International Architectural Services

In our experience, close collaboration between architect and client is the foundation of a successful project – but just because we need to be on the same page, it does not mean we have to share the same time zone!

At HollandGreen we’re perfectly positioned to work with clients who are based overseas or travel extensively and can’t commit to a regular schedule of site visits or face-to-face meetings in the UK. Thanks to the diversity and flexibility of our team – coupled with the advent of sophisticated design and communications technology – we can provide a comprehensive service that isn’t compromised by distance or timezone.

Space-age design tech

We take our inspiration from your dream-home aspirations: it’s what drives us to create wonderful living spaces in remarkable settings. The development of new tech tools has transformed the way we work, enabling us to share our concept in a more realistic way from the earliest of stages. Experiencing your design via 3D modelling and VR allows you to engage with the design process more fully and ensures that the result is a living space that matches up to every expectation.

We use ArchiCAD software to model our projects in 3D – a vital tool for communicating architectural designs to clients who can’t be there on site. With the building design, site layout and any existing structures accurately modelled from survey information, our 3D walkthrough offers a realistic experience of the planned space that’s hard to get from 2D plans alone. By gaining a first-hand understanding of your new space, as well as a realistic view of the dimensions, light and aspect, you’ll quickly get a feel for the scope of the project. Screen-sharing software is used to showcase the design during conference calls, but 3D models are also made available for you to view in your own time, via BIMx (iOs/Android) on a tablet or mobile phone.

Communication without borders

It’s important to maintain multiple touch points throughout the project, and we’re more than happy to match our comms media to your preferred channels. Naturally, we are always available to you via phone and email, but we’re also happy to employ alternative technologies to enable us to engage in real-time and remote reviews of drawings, photos, plans and video that help to keep you informed and projects on track.

WeChat is a handy tool that allows us to ping brief messages and photos to clients all over the world – including in China where options are more limited. The WeChat conference tool also facilitates discussions in place of face-to-face meetings or phone calls. For design presentations and discussions, we use GoToMeeting software. This enables us to share our computer screens with you during a conference call, giving us the option of walking through, and interacting with, on-screen designs, just as we would in person. Tools like this bring us together, even though we may be physically separated by thousands of miles, speeding up the decision-making process and maintaining the close contact that’s so key to a successful outcome.

Flexible, internationally focused team

Our diverse and multi-lingual team enables us to offer multiple contact points for international clients. With native speakers of Russian, German, Italian, Portuguese, Polish, Greek and others, we can bridge the language barrier and, if you’re based overseas, you can rely on our extensive experience of designing and managing UK and international projects as part of a long-distance collaboration.

Managing different time zones is part of the service, as is our in-depth knowledge of UK planning process and laws which are crucial in gaining permission for development in sensitive locations or for Listed properties. We use our experience, local and specialist knowledge, as well as our established professional relationships with other consultants and planners to help guide you through what can seem like a confusing bureaucratic process. We’re well versed in meeting the challenges this type of project may pose; we’ll provide options where you can’t attend site meetings, for instance, and can schedule video conferences whenever it best suits your diary. Whether this means the occasional weekend meeting on site or a WeChat conference call over breakfast, we’ll make it work!

Get in touch

We’ve recently worked with clients from China, Turkey, the USA, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland and the UAE in their quest to commission their dream home here in the UK. We’re happy to discuss new projects, however conceptual, so please get in touch, and we’ll show you what we can do for you.