At Coffey Architects we work hard to provide the most efficient services. We strive to retain the efficiency during the design and building stages of a project. This ensures our clients get the best solutions. If you need help from a skilful, knowledgeable architect, London has few options that will be as good as us.
Delays in an architecture project can be hugely disruptive. They can cause trouble for even the most conservative plans. In some cases they can cause additional costs too. This is especially likely if the issue is with sourcing materials. That can leave tradesmen standing around with nothing to do.
RIBA Future Trends survey
Many practices in the UK are currently dealing with this kind of issue because of a shortage of construction products. This is according to the June survey from RIBA. The data reports that 63% of practices have had delays. In addition, 25% of firms have had to put work on hold entirely.
It is not just the construction itself that is suffering delays though. The data also says that 18% of architecture practices are reporting a delay in the design and planning stages. This comes because they have to put more work in to looking at materials to see what is available.
What is causing the issue?
Several factors are to blame for the shortage of materials. First is the impact of Brexit and the new difficulty in shipping goods to and from the UK. It is causing trouble for lots of companies.
Secondly, the construction industry is still feeling the impact of the incident in the Suez Canal in March. The blockage of the shipping route meant hundreds of ships carrying all kinds of goods were delayed. An estimate was 12% of the global trade goods were stuck.
Thirdly, the impacts of COVID are still causing serious issues. For one, there is a big shortage of HGV drivers. That has a huge impact on every aspect of distribution. In addition, there is a labour shortage in general which is impacting staff at builder’s merchants and trades.
Finally, there has been a significant jump in demand at the same time there is a shortage of materials. Because of the lockdowns, a lot of projects were put back and people had to rethink what they wanted for their properties. With measures easing, more clients want to move forward with plans.
Optimism
While the current climate is tricky, architects are quite optimistic. The data shows that 38% of practices are anticipating an increase in work. On top of that, 58% are planning for their workload to remain stable. Just 7% of practices think there will be a drop in the number of projects.
Work with a passionate architect in London
Coffey Architects is a team you can rely on to help you with any kind of project. One of the useful things about working with us is we have the ability to look at a whole array of different materials. This can be useful at times when there is a shortage of many products. With our help clients can find alternatives that are more easily available. At the same time, they’ll still get results they will love.
So, if you want to work with an architect, London clients should choose us. You can get in touch to ask us questions about any part of a project. We are even happy to step in if you have had issues with another practice.