Getting underway.
Before committing to a formal planning application, you need to understand what your site can realistically deliver.
Whether extending a family home, converting a commercial building or exploring a new build plot, the principle is the same. Our feasibility and initial concept design service gives you that clarity from the outset.
All of our projects begin with a thorough understanding of what exists. For existing properties, we undertake a full measured building survey. We capture internal and external dimensions, floor levels, ceiling heights and structural features. This ensures all subsequent design work is based on accurate, verified information rather than assumptions.
For new build sites and larger plots, we coordinate topographical surveys to establish levels, boundaries, existing features and ground conditions. These provide the foundation for design decisions around siting, access and orientation.
Across both, we assess the site in its wider context. We consider the setting, neighbouring properties, landscape and views. We also identify any planning or environmental designations that may influence what is possible.
From this baseline, we develop concept options in 2D and 3D. We explore how your brief, budget and constraints work together. We develop every concept specifically for your scheme, never from generic templates. This helps you make informed decisions about scale, layout, massing and spatial relationships.
For residential clients, this might mean exploring how a rear extension connects to the garden. We look at how a new build sits within its landscape, or how internal spaces flow for modern family living.
For commercial clients, we test how a building can serve a new purpose. We examine how floor plans can improve efficiency, and how a site can accommodate mixed uses within planning policy limits.
The Design Team.
Crucially, we do not work in isolation. As part of the feasibility stage, we identify the external consultants your project will need. We bring them in early to provide specialist input, cost advice and realistic timeframes. Studio 3 coordinate and manage all of these consultants on your behalf.
We engage the right specialists based on your site and proposal. This might include asbestos surveyors for existing buildings, or ecologists where biodiversity is a factor. We also bring in drainage engineers for surface water and foul drainage strategy. Structural engineers support feasibility on complex structures, and heritage consultants advise on listed buildings or conservation areas.
By bringing these specialists in at feasibility stage, we ground your concept design in reality. We identify potential constraints before they become costly problems. We give you a clear picture of full project cost and programme timeline before you commit to a formal application.
This approach is central to how Studio3 works. As a Director led practice, our Senior team oversees every feasibility study. Our team support project coordination and design development throughout.
Our experience draws on over thirty years of experience across England and Wales. We give you honest, practical advice about what is achievable and what is not. We also advise on the most effective route forward for your specific project. Ask us about a feasibility study for your site or property.