LOOKING at the zinc sheets that seamlessly envelop the walls and roof of Focus House in North London you would never guess that the building had such prosaic beginnings. But when Edward Gibbs first set out to find an architect all he wanted was somebody with enough nous to get a design for a small two-bedroom house past the planners of Islington council.

“I wasn’t looking to build a dream home,” says Gibbs, whose intention was to supplement his income as a graphic designer by building on an awkward plot on the side of a Victorian terrace house he had bought as an investment.

What he got was a house with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a dressing room and a study. The unexpected result was not only large enough for his family of five but also so original, clever and eco-friendly that it won an award from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). Even the neighbours in their brick Victorian terraces approved.

The success was no accident. It took 130 meticulous drawings to get the angles on this asymmetrical building just right. Plans were worked and reworked to ensure that every inch of the 1,350-sq-ft property was put to full use.

Justin Bere, the architect responsible for the building, says: “The design was generated by the site, which is very narrow at the front and wider at the back. In order to show respect for the neighbours and gain planning permission, the new house could not exceed the profile of the existing row of terraces.”

The internal planning of the wedge-shaped home is equally pragmatic. Although you can fit only the entrance hall and stairs at the narrow end of the building, floor-to-ceiling sliding windows span the rear of the house, overlooking the courtyard garden. There are two bedrooms up a short flight of stairs to the first floor. Brothers Hugh, 12, and Jack, 16, share a room while Sarah, 19, has her own.

The bathroom off the main corridor on the same floor can be shut off from the children’s space to form part of the master suite leading to the next floor up, which Gibbs shares with his partner, Felicity Canning. A walk-in wardrobe is tucked behind the headboard of the master bed. Between the two floors is a mezzanine that juts out over the entrance. This is Gibbs’s study. Tucked away on the ground floor is a shower room, a utility room and storage space for bikes.

Justin Bere is one of hundreds of architects taking part in the “Architect in the House” scheme by RIBA during Architecture Week, which starts today. For a minimum donation of £40 to Shelter, the charity for the homeless and badly housed, people can have an hour-long consultation with a RIBA chartered architect.

Thousands of homeowners have benefited from professional design advice since the project began in 1996 and more than £650,000 has been raised for Shelter.

This year RIBA is also hoping to go a bit further and do its bit for the environment by focusing on a green theme. Although homeowners can ask the participating architects anything they want – from the feasibility of adding a kitchen extension to the cost of building a whole new house – RIBA is hoping people all over the country will take the opportunity to acquire advice on how to make their homes more energy-efficient or any new building project as eco-friendly as possible.

Focus House in Finsbury Park is a good showcase for the art of the possible. The design is influenced by the principles of the German Passivhaus system, where homes are so well insulated that they require minimum heating.

The structure is made from prefabricated solid-wood panels that arrived from a factory in Austria on two trucks. The timber is coated with Foamglas, a Belgian insulation material made from waste glass that is as efficient in keeping heat in during the winter as it is keeping heat out through the summer. The double-glazed windows are Scandinavian. A solar thermal panel on the side of the building provides much of the hot water needed in the house.

Although the building process took only ten months, Focus House has been a long time in the making. “We got planning permission but then spent a year trying to work out how to shave £100,000 off the building costs,” says Gibbs. “The biggest challenge was financing it.”

The family moved in last October and have no plans to move out. “We are much more communal as a family. In a big Victorian house everybody is up in their bedrooms. Now we have this big central area that’s the hub of the house. I take my hat off to Justin.”

COSTSTRUCTURE

How to employ an architect? Word of mouth is a start but it might be quicker to contact the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) on 020-7580 5533 or via the website www.architecture.com , which lists architects in the UK and abroad. The site also explains what architects really do.

Many architects’ practices thrive on domestic jobs such as loft conversions and kitchen extensions.

The cost will depend on the size and complexity of the project. You can pay architects a lump sum or according to the time they spend on a project, but it is more usual to pay a percentage of the building costs. Architects will charge 3 to 5 per cent for designs and navigating the planning system, which would mean a fee will be £3,000 to £5,000 on a £100,000 extension. However, for an entire house, fees of 8-10 per cent are the norm.

Is it worth it?

An architect will make better use of your space. Good design means that the building will not only look great but also function more efficiently. A professional who “speaks builder” can translate your hazy thoughts into something tangible and detailed architectural plans that do away with this guesswork might save you money in the long run.

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