Our Approach
At Swann Edwards Addition, we believe a home is more than walls and rooflines — it’s a personal statement. It should evolve with your lifestyle, reflect who you are, and support the way you live today and tomorrow.
Whether you’re expanding your space, increasing your home’s value, or reimagining how it functions, our team of experienced architects and designers partners closely with you to transform ideas into beautifully considered realities. We take the time to understand your vision, then shape it into thoughtful, practical, and inspiring design solutions.
What sets us apart is our unwavering commitment to excellence, meticulous attention to detail, and passion for innovative architectural design. From small renovations to large-scale extensions, we approach every project with creativity, expertise, and care — delivering spaces that feel seamless, purposeful, and distinctly yours.
Our video tells you more, or why not look at our projects here, or over on the BE Collective video hub to see some of our completed projects.
Our Process
1
Initial Brief Questionnaire
After contacting us, you will receive a brief questionnaire tailored to gather essential details about your project. This questionnaire serves as a valuable tool, providing us with a preliminary understanding of your requirements and expectations before we undertake our initial site consultation. By completing this questionnaire, you help us better prepare for our visit, ensuring that our time together is focused and productive.
2
Initial Consultation
After you complete our questionnaire, we’ll arrange a free, no-obligation visit to explore your ideas, assess feasibility, and guide you through the process — including any permitted development rights. For more complex projects, we may consult your local authority or prepare a pre-application report. Once all details are clear, we’ll provide a comprehensive quotation for our services.
3
Survey Stage
The first step in your project is a thorough survey of your property or site. We’ll visit to measure existing structures and key features, paying close attention to the areas where work is planned. From these measurements, we’ll create detailed survey drawings — typically including floor plans, elevations, sections, site plans, and location plans — which form the foundation for your project.
4
Sketch Scheme
Once the survey drawings are complete, we’ll create an initial sketch scheme based on the ideas from your consultation. You’ll have the opportunity to visit our office, review the sketches, and help refine the design for the next stage.
It’s important to remember that the sketch scheme is an early concept, not the final design. This collaborative process ensures your input shapes a scheme that works perfectly for your addition.
5
Planning Permission
If planning permission is required, we’ll prepare a full planning package and submit it to your local authority. Our team handles the application form, plans, and supporting documentation needed for validation. Reports from third party consultants may be required to accompany your submission and where possible you will be made aware of this at the quotation stage.
Once submitted, your application is assigned to a Planning Officer for review. Please note that the application fee must be paid before the authority can validate your submission.
Once validated your application will be given a determination date, we will monitor the application during this process and liase with the local planning authority on
your behalf.
6
Building Regulations
Building regulations are separate from planning permission and are essential for extensions, conversions, and structural alterations. Enforced tyhrough the Building Control System, they ensure your project meets current standards for energy efficiency, accessibility, and safety.
We’ll produce detailed building regulation drawings to ensure full compliance, which your builder will use to construct the project. Our services also include managing the application process and liaising with any necessary third-party consultants — from structural engineers to party wall surveyors — so you can focus on enjoying your new addition.
Meet the Team
At Addition, you’ll work closely with our five main project leads — the faces guiding your project from concept to completion. Our core team can also collaborate with skilled technicians from Swann Edwards or tap into the wider Collective, giving your project access to additional expertise whenever it’s helpful.
Learn More...
Discover more about the way we work by watching our video, or explore our portfolio to see past projects and find inspiration for your own home transformation. When you’re ready, contact us to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards bringing your vision to life with Swann Edwards Addition.
As a proud member of BE Collective, we collaborate closely with our sister companies to simplify the building process and create thoughtfully designed spaces that positively impact the lives of those who live in them. View more videos from across the collective below:
BE Collective unites a group of specialist consultancies across the built environment, working together to simplify the building process. By bringing architecture, engineering, surveying, energy assessments and related services under one collaborative framework, we offer a more seamless, efficient experience from start to finish.
Explore the wider Collective to discover how an integrated approach can save time, reduce complexity, and deliver better outcomes for your project.
