No, it doesn't work on Fire Officers - I have tried it myself.
I think your architect might have been thinking of Irish weather and convenience in terms of siting the clinic close to the house.
I think he probably was thinking of your business not doing too well out of a converted garage and I agree with him - a quality product needs a quality setting.
The principles of fires is that you assume a fire begins in one place only.
You assume its a good thing for the roof to collapse because heat rises and takes it away upward.
You are obliged under the regulations to consider the spread of fire from one building to another due to radiation, not whether the roof burning through will spread it.
The spread of fire through radiation is assesed in relation to the unprotected area of the elevation facing the building and the distance between the buildings.
No matter what way you look at it, the fire officer isn't wrong and the carpenter doesn't negate the requirement for the wall by his argument.
I'm just a little worried that you went from garge conversion to "ambience" cabin and cannot seem to go back or find a middle route.
Is this you or your architect?
Personally I find a log cabin a little incongruous in relation to Chinese or Western medicine or indeed as a follow on from the archaic Irish retreat architecture.
Log cabins have become popular as holiday homes and "green holiday" resorts.
Places of retret and healing in Ireland go right back to Glendalough and the Gallarus oratory buildings - all stone buildings.
Natural stone would be my first choice for a finish in this country, but that's just me.
As for taking a long time the gestation period for even a small building can take a long time.
Re your professional costs, you should have had a fee proposal dealing with the standard process and quoting fees covering the following stages:
- initial brief and design
- pre-planning meeting
- planning application lodgement
- PA further information submission
- appeal submission
- fire safety certificate application lodgement
- FSCA further information submission
Depending on what the FIS requirements are [I have seen a 3D study costing 5K asked for by one planner] you should know reasonably accurately what your fee outlay should be.
If you didn't see a reasonably comprehensive fee proposal, you should have asked for one and agreed fees and rates.
There can be a large difference between RIAI scale of fees and agreed fees on small work - unfortunately for the architect :-(