I'm in the process of the final architectural design stage of a 1930's house retrofit and renovation. My architect's approach is to invest in 'fabric first' and allocate remaining funds to design, build and finish. I support his approach as the house is currently very cold and utility bills are high.
My question is: In order for me to make the best decisions on the retrofitting, should I engage with a specialist or should all good architects know enough about the various options to get the best result for the budget? For example, I can't even determine if I should replace the boiler and rads, or if I should opt for a heat/water pump. My architect is good from a design perspective, but he does not advertise himself as a retrofitting specialist. Should I invest in using one?
With specialist advice, I'd like to determine an energy rating to aim for, and then consider what options to use that are within budget. Is this the right approach?
I have asked my architect but would like some independent views from this forum...
TIA
My question is: In order for me to make the best decisions on the retrofitting, should I engage with a specialist or should all good architects know enough about the various options to get the best result for the budget? For example, I can't even determine if I should replace the boiler and rads, or if I should opt for a heat/water pump. My architect is good from a design perspective, but he does not advertise himself as a retrofitting specialist. Should I invest in using one?
With specialist advice, I'd like to determine an energy rating to aim for, and then consider what options to use that are within budget. Is this the right approach?
I have asked my architect but would like some independent views from this forum...
TIA