your key questions

01Do you work on both residential and commercial projects?

Yes, Muse Architects has extensive experience working on both residential and commercial projects. Our dual focus enables us to bring a diverse range of expertise to each project, ensuring that we can meet a wide array of client needs.

In the residential sector, we specialise in designing bespoke homes, extensions, and renovations. Our team understands the importance of creating spaces that are not only aesthetically pleasing but also functional for everyday living. We work closely with our residential clients to ensure that their styles and needs are reflected in the final design.

In the commercial sector, we handle projects that range from new office developments to the renovation of existing commercial spaces. Our experience in this area equips us with the knowledge to navigate the complexities of commercial regulations, ensuring that your project meets all necessary standards while providing a functional and appealing environment for your business.

02How long does a typical project take?

The duration of a project with Muse Architects can vary significantly based on several factors, including the type and complexity of the project, the scale of the development, and the planning permissions required. For smaller projects, such as home extensions or renovations, the design and planning phase may take a few weeks to a couple of months, followed by construction that can last from a few weeks to several months.

For larger or more complex projects, such as new commercial developments, the design and planning phase may take several months, especially if extensive consultations and adjustments are needed to meet regulatory requirements. Construction timelines for these projects can range from several months to over a year, depending on the scope of work and the site conditions.

We strive to provide our clients with a detailed timeline during the initial consultation, outlining key milestones and expected completion dates. Our team maintains regular communication throughout the project to keep you informed of progress and any changes to the timeline.

03Do you offer initial consultations?

Yes, we do – but it’s worth letting you know that we often have a waiting list of people wanting to talk to us. Our first conversation with you is the start of establishing whether what you want to do is feasible, viable and commercially sound. As experienced London architects, we understand how stressful this process can be and can help you navigate the complex process of seeking planning permission and designing and developing your property.

Please use our contact page to get in touch with us and start your journey.

04Who is your ideal client?

At Muse Architecture, we deliver incredibly successful projects for national housebuilders and seasoned property developers right through to first-time investors and homeowners. And our clients hardly ever fail. That is because what we do derives from methods we developed based on practical experience, not only theory, while working on over 700 projects in the UK during the last nine years.

You are our ideal client if your construction budget is in the range of 200k-10m. You are our ideal client if you want to work with people who can take all of the complexity in planning permission and simplify it so that you can achieve constant growth. You are our ideal client if you want to work with people who can add aesthetics, functionality and value to your project so that you can achieve ROI-focused results or the home you’ve always dreamed of.

05What types of projects does Urbanist Architecture specialise in?

We work across the entire residential architecture spectrum with construction budgets of 200k-10m (in certain particular circumstances, we will work on projects with a lower budget). With a proven track record delivering home extensions, flat conversions, HMOs, new build houses and flats, we also have extensive experience in luxury interior design projects in central London and sustainable urban design projects for green belt land developments in the UK.

As one of the top London architects, we’ve created incredibly successful projects for national house builders and seasoned property developers as well as first-time investors and homeowners. Every project, whatever its size or location, receives the same professional care and attention, meticulous focus on exemplary design and streamlined project management to achieve your goals and objectives.

06Why should I work with chartered architects?

Every year thousands of homeowners face disaster due to unregulated practices, misleading advice, hidden third parties and cowboy contractors. Only chartered architects offer unrivalled training and experience in the design and construction of buildings. When you use a chartered architect you’re employing someone who has undertaken seven years of professional training, the longest in the building industry.

Anyone styling themselves ‘architectural consultant’, ‘architectural designer’ and so on is unlikely to be an architect and does not have comparable skills or knowledge. At Urbanist Architecture, our RIBA chartered architects demonstrate all-round design experience, in-depth residential architectural knowledge and proven track records of delivering results in construction projects.

07Can you take my project forward from planning to construction?

As a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) chartered practice, the architectural and town planning services we offer follow a set of guidance stages outlined here.

Whether you’d like the full architecture service from conception to completion – or just want planning permission for your project, you can trust us to deliver measurable results.

Our process is meticulously crafted based on practical experience, not only theory, while working on over 700 projects in the UK, and successfully executed by hundreds of national house builders and seasoned property developers right through to first-time investors and homeowners.

08Do I need to involve other professionals in my project?

t’s not unusual for a project to require the input of other consultants at some point during its progress. We’ll advise you on the required steps to ensure compliance with the law relating to construction work and the need where necessary for specialist advice. We can recommend professionals we’ve worked successfully with on previous projects and will liaise with them to deliver a compliant scheme.

09Will I have a dedicated project leader?

Yes, we guarantee you will have a dedicated project leader to deal with your case from start to finish. This will make the process easier, simpler and quicker for you and will avoid unnecessary repetition and delays.

10Who will be assigned to work on my project?

Due to both the nature of the planning system and the interdisciplinary process of design and construction, there are significant parallels and interconnections between each discipline. So most projects require a range of design activities and the involvement of a variety of professionals and specialists.
As a multidisciplinary practice of chartered architects, planning consultants, urban designers and interior designers, your designated project team will handle any challenges that arise throughout the process, whether at conceptual or building stages or concerning planning conditions and building regulations. Our collaboration, creative vision and practical delivery enhances built environments, inspires vibrant community identities and adds enduring value with successful and sustainable results.

11How many design options will be presented to me?

This structure of our architecture firm enables us to obtain high-quality and extraordinarily personalised results for you. This is possible because by dedicating ourselves to a smaller number of clients, we work side by side with you to achieve precise attention to detail. This level of professional care and attention, which you can see in all of our projects, is more difficult to find in other architecture companies. To do so, however, we only take on a limited number of projects at a time.

As one of the leading architectural firms in London, we’ll commence your project with the concept design stage, when we explore and develop ideas for your project. During this phase, a range of ideas will be considered, redeveloped and reconfigured until finally we arrive at a definitive concept. With rigorous analysis, thorough site appraisal and insightful brainstorming, we’ll identify the most suitable solutions to fulfil your desired vision. You’ll have at least two rounds of design revisions unless otherwise stated in your agreement.

12How do I know you’ll design what I want?

As a well-established architectural practice in London, we understand how important your project is, and the hard work necessary to meet it. For this reason, we’ll listen to you, understand your aspirations and design buildings that complement and enhance their surroundings.

We undertake every project with pragmatism and ensure that we always anticipate practicalities that can often be overlooked. It’s crucial to us that our adaptive, responsive and client-led approach strives for aesthetic refinement and technical excellence. We’ll painstakingly and meticulously go through every detail to ensure that your design is bespoke and unique to your requirements.

13How involved can I be in my project?

You can choose how much input you’d like to give; whether you wish to be completely hands-on and add a touch of personality to every aspect of your project, or prefer to take a back-seat approach and let us do the hard work; it’s absolutely fine with us.