We typically collect your name, address, email and contact phone numbers.
50 Degrees North Design Consultants Ltd. The Data Controller, responsible for keeping your information secure and confidential is: Charlotte Bowen, 50 Degrees North Architects.
In the main, we obtain this information from you directly by completing a ‘Client Contact Form’. If you request it, we obtain this information from your representative (project manager, interior designer or planning consultant for example).
We gather this information in order to arrange an initial meeting and provide a fee proposal. Ultimately we use it to provide our architectural service and fulfil our contract with you. We do not collect any personal data from you which we do not need in order to provide and oversee our service.
Examples of ways in which we might process data when working on a project: In emails and letters, In the project brief, On drawings (physical and PDF/other digital media), In models on common data environments/clouds, In visualisations, In strategy documents.
The GDPR requires us to have a lawful ground to process personal data. There are six available lawful bases for processing. RIBA states that ‘For [architectural] project purposes this will generally fall under the lawful ground known as ‘Legitimate Interest’ because the individual(s) commissioning the project would naturally expect you to process their data in order to deliver the project.’
We gather the details when you first make contact and during our initial client meeting. The RIBA recommends that all drawings, models, information, data and correspondence should be retained from initial contact with our client through to the end of the limitation period (6 or 12 years post contract/practical completion) and any limitation extension. This is to be able to respond to any legal claim or similar. At 50 Degrees North, we follow this RIBA recommended approach for all clients.
We share your details with certain trusted sub-consultants only when required to deliver our service e.g. with surveyors, contractors, local authority planning departments, our external bookkeeper, engineering and building firms. We make you aware that we are sharing your data in this way and in some cases ask for explicit consent for this to happen when this is required.
We ensure that your personal data is held securely. This includes protecting data against the unauthorised or illegal use and against accidental loss, destruction or damage. The information we hold on you is stored on paper, on our server and online / on the cloud.
Paper: Papers are locked securely on our business premises each night. Archived paper records are kept in an off-site securely locked storage facility. If individual employees take files which include client data off-site (for example when attending site meetings) they take care to ensure these papers are kept safe and secure.
Our Computers Desktops / Server: Our desktops and server are protected by passwords and anti-virus software.
Online: Data is also stored online e.g. with Office365 who host our email, on Dropbox etc. All are password protected.
The intended use is not likely to cause you to object or complain. However, should you have any concerns at all about how your information is managed by 50 Degrees North, then please contact Charlotte Bowen (the Data Controller) charlotte@50degrees.co.uk
If you are still unhappy following a review by 50 Degrees North, you can then complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) www.ico.org.uk