Meet the teams: New Builds

At Resi, we have a wide variety of specialist teams here to guide you through each stage of your architectural project that includes…

• Measured surveys
• Proposed design
• Planning support
• Building regulations
• Connect
• Finance

Every one of these teams is chock-full of experienced professionals specially trained to complete a stage of your project with all the care it deserves. In this series of blogs, we’re going to introduce you to the people who power these teams and who are responsible for bringing your project to life

Today the team we’re talking to is... New Builds!

New Builds is one of our newest teams and specialises in creating homes from scratch. This can mean building from the ground up, but they also tackle flat conversions, the combining of houses… Anything you can think of that creates a brand new living space!

Our Head of New Builds is Mark, who has been in the architecture game for 13 years!

What do you enjoy about running the New Builds Team?

“I really love working on New Builds. We get to see and work with so many different types of clients and projects, a variety you wouldn’t get anywhere else. We’ve worked on farmyard outbuildings, mansions, flat conversions - you name it we’ve worked on it. The variety can be a challenge but it’s never boring.”

What do you do as Head of New Builds?

“I’m lucky to have a great team which basically runs itself. We do every stage of the New Build projects from our one team, which not means we get to go through the whole journey with our customers, but also that we in the team get to support one another on the progress of each project. So, although I’m the Head, I spend most of my time working on the projects with the rest of the team, which is good because it’s what I enjoy doing.”

The other key member in Mark’s team is Senior Designer Antoinne.

“Working in the New Builds Team is totally unique. Instead of focusing on just one stage of a project, I do everything, from the initial consultation right through to the proposed designs. It means I get to watch their build grow from an idea to a physical space - that’s the most rewarding part.”

Does that mean you get to know your clients pretty well then?

“Oh, definitely. Actually, building a relationship with the clients is kind of crucial. We have to take on their ideas but then also advise them professionally, so there is a lot of back and forth. The only way a project is going to properly develop is by getting the customer to trust you.”

Do you have a favourite project? One you are most proud of?

“I love all our projects really. It’s easy to love them when you get to watch them come together. There is a guy we are helping at the moment who is knocking down some garages and building a coach house. He’s basically had loads of terrible advice in the past and has had a string of failed planning applications. It’s never nice hearing about someone’s struggles with their project, but it’s nice helping them finally get on with it.”

Mark, do you have a favourite project you’ve worked on?

“There are a few that stand out. The farmhouse outbuilding is quite a unique project. It’s on a goat and horse farm out in the Cambridgeshire countryside. When we started on it I didn’t even know horse and goat farms were a thing. It’s only in its early stages, but I’m really looking forward to seeing it coming together.

There’s also a holiday home in Wales which stands out because it was the first project we used our guided survey service on. The Coronavirus outbreak meant we couldn’t send surveyors out to the property. Instead, we sent our clients a little handheld laser meter and helped them measure the property by themselves. It took a lot of communication to make it happen, but the clients were especially happy when it worked out. Those are the kind of projects you remember.”

Learn more about Resi’s Guided Surveys

What does the future hold for the New Builds team?

“I guess we’ll keep trying to provide our clients with a quality service! One of our core beliefs is that everyone has a right to great design, so we’re working to prove that architectural expertise doesn’t need to break the bank. Our New Builds service is totally tailored to the needs of the customer, so they pay for as little or as much care as they need from us. So whether they’re a first-time builder or a seasoned developer, everyone can get the best from their plans with Resi.

I’m hoping we’ll also continue to grow and get more people in the team and more projects on the go. One day we might be big enough to have a team just for goat and horse farms, you never know.”