our services

We offer the full range of building design and related services, from one-off consultations to the ‘full package’ of concept design through to contract administration and beyond. We aim to be as flexible and responsive as possible in the scope and structuring of services we offer to each client - what is right for you will depend on your needs, the nature of your project, and other factors.

We appreciate that for those unfamiliar with the design and construction process, the thought of getting a project designed, permitted, documented and built can be confusing and intimidating - so even if you choose to take on some of the tasks involved yourself, we are happy to offer guidance and support.

initial meeting and fee proposal

The process begins with an initial meeting. Here we will establish your Brief or Program, which lays out all your requirements for your project in as much detail as possible: your preliminary budget, rooms and spaces and their approximate sizes, your lifestyles, hobbies and habits, aesthetic or stylistic preferences, and so on. This information will also help us establish the scope of services you require.

Next we will prepare a fee proposal and scope of services which, on your acceptance, will form the basis of the engagement agreement. Our fees are based on a consideration of the project’s scale, complexity, cost, scope, and level of ‘finish’ desired. Depending on the scope and other factors, fees may be on an hourly basis, a lump sum basis, or a percentage of the construction cost, as in the case of a ‘full services’ agreement, which takes in all of the stages listed below.

Concept DESIGN

In the Concept Design stage, also called Sketch Design or Schematic Design, your brief is translated into a concrete design proposal.

Before any design work takes place, we will first undertake the necessary pre-design activities: a visit to your site to get the ‘lay of the land’ and consider possible locations and orientations for the building (in the case of alterations and additions, the existing house will also need to be measured up); obtaining a copy of title (and a site features survey and site investigation report if needed); and doing preliminary research into the basic regulatory conditions (height limits and setbacks, heritage controls, etc.) that apply to your site.

We will then spend a few weeks creating an initial concept design or designs, in the form of floor plans and elevations. We may also prepare models or computer generated images to help you visualise how the building works and looks. 

The concept design stage is a collaborative process between designer and client: discussing, revising, and developing the design through multiple iterations until we arrive at something you wish to proceed with. The concept design lays the foundation for everything that comes after, so time spent on this stage can make a big difference in the quality of the final result.

Given that concept design tends to be somewhat ‘open-ended’ by nature, we feel that it is usually better, both in terms of cost and outcome, to incorporate it into of a larger package of services; but if requested we are happy to offer concept design at an hourly rate independent from, and with no obligation to continue to, any later stages. In this case, we will provide you with an initial estimate of the anticipated hours required, based on the scale and complexity of the project, and invoices will be issued regularly so you can keep track of time and thus cost.

While we are happy to work with an existing design you bring to us, we generally prefer and recommend a ‘blank slate’ approach of taking only your brief and list of requirements to produce our own design proposal. Working with or remediating existing plans can be somewhat like renovation, in that it can take more time to work with what is there than to start from scratch.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Once the concept design has been more or less settled on, the drawings are then progressively refined and detailed in a process known as Design Development. The main waypoints in this process are the preparation of a set of drawings and other documents for obtaining a Planning Permit (if required), and then for a Building Permit; this is also the most convenient and natural way of structuring the fee stages.

PLANNING PERMIt documentation

The purpose of the Planning Permit documentation is to demonstrate to council that your project complies with the provisions of their planning scheme, and contributes to rather than detracts from the amenity of its surroundings. If your project requires a planning permit, we will develop the concept design into a set of presentation drawings detailed enough to be submitted for this purpose. It is at this stage that things like the building’s floor area, height, roof pitches, setbacks, and exterior colours and finishes are decided. In addition to basic plans, council may also require overlooking diagrams, shadow diagrams, heritage reports, town planning reports, and the like. We offer these services, or can engage consultants on your behalf for more specialised tasks if necessary. In addition to preparing the necessary drawings and documents, we can also undertake all contact and consultation with planners and consultants, arrange and attend pre-application meetings with council, and prepare and submit the application documents on your behalf. Having someone experienced to navigate council and ‘fight your corner’ can make a significant difference to the outcome. 

building PERMIT documentation

The purpose of the Building Permit documentation is to satisfy your nominated building surveyor that your project meets the requirements of the Victorian Building Regulations, the Building Code of Australia, and various Australian Standards. Typically the plans and other documentation prepare for this stage require engaging various consultants: structural and geo engineers, a thermal assessor, bushfire risk assessor, and so on. In addition to the building permit documentation, we can do all the ‘background work’ of engaging these consultants and preparing and submitting the building permit application on your behalf.

CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTATION

Design development is followed by the Construction Documentation stage, when the drawings and specifications are brought to their highest level of detail. Whereas the planning permit documents are ‘addressed to’ the town planner, and the building permit drawings are addressed to the building surveyor, the construction documents are addressed to the builder: first in the call for tenders (if required), and finally for the nominated builder’s use in the construction of the project. On simple projects, there may be little to add to the construction documentation beyond what is already contained in the building permit drawings; more complex or higher level projects may require large-scale detail sections, joinery plans, interior elevations, and so on.

TENDERING

If you don't have a particular builder in mind for your project, we can put the project out to tender. This involves inviting several builders to prepare and submit bids for your project; we then evaluate these bids and make our recommendation to you in the appointment of a ‘winner’. The choice usually comes down to price, but other considerations, such as the construction timeline, reputation, etc., may also factor into the decision. We can also advise or assist in negotiations in the preparation and signing of the building contract and other documents.

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION

You may elect to appoint us to act as the Contract Administrator in your contract with the builder. The role of the contract administrator is to act as an intermediary between the owner and the builder (the two parties to the building contract) during the construction of the project.  In this role, we: make regular site visits to monitor the progress of construction and ensure its conformity to our documentation, issuing instructions to the builder if necessary; evaluate the builder’s progress claims and and issue progress certificates; evaluate the validity of the builder’s claims for variations; serve as the go-between for all communications between you and the builder; maintain a record of site visits, meetings, etc. in the form of minutes, reports; and communicate all relevant information to you in a timely manner, with regular updates on the overall progress of your build.

There are several advantages to having an administrator to your contract. By having us monitor the progress of the build and the builder’s claims, we may save you money in preventing or moderating excessive or unnecessary claims and variations. A contract administrator can also take the stress out of communicating directly with the builder, a beneficial service for anyone who is unfamiliar with the industry and so might otherwise be put at a disadvantage.