Hello, I have plans and structural calculations drawn up by a MCIOB architect/structural engineer. He has positioned the beam that supports the roof ridge into a dissused chimney breast on one side. I questioned this but he said it is absolutely fine as long as the the fireplaces are not in use - they are both blocked up. The loft company who are about to embark on the conversion are not happy about this and it should be supported by the party wall. Does anyone know if this is ok or not? They have also been refused permitted development and need to be amended slightly to gain approval. On a separate note, I have gone back to the architect/se and asked him to amend the plans however he is ignoring my numerous emails and calls for weeks now. Stupidly I've paid him. Does he have a duty of care to make the amendment to the plans and liaise with building control? If he continues to ignore me, do have have any grounds to make a small claims court claim against him to try and get the money back I have paid him? We have no contract... Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks
Thats right what does building control say They do have the last say. Normally when the drawings are submitted to BC they would question it at the early stages.
Someone who is legally entitled to call himself an architect and who is also an SE??? Pretty unlikely I fear. He should do the mods gratis because it's his job to get it right. I can't imagine many BCOs would accept a chimney breast as a support in use or not and I would never design a beam in this way. What is the issue with PD?
As far as I can tell the CIOB is an industry body that someone pays to join. There is no qualification for structural engineers or architects under that organisation. I fear your architect/ engineer is not actually qualified. worse still you have no contractual terms with them. So there is nothing defined as to what you wanted them to do. the rules on permitted development are clear. If the design brief was to achieve PD approval then you have a clear case against the so called architect. equally from an engineering point of view you would expect a copy of the structural calculations. Building control will want this to be satisfied on the specification of the rsj. If you do not have those then the work is also deficient fron an engineering point of view. n the latter point. Consult a qualified structural engineer abs if their opinion is the current design is insufficient then that forms part of the evidence for small claim
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