The “design team” is the group of professionals who administer the design and construction process. The team for a very simple house extension may only consist of a single architect, whereas commercial scale project teams may encompass several professional consultancies, each with numerous staff working on the project. Consider the following questions:

1. Does the project require Planning Permission? Is the building the “first of its kind” in the local area?
2. Does the project need services under Building Control Regulations?
3. How complex are the structure, electrical systems and heating systems?
4. Are there special circumstances or design requirements which may need specialist advice?
5. Do you have very high expectations for the project- what level of quality do you want?
6. What is your preferred level of service, communication and personal attention? Do you want an expert on hand at all times for all aspects of the design, or will you pay for expert advice sparingly?

In some cases, one person can fulfill a number of different roles in the project: for example, the “architect” for a new house will often perform the roles of: “architect” under the building contract, “Assigned Certifier” for Building Control purposes and “PSDP” under Health and Safety regulations.