- more space
- better living
- a smooth project
WORKPHASE: DESIGN CONSULTATION
Think of a design consultation as a house call: we visit your home (and/or you visit us), discuss and sketch possibilities, and answer basic questions about costs and construction alternatives.
After the consultation, a report will document the results and conclusions of the Design Consultation, which forms the brief for the subsequent Project. [More here about this introduction to each other, and to your project]
WORKPHASE: PRE-DESIGN
The Project's first Workphase is generally producing the Concept. Finding the idea that best integrates client, site, budget and architecture. This will first involve some Pre-Design -- the gathering of appropriate information about the site, for example, and/or preliminary studies or research to develop the detailed brief for the Project. This may include searching Council files for existing drawings; checking measurements on site; examining costs of different concepts; and/or produce a basic level survey or measured drawing sufficient to allow Sketch Design. (Note that there are very few projects in which a detailed site survey performed by a Land Surveyor is not required, so it's best to get that underway as soon as possible.)
Once Pre-Design is complete -- and only then -- is it possible begin work on the Concept, on the best integration of brief, budget, and site. We need to know all relevant factors first to begin.
WORKPHASE: SKETCH DESIGN
Concept Design, or Sketch Design, generally involves sketching ideas to see what "fits," with both client and site. Early ideas are often produced to test their feasibility with both the site's potential or a particular approach you may like to pursue.
WORKPHASE: SKETCH DESIGN
Concept Design, or Sketch Design, generally involves sketching ideas to see what "fits," with both client and site. Early ideas are often produced to test their feasibility with both the site's potential or a particular approach you may like to pursue.
We often say that that "we only get the real brief after the first Sketch Design. That's because the Concept Design Workphase may often involve the testing of different approaches/or options that may be used to test the Client, or to define or verify the Brief. We will generally prepare up to two preliminary sketch proposals based on information supplied and the brief developed in our Design Consultation. At the completion of this Phase, a preliminary estimate only of costs will be made based on indicative square-metre costings.
Expected Output: At the end of this phase, between you and us we should have uncovered our preferred solution. We can then look at which Consultants might need to be attached, how much a rough square-metre Estimate of costs will reveal, what the prospects might be for regulatory approval, and we have a Design -- plan, sections, perspectives, perhaps a model -- which we can share with a third party for marketing or consultation purposes, and (most importantly) take to the next Workphase...
WORKPHASE: DEVELOPED DESIGN
If the Sketch Design is generally done with pencil, paper, and a drawing board, then it's at Developed Design that we really bring in the Computer.
Developed design is a key Workphase—at this point you need to communicate any further needs or requirements as it is the last opportunity to refine the overall nature of the design before project planning commences.
Expected Output: At the end of your Sketch Design Workphase, you will have had a sketch of your project. At the end of this Developed Design Workphase, we will be able to give you a full 3D walkthrough of your project! To see and clearly understand the aesthetics and functionality of the building, internal spaces and facilities.
At the conclusion of this Phase, we will advise of any changes to the preliminary ‘square metre’ estimate of the Construction Cost. For large or complicated work, a Quantity Surveyor may be engaged at this Phase to offer a more refined preliminary estimate of costs. ...
Resource Consents are not necessary for every project, but we will play a role in securing any Consents should they be necessary. If required, we may engage specialists or consultants to help secure the required consents for you.
WORKPHASE: DETAILED DESIGN
Once your preferred design is finalised, your design can then progress to a level sufficient for preliminary assessment by contractors, and for work with consultants to begin the preparation of Working Drawings.Detailed Design generally provides a level of documentation that clearly defines the design, specification and extent of all building elements. Your design will be comprehensively co-ordinated with other consultants, which may include detailed design by ourselves or others on structures, interiors, kitchens, landscape, HVAC, lighting, solar etc.
The documents produced in this phase are now used to produce detailed Working Drawings. Changes to anything but detail at this stage are very disruptive, expensive and often result in further problems as by now the project has become very complex and it is hard to identify all the ramifications of changes. Detailed Design is the phase most commonly used to obtain a Tender for the construction of the works.
WORKPHASE: WORKING DRAWINGS
Construction Design is where the requirements defined in Detailed Design documents are integrated with construction requirements such as site conditions, proprietary and performance design elements, erection requirements and fabricated shop drawings to create drawings that can be directly ‘built’ from.Working from the drawings produced above, we will produce a full set of drawings and specifications to be submitted for Building Consent. In addition to the Consent Set(s), a final Construction Set of drawings and Specifications may be required that allows a contractor to assess the full scope of the project prior to tender.
WORKPHASE: PROCUREMENT
Following Council approval of the Construction Documents and your approval of the latest preliminary estimate of Construction Cost, we can assist you in obtaining bids or negotiated proposals, and in awarding and preparing contracts for construction.
WORKPHASE: CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION
Having lived with your project, we are now ideally placed to ensure it is built as we both have planned for. We will visiting your site at intervals appropriate to the stage of construction or as otherwise agreed by ourselves in order to become generally familiar with the progress and quality of the Work, to determine in general if the Work is being performed in a manner indicating that the Work when completed will be in accordance with the Contract Documents, and to help prepare final As-Built Documents which are needed for your Code Compliance Certificate.
On the basis of these on-site observations, we will keep you informed of the progress and quality of the Work, answers questions raised by your builder, and guard you against defects and deficiencies in the Work. (More here about working together on this important part of your project.)
Having lived with your project, we are now ideally placed to ensure it is built as we both have planned for. We will visiting your site at intervals appropriate to the stage of construction or as otherwise agreed by ourselves in order to become generally familiar with the progress and quality of the Work, to determine in general if the Work is being performed in a manner indicating that the Work when completed will be in accordance with the Contract Documents, and to help prepare final As-Built Documents which are needed for your Code Compliance Certificate.
On the basis of these on-site observations, we will keep you informed of the progress and quality of the Work, answers questions raised by your builder, and guard you against defects and deficiencies in the Work. (More here about working together on this important part of your project.)
