Free preview · Surveying what is there
Working on an existing building begins with finding out what is actually there, and it is always different from what the old drawings say. Survey in layers, and budget proper time for it — a thorough survey is the cheapest risk reduction available on a reuse project. Start with a measured survey: a laser scan if the budget allows, otherwise disciplined hand measurement with a distance meter, running dimensions rather than added ones, and diagonals in every room because almost nothing is square. Record floor-to-floor and floor-to-ceiling heights separately, note the level changes, and photograph every elevation and every junction. Then a fabric survey. Identify the construction: load-bearing masonry, reinforced concrete frame, steel, timber floors, jack arch, filler slab. Open up in agreed locations to confirm what you cannot see — a small number of well-chosen openings settles arguments that would otherwise run all year. Record wall thicknesses, which tell you which walls are structural. Then a condition survey. Cracks with their pattern, width and whether they are live; damp with its height and pattern; corrosion staining and spalling on concrete; rot and insect attack on timber; roof and rainwater goods; services age and capacity. Write it up as a document with a plan-based key, not as a folder of photos. Everything you design afterwards refers back to it.