The Architectural Process - Pre-design

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.

It 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, magazines and the internet.

We work hard to make our designs particular to their site and specific to their owners. Clients 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.

Feasibility
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 Gantt chart which schedules all major activities and milestones throughout the project.

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