Our Services

It all begins with an idea, your idea. Bring it to us and together we can turn it into reality. With our skills and experience we can help you add value to your investment and create a home that you will enjoy for years to come. We have outlined the different stages of the building process to help you understand what to expect.

Predesign/Feasibility.

The first step is to make sure we understand what it is you’re looking for. In our initial meeting (s) with you we will discuss all your requirements and together we will develop the design brief. We will then start to gather key information about the site/existing property such as town planning information, existing plans and property files, LIM, Certificate of Title etc, and visit the site. You may already have some of this information to provide us. We may also require a site survey to be done to accurately identify boundaries, contours and site features. We can normally engage a surveyor to do this on your behalf. A surveyor is one of the consultants likely to be required on the project, others may include structural engineer, planner, geotech engineer, quantity surveyor etc. At this early stage, we’re keen to find out all about you and your project, so tell us everything!

Concept Design.

Once the parameters of the site/project have been established and the brief has been more or less defined we will start working on design concepts to discuss with you. We will look at the broader issues such as site advantages and constraints, view shafts, sun direction, and explore different ideas to make the design as efficient and sustianable as possible. This is where the basic form, spatial configurations and materiality of the building will begin to take shape and you will start to get a good idea of what your building will look like. We may present you with a number of different ideas to get your reaction and challenge your thinking. Be open minded to different possibilities and communicate honestly about what you like and what you don’t like. This stage is really important as it establishes the design principles that we will build upon moving forward.

Preliminary & Developed Design.

With the concept agreed upon, this stage is about developing and refining that concept to shape and arrive at the final design. Here, we will look at possible structural systems with the engineer and consider other important design details. We will also look at the colours and materials palette for the building which will inform conversations regarding maintenance schedules, energy efficiency, product performance etc. Developed design is a key phase as it is your last opportunity to check that the design meets your needs and is in line with the design brief before working drawings commences. If there are non negotiables or additional requirements now is the time to table them. At developed design stage we would normally recommend that a quantity surveyor be engaged to provide a preliminary estimate of costs. While it can be very difficult to predict the final building cost, a QS is trained to identify potential costs and form an estimate based on that knowledge. If a resource consent is required we would normally recommend an external specialist planner be engaged to work alongside us to secure this.

Detail Design/Working Drawings/Procurement.

Once resource consent is approved (if RC is required), your project will progress to the detailed design/working drawing stage. We will document the design to a high level of detail to allow us to apply for a building consent and for a contractor to assess the full scope of the project. This will comprise construction drawings and specifications that will include technical details, materials, components, systems and finishes. This stage of the project takes the most time, sometimes many months and there will be many discussions with you along the way so be patient with us. We want to make sure that your project is just right for you and functions exactly in the way you need it to. Once completed and you have overviewed and signed off, we will submit to Council on your behalf for a building consent. We will address any RFI questions Council may have to ensure approval is received as quickly as possible.

If needed, we can help you engage a contractor to build your project and assist you with the tendering process. This may be via competitive pricing involving a number of selected builders, or it may simply be negotiating with one. This can usually happen while we are waiting for the building consent to be approved.

Construction/Site Observation.

No matter how well designed and well-drawn your project is, the end result comes down to how well it is built on site. We are able to offer a site observation service – where we periodically visit the site to review the work taking place against the consented design/drawings. While there is no legal requirement for you to engage us in this role, we would always recommend it as part of the overall scope of services as we believe it gives you the best chance of achieving a quality outcome.

We are also able to administer the construction contract on your behalf, managing progress payment claims, instructing the builder, and overseeing progress on a day to day basis.

Our fees

Please send us an email for an estimate of fees schedule.