Process

The design process varies between a new house build and a house renovation. This simple overview gives you an idea of what to expect, based on the extent of your design project.

House Renovations / Alterations / Additions

If you’re thinking about a house renovation, alteration or addition, there are a few things to consider:

Contact an architectural designer: We can work with you to understand your goals, prepare a scope of works and email you a quote.
Create a budget: Your budget will be a mix of how much you can afford to spend and how much the project will likely cost. Contact your builder to get a preliminary idea of how much your project may cost. Alternatively, if you have not yet made contact with a builder, at this stage you can contact us and we will work with you to give you an overview of costs.
Contact a builder: If you don’t have a builder in mind, ask friends or family for referrals. We can also suggest reputable tradespeople.

What to expect from the architectural design process

Pre-Design
We will take information and measurements from your site to create a preliminary concept to be developed.

Concept Design
With the information obtained from the pre-design stage you will receive a design concept, either in person or via email. As we move through the process, the design concept is discussed and revised.

Preliminary Design
We will refine your preferred concept and determine the character and style of your home. From here the designs are developed, including consideration of the size and relationship of spaces within your home, followed by the preparation of elevations and plans.

Pricing Drawings
If your builder requires Pricing Drawings, these can be created. This will give the builder a brief of the design to allow them to provide a more accurate preliminary costing quote. A detailed quote will usually be provided by the builder when complete working drawings are available, giving an accurate representation of the project.

Building Consent Documentation
Building Consent Documentation includes a full and comprehensive list of documentation, drawings, specifications, engineering and a building consent application. This is the documents provided to the council to apply for building consent. With permission from the client, the designer can act as their agent and submit the project on their behalf, to help simplify the process.

Council Processing
Processing of your application with council usually takes around 20 working days. During this processing time council may request further information. For this reason, it is beneficial for your designer to act as your agent during this stage. Any requests can then go directly to the designer, increasing efficiency.

Once council has approved your application, all the approved building consent documentation will be sent to the client and their nominated builder (if requested). At this stage, your build can get underway.

New Build

The decision to start fresh and create your new home from the ground up is a huge and exciting decision.

A new build project brings with it a new set of processes to work through.

Pre-Design
Pre-design is ultimately the ‘information gathering’ phase. During this important time, we will help you to define the goals and direction for your project from the outset. This key information about your site and project will help us to gain a full understanding of the design requirements.

Concept Design
With the information obtained from the pre-design stage you will receive a design concept, either in person or via email. As we move through the process, the design concept is discussed and revised.

Preliminary Design
We will refine your preferred concept and determine the character and style of your home. From here the designs are developed, including consideration of the size and relationship of spaces within your home, followed by the preparation of scaled elevations and plans.

Pricing Drawings
If your builder requires Pricing Drawings, these can be created. This will give the builder a brief of the design to allow for them to provide a more accurate preliminary costing quote. A detailed quote will usually be provided by the builder when complete working drawings are available, giving an accurate representation of the project.

What to expect from the architectural design process

Building Consent Documentation

Building Consent Documentation includes a full and comprehensive list of documentation, drawings, specifications, engineering and a building consent application. This is the documents provided to the council to apply for building consent. With permission from the client, the designer can act as their agent and submit the project on their behalf, to help simplify the process. This documentation is used by tradespeople for pricing and as a guide during the build.

Architectural Fees

As your architectural designer, once we’ve established the details of your project, we will provide a letter of engagement. This details how involved our team will be with your new build and all design costs from start to finish.