A structural engineer, as the name suggests, is an engineer who specialises in the structure of a building. They will determine the strength and durability of a structure and are a key component in the planning & design process. Working closely with our Senior Architect, Chunhui, our Senior Structural Engineer, is able to assess a building’s safety and in building & renovation projects will provide specifications and calculations for the design, as well as suggesting suitable building materials.

This information may also need to be provided to ‘building control in order to comply with building regulations or, depending on the scale of the renovation, to planning officials in order to obtain planning permission. 

Whether or not you’ll need a structural engineer for your renovation will depend upon the nature of the project. Those which often require the services of a structural engineer include:

• Building an extension

• Modifying doors and windows

• Fitting solar panels

• Loft conversions

• Removing or modifying internal walls

• Underpinning floors

• Removing a chimney breast

This is not an exhaustive list however. As a general rule anything which changes the structure of the property will need building control approval and to obtain this you’ll need technical information from a structural engineer.

At Snowdon James we offer a full in-house architectural design & structural engineering service which greatly speeds up our ability to process planning applications, gain approvals and make a start on your redevelopment project.