How we work
Design Process
A design can take six to twelve months from first conversation to consent granted. Here’s what happens along the way.
- 01
Initial Consultation
We’ll organise a free initial consultation to get to know each other. The design process can sometimes take 6–12 months, so we need to make sure we’re the right fit for each other.
Don’t worry if you’re not sure where to start with the design — at this stage we just want to get an understanding of your needs and how you live. Depending on where you are in the country this could be in person, on the phone or a Zoom call.
- 02
Formal Engagement
The next step is to formalise our engagement with you as a designer. All of the terms and conditions regarding payment, timeframes and services provided will be outlined in a contract.
At this point we will engage the services of any other consultants we may require, such as surveyors and geotechnical engineers.
- 03
Concept Designs
This is where we start to put pencil to paper and develop the initial concepts. We will gather a detailed design brief from you and visit your site to gain a deeper understanding of the localised environmental considerations.
Using this information we then prepare an initial set of concept plans for your consideration.
- 04
Pricing, Engineering & PIM
Once you’re happy with the concept plans we’ll prepare a more detailed set which can be used for indicative build pricing and early co-ordination with the structural engineers.
At this point we will also apply for a Project Information Memorandum (PIM) through your local council. This identifies whether or not a resource consent will be required as part of your application.
- 05
Construction Drawings & Documentation
These drawings form the bulk of the plan set. They provide the builders and other tradespeople with all the information they need to construct your home.
Depending on the complexity of your design these details could range from a few dozen pages to well over a hundred.
- 06
Building Consent Application
Once we have completed our design work and received all of the information from engineers and other consultants, we will then submit the building consent application to your local council.
Depending on the outcome of the PIM a resource consent may also be required. We will engage a specialist planning consultant to apply for this.
Additional services
Project supervision
As part of the quality assurance process we can visit the project at key milestones during the build. This ensures that your home is being built as per the specifications, and allows us to work with the builder to solve any problems or variations that may arise.
We can also certify payment claims made by the builder, to ensure what’s being claimed is in line with what has been built.
Start with a conversation.
The initial consultation costs nothing and commits you to nothing. It’s how we both find out whether this is a good fit.
Book your free consultation