Robinson van Noort design buildings, interiors and furniture, specialising in combining contemporary design with historic and period buildings.

RVN predominately provides a full service from establishing a brief, concept design and initial budget through to planning (if required), detailed design, costings and site operations for both architectural and interior design services. However if you prefer, we can deal with one stage at a time or service a single one-off stage.

Concept Design & Feasibility Study

We provide different types of concept designs and feasibility studies but they all include drawings, annotated diagrams explaining the opportunities and proposals, a planning risk analysis, a ‘look and feel’ presentation and an estimated total project cost. Before we can begin a concept design, RVN requires an accurate measured survey of the property and site. We encourage you to instruct our preferred measured surveyor and with this survey RVN can begin the concept design. Having agreed a concept design, a cost plan estimates a total project cost. RVN compiles the design information to enable our preferred independent quantity surveyor (QS) to allocate appropriate costs and together we analyse it with you. From this concept design and feasibility study we reach a clear and defined client brief.

Planning

Most of our projects involve some kind of planning consent. Together with our planning and heritage consultant we have excellent knowledge of planning legislation to deal with all kinds of applications. We develop the design to an appropriate level for submission and see this through to a successful outcome.

Architectural Design

Having achieved planning and any other consents necessary, we work closely with you in a number of workshops to detail the design. As the lead designer we will coordinate all our other preferred consultants designs, be it structural engineers, landscape designers or party wall surveyors. For the purpose of providing a list of our services, we have separated architecture from interior architecture and decoration below. However, in practice, all our designs combine these disciplines seamlessly, constantly referencing each other to produce an all encompassing vision.

Interior Architecture, Interior Decoration, Joinery, Kitchens & Furniture

Where interior architecture, design and decoration start and end is not important in our studio. We have garnered a reputation to pull this all together into a single offering, so whilst we organise the differing design information and associated costs into separate categories, they all influence each other and so by working with our clients throughout, we build this holistic picture together. Over the last 20 years, we have developed dozens of wonderful relationships with specialist suppliers including joiners, carpenters and metal workers and we have hundreds of interior design and decorative suppliers and contacts to deal with all manner of design, decoration and the sourcing of furniture, lighting and objects. All bespoke joinery, including kitchens, wardrobes, vanities and libraries are designed by RVN and so as a single author we tie these in with the interior’s hard and soft finishes to produce a legible and powerful shared design language.

Site Operations & Contract Administration

Contractors will say they are as good as the information they are provided with. Our tender design pack is extremely thorough and this minimises issues on site, ensure costs are accurate and the design is built as envisaged. However, no matter the quality of the tender pack design information, there are always site unknowns, especially when working in period buildings. It is vital therefore to have a regular site visits to inspect the work and solve any site issues. Before any site work commences we will draw up contracts and impartially administer this contract throughout between the client and the builder, certifying regular payments to reflect the work completed to date. We will deal with increases in cost and time due to client request for changes to design and issue a project completion certificate. And throughout the project we update a total project cost and payments schedule that itemise build costs, interior design costs, fees and vat.