Qualities of Quattro Design

Consultation

For many years Quattro has been in the forefront of user consultation in its projects. Our clear experience shows that where people can be involved in design decisions, a greater sense of ownership prevails. This results in buildings which are liked and better cared for by the individual and the community. Our experience in consultation has helped us develop skills in communicating ideas where architects' drawings are often unhelpful; our extensive use of models and visualisations have been found to be very useful in this respect.

Partnering

We have participated in many partnering contracts; we fully endorse the Egan agenda and are actively involved in promoting the principles and practice of collaborative working.

We recognise that teamwork and continuous improvement is fundamental to the building industry's approach to development.

Green

Quattro has built a reputation for its expertise and enthusiasm for green design. Our environmental policy commits us to delivering cost effective sustainable solutions on all our projects and this helps to produce buildings with lower running costs. We work closely with BREEAM assessors and are used to achieving impressive results. Our Conservation Education Centre at Bristol Zoo is an example of a successful building commissioned to celebrate sustainable design.

Regeneration

Experience in consultation; experience in imaginative ways of re-using brownfield and neglected sites, and existing buildings; understanding and listening to local people; are among the qualities which Quattro bring to regeneration projects. Quattro has a long history of working with local communities in partnership with local regeneration specialists, in many areas of the South West and the Midlands. Typically these are under funding initiatives such as SRB and New Deal.

Project Management

We are used to setting and achieving targets for the management of time, cost and quality on our projects. We are experienced in Project Management and take pride in delivering our projects on time and to budget. We rise to the challenge when time is tight and can show some impressive examples of successful fast-track projects.

Working with Contractors

We enjoy working closely with contractors, both on Design Build projects and in Partnering contracts, and have a long track record of successful projects to show. We understand the importance of cost effective detailing in our designs and are familiar with buildability issues that impact on the cost of construction.

Practice Management

The practice is managed as a single organisation with a central office quality management system which has been designed to meet the standards required by ISO 9001 QA certification. Individual projects are run by teams headed up by a director who provides the point of contact for the client throughout. Subject specialisations are developed within the practice and the expertise made available to all. Every building is subjected to an access audit at design stage and also tested against Quattro’s in-house green checklist.

Planning

Quattro is well known for its successful negotiations with planning departments throughout the South West and Midlands. We monitor changing planning trends and their implications for current projects. We have been commissioned as urban design consultants and have given evidence at planning appeals; as a result we are familiar with policy at a time when far-reaching changes are being implemented. A combination of negotiating skills born out of many years experience and detailed knowledge of policy, help us to ensure that applications are successful.

Design

Quattro is known for creating innovative designs which have been produced through close collaboration with clients and users within tight financial guidelines. Quattro's design flair is firmly based on value for money and practical knowledge gained from extensive experience; this has helped us to win competitions and bids where design quality was a deciding factor. We are committed to design excellence in our work.

Security

Quattro acknowledges the importance of providing a safe and secure working and living environment.

Concepts of 'defensible space' and the principles of ‘secure by design’ are incorporated in all our projects.

Accessibility

We strive to make sure that our buildings are open and welcoming and enjoyable to use for all people. We are committed to achieving full accessibility for all ability levels and have the expertise to undertake access audits in-house; we monitor all our projects at the design stage to eliminate any barriers to full accessibility. We are members of the Centre for Accessible Environments.

Health & Safety

Quattro’s technical staff is kept aware of their responsibilities as designers for Health and Safety issues. The practice has a number of qualified Planning Supervisors providing a professional service. Risk assessments are routinely undertaken on all schemes during the detailed design process. All design staff are trained to design out risks wherever possible.

Training

We have a commitment to training in the profession and for developing young talent. Our training policy commits us to encourage all staff to increase their knowledge and to develop their skills. Quattro’s architects are governed by the RIBA Continual Professional Development (CPD) requirements and we undertake our responsibilities seriously.