The practice
Buildings that
age well
Drafthouse is an eleven-person architecture and interiors practice in West Yorkshire. We work on houses, small civic buildings and the occasional workplace, mostly within an hour of the studio.
We take on around nine projects a year and run them ourselves — the person who draws it is the person who visits the site. Roughly a third of our work is on existing buildings, which is where most of the interesting problems are.
Selected projects
Recent & current
2021 — 2027
How we work
Four things
we hold to
Survey before sketch
We measure the building ourselves rather than working from the estate agent's plan. It costs a week and saves an argument at Stage 4.
One drawing set, kept current
Contractors get one place to look. Superseded drawings are withdrawn, not left in the folder to be found six weeks later.
Cost the design, not the aspiration
A QS is on board from Stage 2 on anything over £400k. We would rather lose a good idea early than lose it at tender.
Visit weekly once on site
Whoever drew it walks it. Most of what goes wrong on site is visible a fortnight before it becomes expensive.
Services
What we are appointed for
RIBA 0—1
Feasibility
Site appraisal, planning risk and a costed options study. Usually four to six weeks.
RIBA 2—3
Design & planning
Concept through to a submitted application, including pre-app and consultant coordination.
RIBA 4
Technical design
Building regulations, tender package and a specification a contractor can price without guessing.
RIBA 5—6
On site
Contract administration, weekly visits, and seeing it through to practical completion.
Recognition
Awards & press
People
Eleven of us
Four architects, three Part 2s, two technologists, an interior designer and someone who keeps the fee accounts honest.
Rhian Vaughan
Director, ARB. Founded the practice in 2011.
Idris Bello
Director, ARB. Conservation accredited.
Marta Kowalczyk
Associate. Leads the interiors work.
Tom Sherratt
Technologist. Draws the details.
Enquiries
Tell us about
the site
A director reads every enquiry. If the project is not right for us we will say so within a few days rather than leaving you waiting.