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The Architectural Process - Initial Discussion

For a potential new project we normally meet with clients for an initial no-obligation discussion. This allows both parties to get a measure of each other while discussing the project. The meeting can either be at our office or in your current home/work environment or at the potential site. We will take you through our general design philosophies and illustrate how these have been applied to previous projects. We also like to see any images of architectural work that you admire from any source. The information below is intended to give an indicative outline of the process involved in procuring a building (especially a house for a private client in !ew "ealand. #ur services are customised to suit clients$ needs so at an initial meeting we would discuss the services re%uired specific to your project and the fees that we would charge. The building process can be a complicated one and part of our job is to advise the client when they should use other specialist consultants . Taking advice from specialists early in a project can often save money and time in the longer term. &epending on the comple'ity of the project we can provide some initial feasibility information about building costs( programme and site suitability in this first meeting. This is covered in more detail in the )re-&esign section. Follow the link below or use the inde' on the right of this page for more information on the *rchitectural )rocess. + )rocess introduction , )re-design -

The Architectural Process - Pre-design

We can make a valuable contribution to your project before any design work begins by helping prepare a comprehensive architectural brief. Brief The success of the project greatly benefits from a good quality brief. A brief is a description of the desired outcomes and it can include such things as the requirements and functions of the building, the activities and spaces to be accommodated, desired materials and finishes and your budgetary constraints. t is also essential that the proposed building be considered in qualitative terms too. We are trained to translate your hopes and aspirations into built form, but these are often more difficult to convey than the more prosaic requirements such as number of bedrooms required. We want to hear about your likes and dislikes in all aspects of design, architecture, art, fashion and way of life, and this can be prompted by images from books, maga!ines and the internet. We work hard to make our designs particular to their site and specific to their owners. "lients sometimes perceive a dilemma that displaying their own preferences and ideas will in some way restrict the creativity of their designer. We believe this fear is unwarranted for a number or reasons# there is usually broad scope for creativity and originality around any requirements$ robust discussion of issues between architect and clients will usually lead to richer designs$ the more input we have from clients the greater the chance that we can find individual personal aspects that can tie the design to its owners. %easibility As part of the brief process we can advise you on the feasibility of the project in terms of budget planning, site analysis, programme requirements and any other professional services that may be required. We can guide you on selection of a suitable site based on your needs. Appropriate site selection may reduce the cost and increase the potential of the project. We advise on soil conditions, availability of services, local building regulations, heritage implications, resource consent issues, site orientation and views.

We can also give advice on likely costs for different phases of the building project such as site development costs, construction costs, furniture and fitout, landscaping and consultants fees. We will also discuss the programme for the project. This will take into account the nature of the project, the current state of the building market, site availability, your time requirements and our office workload. We then provide a &antt chart which schedules all major activities and milestones throughout the project. The Architectural 'rocess ( )ite Analysis This stage involves deciphering opportunities and constraints within the proposed site. An analysis of local authority regulations, *esource "onsent requirements, orientation, views, levels, heritage implications, legal requirements, relationship with neighbouring sites and available utilities and service routes all help give everyone some certainty with which to make decisions on the direction in which project should go. A survey of levels and boundaries is required in all but the most simple of site situations. We facilitate the engagement of a land surveyor to provide this information by briefing them on what is required. We will survey any e+isting buildings on the site by measuring, drawing and taking photos. We will also assist in the decision on whether to engage a geotech engineer to gather soils condition information and, if so, at which stage. ,f course all this information can be of great benefit in deciding whether or not to buy a site in the first place. The Architectural 'rocess ( 'reliminary -esign Together with you, we will come to terms with all the major items that will affect the design. These include prosaic, philosophical and aesthetic issues. t is important for us to understand your tastes and how you wish to live.work.worship.play in the building. /owever, it is worth noting that people0s tastes are based on their e+periences so keeping an open mind may produce une+pected but happy results. ,f course, we try to do the same. -uring this stage we will develop some key conceptual ideas that will drive the design. These develop in tandem with working through issues of the

general form of the building and its relationship with the site and surrounding environment. We will begin by drawing space schematics and diagrams and refine these to scaled layouts. When we feel that we are on a worthwhile path we will begin to model the design in three dimensions on the computer. This provides a feedback loop where ideas are tested on the model and the results provide stimulus for further design ideas. At the conclusion of this stage you will have drawings that describe the preliminary design with all current decisions.ideas shown. We normally recommend that a 1uantity )urveyor 21)3 is engaged to provide an estimate of costs based on the drawings and an outline specification. The design process works from the general to the particular, so it is important that the client is completely comfortable with the design at the end of each stage, or that we understand any reservations you have before we proceed to the ne+t step. The Architectural 'rocess ( -eveloped -esign n this stage the design is refined and final decisions are made so that it is ready for "ontract -ocumentation 2see below3. We will make recommendations for the design of detail and the use of materials that reinforce the vision previously developed during 'reliminary -esign stage. f *esource "onsent applications are required 2permission to proceed from "ouncil under the *esource 4anagement Act3, they are usually undertaken during this stage. %or a residential project there will be detailed design of bathrooms, laundry and kitchen and decisions made on fi+tures, fittings and cabinetry throughout the house. We will also develop the detail contained in our computer model, giving it materials and working on the relationship with its landscaping. f there have been any major changes during this stage then the 1uantity )urveyor can be asked to price the implications of these. We would apply for *esource "onsent on your behalf at the point at which all issues affecting the "onsent have been resolved sufficiently. f, however, the project involves particularly thorny *esource "onsent issues then we may recommend that a specialist town planning consultant is engaged to make the application together with our supporting documents. t is important that everybody completely understands and is at ease with the design before starting the contract documents. %or e+ample, changing

the position of a room near the end of the "ontract -ocumentation stage can mean a great deal of work altering many drawings and may compromise other earlier design decisions. At the conclusion of -eveloped -esign the building is sufficiently defined to give a clear understanding of the scope of work, costs and the architectural look and feel.
&esign user duration .one sense of place space pro'imity