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What Is The Process?

Building an architecturally designed new home or renovation involves a series of stages that we will guide you through.  What should you expect?  What questions should you be asking and answering?  Let’s take you through the various stages involved.

A quick meet up with us, preferably at your site.

Questions to ask us

  1. What challenges do you foresee in my site?
  2. Does my site/building require any extra works?
  3. What is the potential for my site?
  4. Do you have any concern about planning or other possible restrictions on my site?
  5. Are you interested in making my project a priority in your office?
  6. Can you design a highly sustainable building?

We will help you create a brief for your project to suit your needs.

What you can expect from the initial Concept Design Proposal:

  1. A fixed fee for the initial ‘Concept Design’.
  2. Formalised Brief, Cost Assessment, Fee Assessment.
  3. Concept Plans and 3-D images,
  4. 2 client meetings
    – initial site meeting and discussion of your brief,
    – ‘Concept Design’ presentation meeting
    * Additional meetings and/or work, where and if required, will be charged at an hourly rate
  5. An invoice for ‘Concept Design Stage’

Find out more about what to expect from a brief?

In this stage, we will look at and discuss with you the detail required within your project:

Questions to be expected from us

  1. What are the materials you’d like for your kitchen bench top, cabinets, etc.?
  2. What type of tiles would you like for en-suite, bathroom, guest vanity, etc.?
  3. What compromise, if required, are you willing to make to ensure your project stays within budget. For instance:
    – can marble tiles be used in lieu of marble slabs,
    – can less cabinetry be utilised throughout,
    – will wall mounted a/c units work in lieu of a fully integrated system, etc.
  4. What is the best spatial arrangement to suit your brief?

We will engage a structural engineer on your behalf during this stage so that the structural design is considered as part of design development.

What you can expect

    1. Depending upon your site size, the site council overlay – Heritage, Green Zone, etc., – you may need Town Planning.
    2. We can provide you with:
      – a Town Planning Drawing Set
      – a Town Planning Application to your council,
      at a fixed rate.
    3. An invoice for the Town Planning Application

This is the most labour intensive stage for architects, generally 45% of a possible full architectural service where we prepare:

  1. Permit Drawings – drawings suitable to get a building permit,
  2. Tender Drawings – drawings that detail cabinetry for kitchen, bathrooms, etc.
  3. Construction Drawings – drawings that detail structural elements of the project.

This is the time to fine tune and finalise many aspects of the project.
Resolving the design at this stage will greatly assist in avoiding variations during the building phase of the project and thus avoiding additional project costs.

What you can expect

  • A complete set of architectural drawings.
    • Working drawings for the building permit
    • Plans – Site, Floor, and Roof Plans
    • Elevations, 3-D views
    • Sections
    • Cabinetry details
    • Electrical plans & schedules
    • Window and door schedules
  • Liaison with Structural Engineer, Energy Rating Consultants, and other consultants as required,
  • Up to 8 client meetings included in agreed architectural fees.
    *Additional client meetings will be charged at an hourly rate.
  • Invoices relation to the above 3 stages as they progressed through.

Tendering can be carried out in a number of ways depending upon the nature of the project, the state of the building industry and the time constraints of the project. The most common tendering arrangements are:

  1. Selected Tenderers – nomination of a number Builders to tender your project,
  2. Public Tender – advertise your project for interested  Builders to quote,
  3. Single Nominated Tenderer – invite a single builder to quote for your project,
  4. Cost Plus Tender – engage a builder at a fixed fee for his service, request several quotations per sub-contractor.

What you can expect

  1. Assistance in deciding upon the best tendering method for your project.
  2. Assistance in finding a builder or builder for your tender list.
  3. Assistance in deciphering submitted tenders.
  4. Assistance in selecting the right builder for you.
  5. Assistance in writing the contract between you and the selected tenderer.

Architects often work on site along with the Builder to ensure the project is being built accordingly. We are there to monitor the works, assist the Builder with any queries, any detail qualifications required. The client is also invited to come to site meetings so that they can be more closely aligned with the progress of the project. Of great importance is our role in ascertaining where the project is in relation to the time programme, and any claims made for work that has been completed.

What you can expect

  1. Fortnightly site visits
  2. A site visit summary of the works
  3. Assessment and approval or dis-approval of any monetary claims made by the builder
  4. Invoices as the building and administration phases are worked through

This stage relates to the work of the Building Surveyor. During the project, the Building Surveyor will visit the site and investigate the following:

  • In ground Works,
  • Framing Stage,
  • Completion Stage.

At the Completion Stage of the work, the Building Surveyor will ensure that the works on site comply with the building regulations and will ask the builder to supply all relevant certificates for the works, such as:

  • Electrical Certificates,
  • Plumbing Certificates,
  • Glazing Certificates, etc.

The Building Surveyor will also, where required, ensure that the works comply with any Town Planning approvals/ conditions on the project. Once all the above items have been approved by the Building Surveyor a final certificate for the works will be issued by the Building Surveyor.

If the works are deemed as not compliant, the Building Surveyor will issue the builder with an instruction to rectify the works to comply.