Process

Things you should know

Your project will require the input of qualified experts in a range of fields, from design to regulations to costing to construction. All of that, plus the nature of the industry, creates a level of unpredictability. Even the best-laid plans can come undone for unforeseen reasons.

As your architects, part of our role is to manage all the pieces so that they work together seamlessly, to guide you through decisions that need to be made along the way, and to keep you in touch with progress.

The stages of a project

We believe in a cooperative design process. We start with an initial meeting to start to understand your vision, needs and budget, discussing your project goals and determining the best course of action.

Assuming we are both happy to proceed from that point, we commence the pre-design process before moving into the project process itself.

Pre-design

The first ‘formal’ step in any project is pre-design, a quite detailed preparatory stage. Our approach during pre-design is to establish the viability of achieving your vision within the constraints of the site itself (including existing buildings), any restrictions that may exist (e.g. heritage overlay) and your budget. We will build up a picture of the likely timeframe and identify which expert consultants are likely going to be needed in addition to ourselves. The pre-design phase aims to ensure that your project can be implemented in a timely and financially responsible way.

Once we have a workable project scope, brief and budget, we will compile a formal Client Architect Agreement based on the Architects Institute of Australia’s standard model. We will also provide you with a Client Pack with further detail about fee calculation and payment terms. On your agreement, we will then move to the first phase of the project, ‘concept design’.

Six phases of a project

The role of consultants

While playing the lead role, we collaborate with a trusted network of consultants to ensure a coherent process from concept through to completion.

Successful building projects are always a team effort. Just as a live show needs venue managers, stage managers, roadies, lighting designers and a sound crew, your project will need input from designers, surveyors, a cost planner, an engineer or two and, of course, a building contractor. Some of these are mandatory, such as building surveyors, while others – such as energy consultants and acoustics specialists – may be engaged in order to ensure you get the best result.

It’s important to understand that while we will competitively source and manage these consultants on your behalf, you will be responsible for the fees associated with their work. We will always be clear with you about who we need to engage and why.

Professional fees

We strive to be clear about our fees, and to help you understand the costs associated with the engagement of specialist consultants. We don’t like surprises and want to help you avoid them too.

In line with standard practice, the fees we charge for our design work as architects are based on a percentage of the project’s construction budget, as estimated at the ‘design development’ phase (see above), plus a lump sum/flat monthly fee that covers our management of the later stages of the project.

Our design fees are payable in stages over the first four phases of the project. Other fees will be payable later during construction.

Building cost calculation is a complex skill, so to ensure the budget is estimated to a high level of accuracy, we always invest in the services of a professional cost planner for medium-to-large projects.

Our fee structure, provided after pre-design, outlines the cost of our work for each stage and forms part of our agreement before any work begins.

Questions?

Please contact us to book a complimentary 20-minute consultation about the project you have in mind. We can go over our process with you and answer your questions face-to-face.