Simon Open Door Consultations 2017

We took part in the 2017 Simon Open Door Consultations last weekend and are delighted that our donated time and expertise raised precisely €1,080 for the homeless charity. 

Over the lifetime of the annual open door events over €700,000 has been raised for the Simon Communities of Ireland.   Simon Open Door is a fantastic scheme. It benefits both the Simon Communities of Ireland and members of the public. Anyone can sign up and in return for a €90 donation to Simon receive an hour long consultation with a certified RIAI Architect.

This year we did 12 architectural consultations for homeowners who were considering various projects including home remodelling and renovation; house extensions to increase space, bring in more light and connect more fully with their gardens, and a number of proposed new-build houses.  It was interesting and exciting for us all to discuss potential, especially where the homeowners had been previously concerned that they had limited options.

We got fantastic feedback from everyone who attended about the information they got on everything from design potential to planning matters, building costs and the whole process involved in embarking on a building project with an architect.

Since 2005, the Simon Open Door initiative has been a permanent fixture in the calendar of RIAI Architects who, open their offices and offer their time and expertise to members of the public. Every cent raised goes toward's the work of the Simon Communities of Ireland.

SPACIOUS

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M: 089 2447264

Two of Our Favourite Things...

Great Coffee & Working Drawings!

Working Drawings - How Architects & Designers Communicate.

Great coffee is up there as one of our favourites.  After spending three years in Melbourne how could it not be?  The coffee and cafe scene there are quite an amazing experience.

The other favourite is communicating our design intentions to the contractors we work with through the medium of the Working Drawing.  Clients usually get to see more of, and pay more attention to the earlier stage Design Sketches, but it's the working drawing that determines a great deal of the success of the final building.

If you were to hand the same sketch or planning stage drawing to three different builders you would get three vastly different tender prices and buildings.  Quality, finishes, details, standards, performance, weathering, would all be left open to interpretation - good or bad.

The Working Drawing's purpose is to flesh out the details of earlier sketch and planning stage drawings.  It describes the full intention of how the building is to be put together (in a lot of detail).  It tells builders what is to be done and therefore what way it's not to be done!  It allows for accurate pricing (along with the written specification) so you know you are comparing one builder's apples with another's apples.  It is used for the new Building Regulation compliance requirements (BCAR) and it records the professional input that goes into your building giving you peace of mind.

Without comprehensive Working Drawings great buildings don't happen.

Look what goes into a simple coffee pot.  Think about what goes into the drawings for your new home, renovation or extension!  Come and have a chat with us about what's involved in the various stages of commissioning architectural work for your home.  We'll even shout you a great coffee!

Melbourne Coffee and Cafe's

Hofler Architects, Monkstown - Working throughout Dublin & beyond.   - Our Blog.

Hofler Architects have extensive experience in house extensions, refurbishments, sustainability, conservation of protected structures and  one-off new builds.  We are a highly experienced team of architects based in Monkstown, Co. Dublin. The practice was established in 1992 and offers a full range of architecture services for domestic works, conservation, housing & apartment developments, and many commercial sectors including bars, restaurants, offices, educational and retail.

"This is a great example of a meticulous period restoration - as green as a period house can be" - The Irish Times.

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