Change to Facade, Retail premises

martinn123

Hi Guys

I recently met a client who wants a new Aluminium door and windows to a restaurant. I asked for any drawings etc. and there is no Architect involved.
The front of the building is small, double door, and two small gothic windows, in timber. The facade of the shop is clad in a marble, which is cut around the windows and doors.

As the windows are small, the client wants to enlarge them to rectangular, 1000mm X 1400mm and the marble cladding will be trimmed to the new sizes. The Aulm. door will be in a ral colour to match the marble.

Question, do these changes to the facade reguire planning permission, the shop previously traded as an Indian Restaurant, and is changing to a Chinese so no change of use.

Question 2.
Internally he wants an entrance porch area, 1500mm X 1900mm. Ceiling height is 2800mm, so a stud wall to 1000mm Alum glazing to ceiling, and a single door entry to shop.
With no Architect involved I am concerned that this may not meet whatever regs. exist, fire exit etc. Also if the wall is not built to a spec. how can I be sure it will take the weight of the glazed panels.
My input is the Alum. glazing only, he has his own builder.
Any thoughts or info. gratefully recieved

muffler

Q1. Planning is required for alterations to external facade,

Q2. You and/or the owner should engage a professional to (a) design the appropriate support for the glazing units and (b) Ensure compliance with statutory regs particularly the fire regs.

Hope that helps.

martinn123

muffler wrote: »

Q1. Planning is required for alterations to external facade,

Q2. You and/or the owner should engage a professional to (a) design the appropriate support for the glazing units and (b) Ensure compliance with statutory regs particularly the fire regs.

Hope that helps.

Well it does help, thanks, except the owner has decided he does not need a professional, my concern is that I may be assuming responsibility for something I am not qualified to do, and my instinct is to walk away, however, in the current climate who can afford to turn down work.

So Q.1 Thats a matter for the owner.
and Q.2, If I meet the builder and assure myself the wall will support the glazing, and the fire reg's etc, are again a matter for the owner ?

muffler

The onus is on the owner to ensure compliance with all planning and building regs. Your input is to supply and fit glazing units/windows and it would be normal for you to expect that all the paperwork and follow on building work has been carried out to an acceptable standard. No different to the local builders suppliers yard delivering 100 x 50 studding to the premises. They dont check if planning has been granted nor do they check if the 100 x 50 is adequate for the job.

However you should apply the CYA clause. If you are giving a written quotation, and I assume you are, then you should include a caveat (Im keeping one eye on the forum charter here) that the you accept no responsibility in respect of complying with any of the statutory regs apart from the issue of safety glass, ventilation etc., which would fall within your remit.

sinnerboy

It would be expected that a someone supplying external doors , of whatever construction should be aware of and comply with Part M , disabled access. At least ensure you comply with min widths and door furniture provisions. If you are being asked to supply all the parts that form the "entrance porch area" , if this is in fact a lobby study hard the diagram 11 in Part M .

Onerous !

martinn123

sinnerboy wrote: »

It would be expected that a someone supplying external doors , of whatever construction should be aware of and comply with Part M , disabled access. At least ensure you comply with min widths and door furniture provisions. If you are being asked to supply all the parts that form the "entrance porch area" , if this is in fact a lobby study hard the diagram 11 in Part M .

Onerous !

Thanks for this, no issues with width and furniture.
With regard to the lobby, the walls at 1M height will be built by others, I am asked to provide a glazed screen, to ceiling height at 2.8M and single door,2.1m high, and a top lite above, the design of the lobby, is a matter for the owner.???

archtech

You should put the any advice/information in writing, so that s/he can't come back and say your never told me so or you told me something which was not the case. And any advice you give it may be no harm to express it as "In our/my opinion" etc.

Mellor

Sounds like the owner is going ahead with this regardless.
It needs planning but its not your problem. Just make sure you cover all aspects of your own ass.
Door widths, threshold height and lobby size. (even thoguh the builder will be making the walls, he'll be doing so to fit your windows. Size them to meet part M