Native Architects, York

Posted: 2 February 2016

Charity begins at home with Architect in t’ House

Native Architects are offering homeowners a unique opportunity to improve their home by signing up to Architect in t’ House 2016. The scheme, launching at the beginning of February, matches homeowners with local RIBA architects, while raising money for four local charities.
New research has shown that nearly two-thirds of homeowners have lived in the same home for at least ten years*. With more of us staying put while our families grow or our work life changes, home improvements can be the best option in making sure our homes fit our changing needs. A consultation with an expert can help those with homes of any size to make the most of the space they have, whatever their budget.

Whether it’s creating an open plan living space or designing an extension, Architect in t’ House helps homeowners to develop their ideas with an RIBA chartered architect while raising money for Arclight, Dementia Forward, Martin House, and Saint Michael’s Hospice.
Run by the Royal Institute of British Architects York and North Yorkshire branches, Architect in t’ House provides one-hour design consultations with RIBA Chartered architects for a minimum donation to one of the four charities of £45. Homeowners can register a consultation directly with their chosen architect throughout February and March. Information on Chartered architects taken part can be found at www.architectinthouse.co.uk
Architect in t’ House can really help people unlock the potential in their current homes and create more space, from a simple internal change to developing an attic space or designing an extension.

Signing up to Architect in t’ House is simple to do and is a great way to make the most of a local architect’s expert advice, while raising money for charities at the same time.

Through Architect in t’ House, homeowners can find the expert advice needed to help achieve their dream home, while at the same time helping those less fortunate.
James Mate, Chair of the North Yorkshire Society of Architects says…

‘Following the success of the RIBAs ‘Architect in the House’ scheme, which has now finished, we thought that it would be a great idea to set up our own Yorkshire version to raise money for local charities. The idea is simple in that for a minimum donation of £45 to one of our 4 partnering local charities, you will be put in touch with an RIBA chartered architect for a ‘free’ consultation. What happens next is up to you and the architect! The original Architect in the House scheme resulted in some fantastic projects and some very happy clients, with the added bonus of raising money for some very worthy causes. No matter what the size of the potential project, we hope that members of the public will actively get involved and help us to raise as much money as we can’.
Jeremy Jones, Chief Executive of Arc Light, said “Arc Light was designed by our Architects as a ‘Place of Change’ specifically to create spaces where residents are given the greatest opportunity to turn their lives around.  Architect in t’ House is now offering homeowners a similar opportunity to achieve their dreams, whilst not forgetting those who are not yet fortunate enough to have somewhere they can call home.”

Jill Quinn of Dementia Forward says “This wonderful idea fits so well with the ethos of Dementia Forward, which is a ‘local for local’ charity, making best use of local community resources.  As a small charity we rely heavily on donations to support our growing numbers and currently we are supporting over 1000 families in the local area.  This is a refreshing and innovative way of attracting support and we are hugely grateful to these generous architects for giving their time to this ‘win win’ project.”
John Haigh of Martin House said “Every donation counts and all of the money raised through Architect in t’ House scheme is vital in helping Martin House support children, young people and their families affected by life-limiting illness across West, North and East Yorkshire.  Thanks to everyone involved for your support.”
Chief Executive of Saint Michael’s, Tony Collins, said: “Saint Michael’s special brand of hospice care supports people wherever they call home; your donation as part of this initiative will help us to be there for more local families here in our community.

“We are extremely grateful to the architects generously participating in Architect in t’ House, and would like to thank those who choose to donate to local hospice care through the scheme.”

www.architectinthouse.co.uk