Architectural Design

Building a House or Building: The first design stage

We will organise time to meet with you to discuss your expectations, dreams, needs, aspirations and ideas. Bring along those rough sketches, photos etc
We will discuss time and budgetary constraints and make some basic size and quality decisions with you
We will visit the site to study and understand the sites physical attributes ie; the sun, wind directions, aspect, access, neighbours, easements, covenants etc
If there are additions and/or alterations then we will need to measure up and prepare plans of the existing building
If we consider it necessary we will recommend that you engage a Land Surveyor to define the site and topography
We will have preliminary discussions with the Local Authority to ascertain Resource Consent and Building Consent issues
From all this information we have gathered we will develop some design concepts, which we will present and discuss with you and come up with a design that satisfies your requirements, sits well on the site
At the completion of the concept design we highly recommend that we arrange for a preliminary estimate of cost from a Quantity Surveyor. This enables us to confirm compliance with the budget or to make some decisions before we progress further

We will then discuss your responses to the preliminary design and adjust anything as necessary
We can then develop the design and prepare some drawings to illustrate more fully the size and character of the project and the design features incorporated
At this point it may be necessary to engage a structural engineer to design specific parts of the structure. We will let you know and obtain two or three quotes for your approval
A last check for compliance with the brief and Local Authority and statutory requirements will be carried out
Then we will lodge the drawings with the Local Authority for a PIM and Resource Consent if necessary
Now the major design issues are resolved, its time to prepare drawings for building consent and construction purposes