Three steps to your high-performance home
Our first meeting is to get to know each other and make sure we’re on the same page. I visit your site, get a feel for what you want, give you an overview of the architect design process, and answer your questions. I also need to know if you’ve appointed any other consultants or contractors.
Our second meeting is about digging deeper. We’ll talk about how you want your home to feel, and what materials you like, as well as technical facts about your site. This stage is about gathering the info I need to present a fee proposal and produce a meaningful design that brings your new home to life.
Our first meeting is to get to know each other and make sure we’re on the same page. I visit your site, get a feel for what you want, give you an overview of the architect design process, and answer your questions. I also need to know if you’ve appointed any other consultants or contractors.
Our second meeting is about digging deeper. We’ll talk about how you want your home to feel, and what materials you like, as well as technical facts about your site. This stage is about gathering the info I need to present a fee proposal and produce a meaningful design that brings your new home to life.
Once you’ve signed off your proposal, I draw a floor plan showing initial ideas for the layout of your living spaces. These preliminary designs go through several iterations until you’re happy with the layout of your home.
We start to look at the 3D form of your house. I might develop the floor plan further, adding elevations, cross sections, and a roof plan. This is where we start getting input from other consultants. I encourage early contractor involvement, from engineers and surveyors as well as your builders.
We also consider materials. Will you use structural insulated panels or timber framing? What roofing, cladding, and windows do you like? Once you’ve made structural and material decisions, we move to detailed design.
I draw up all specifications for Council consents and builders’ quotes. Builders need detailed designs to give you a fixed price. The more detailed your plans, the more accurate your builder's quote and the easier your build.
Design continues during documentation stage. We’ll consider bathroom layouts and kitchen joinery, lighting, power points, and hard landscaping.
I provide your builders with the info they need to price the job, answer their questions, and discuss any suggestions they have to make your project more cost effective. There’s back and forth and further design refinement at this stage. I can suggest builders if you don’t have someone in mind.
At the same time, we lodge your consent applications. Ideally, your consents are issued at the same time you accept your builder’s quote, I help you review and sign your building contract, and you're ready to build.
Once you’ve signed off your proposal, I draw a floor plan showing initial ideas for the layout of your living spaces. These preliminary designs go through several iterations until you’re happy with the layout of your home.
We start to look at the 3D form of your house. I might develop the floor plan further, adding elevations, cross sections, and a roof plan. This is where we start getting input from other consultants. I encourage early contractor involvement, from engineers and surveyors as well as your builders.
We also consider materials. Will you use structural insulated panels or timber framing? What roofing, cladding, and windows do you like? Once you’ve made structural and material decisions, we move to detailed design.
I draw up all specifications for Council consents and builders’ quotes. Builders need detailed designs to give you a fixed price. The more detailed your plans, the more accurate your builder's quote and the easier your build.
Design continues during documentation stage. We’ll consider bathroom layouts and kitchen joinery, lighting, power points, and hard landscaping.
I provide your builders with the info they need to price the job, answer their questions, and discuss any suggestions they have to make your project more cost effective. There’s back and forth and further design refinement at this stage. I can suggest builders if you don’t have someone in mind.
At the same time, we lodge your consent applications. Ideally, your consents are issued at the same time you accept your builder’s quote, I help you review and sign your building contract, and you're ready to build.
As your architect, I oversee your build. I visit the site regularly to check quality of workmanship, make sure materials are the ones you specified, and resolve any queries and challenges with your builder.
I also handle contract administration, certifying monthly progress payments to your builder, reviewing any time or cost overruns and changes in scope. I make sure health and safety standards are observed, resource and building consent requirements are complied with, and manage council inspections. Finally, my role is to be an impartial mediator in any dispute with your builder.
Near the end of construction, I identify any final work to be wrapped up with your builder, then sign off the build at the practical completion inspection. After that inspection, you can take possession of your new home.
After you've moved in, I’m still there to support you and arrange for the builders to sort any final faults. Builds have a 90-day defects liability period to allow the building to settle. Any urgent defects are dealt with immediately. Minor cosmetic issues, like cracks in paint and plaster, are recorded in your final inspection and done at the end of the 90 days.
It can be fun to celebrate a successful build. That can mean hosting the people involved in the build, and a housewarming for family and friends. It may also include holding an open home to share what you've achieved with other people looking at building a high-performance home.
As your architect, I oversee your build. I visit the site regularly to check quality of workmanship, make sure materials are the ones you specified, and resolve any queries and challenges with your builder.
I also handle contract administration, certifying monthly progress payments to your builder, reviewing any time or cost overruns and changes in scope. I make sure health and safety standards are observed, resource and building consent requirements are complied with, and manage council inspections. Finally, my role is to be an impartial mediator in any dispute with your builder.
Near the end of construction, I identify any final work to be wrapped up with your builder, then sign off the build at the practical completion inspection. After that inspection, you can take possession of your new home.
After you've moved in, I’m still there to support you and arrange for the builders to sort any final faults. Builds have a 90-day defects liability period to allow the building to settle. Any urgent defects are dealt with immediately. Minor cosmetic issues, like cracks in paint and plaster, are recorded in your final inspection and done at the end of the 90 days.
It can be fun to celebrate a successful build. That can mean hosting the people involved in the build, and a housewarming for family and friends. It may also include holding an open home to share what you've achieved with other people looking at building a high-performance home.
