What is Architect in the House?

With the housing market in turmoil, increasing numbers of people are choosing to stay put and make the most of the space they’re in. But home improvement means more than just a lick of paint. Talk to an architect, and you could improve not just your home, but your quality of life, too.

Architect in the House, in partnership with the NHBC, is an innovative scheme that matches homeowners with an RIBA chartered architect who gives up an hour of their time for a design consultation. In exchange, the homeowner makes a suggested minimum donation of £40 to Shelter, the housing and homelessness charity.

Whether it’s inspiration for a study, an extra bedroom, or just better living space you need, an RIBA chartered architect can offer creativity and professional advice that will help bring your ideas to life.

In the UK today:

1.6 million children are growing up in homes that are squalid, overcrowded or temporary.
Almost two million households await social housing.
It’s predicted that 75,000 homes will have been repossessed by the end of 2009.

Shelter works tirelessly with the people worst affected by the current housing crisis, helping them find or keep a home that’s decent, secure, and permanent.

In the current climate, Shelter’s services are under unprecedented strain. A donation from you means that Shelter can be there for even more people in desperate housing need.

Over the past 13 years, Architect in the House has raised £800,000. In an uncertain housing market, why not unlock the potential of the home you’re in?

Where your money goes

Over the past 13 years, Architect in the House has raised £800,000 helping thousands of families to find and keep their homes.

The money you give will go towards Shelter’s work with families in housing need. One in seven children in Britain lives in housing that’s run-down, overcrowded, or temporary. Shelter provides services to support them, and fights to defend their education, health and wellbeing. Your donation of £40 could pay for a helpline adviser to give emergency housing advice to a family fleeing domestic violence.

Registration for
architects is closed

We have extended the deadline for clients, however, until 6pm on 1 July.

Get an hour of expert advice from an RIBA chartered architect »