I found Granit easy to work with, friendly and very engaging. They provided a bespoke service that was very client focused. I had high expectations which they were good at dealing with.
They have a clear process, which made it straightforward in terms of working out the initial budget and scope of work. The way they set out their scope of work around the RIBA work stages is really helpful and clearly showed proposed dates with key target milestones. I actually started to work with Ben before I purchased the property and he helped me to understand the viability of what I was planning to do. A great value-add.
I found they provided a high level of communications throughout the project. I could ring the office and, if Ben wasn’t available, I could speak with an assistant who would also know the project. They were great at interpreting my challenges and building them into the design, such as dealing with a tricky staircase well. They managed to utilise the space perfectly and their careful design around the roof line and making the best use of the natural light available was great. If I saw something that I wasn’t expecting in the design, they either changed it or explained why that was the best solution.
I really felt like I got what I paid for with the service and the considered design they delivered. I don’t think you would get such a tailored service from a larger practice.
Granit managed the tender process very well too. It was very clear that having someone to handhold at this stage is really useful.
If you are thinking of appointing Granit I would say be very open at the outset about what you want to achieve and Granit will deliver it. They’re very malleable but equally good at guiding you through design decisions. They won’t force their ideas on you and dictate their designs as other Architects might. They really try hard to get the result you want while being realistic about what you can do with the building and the building’s structure.
I would definitely appoint Granit again. I really don’t think we’d have achieved as good a result without them.
