Our Architecture Services
Saying ‘we’re an architecture firm’ doesn’t quite explain the breadth and depth of services we provide as design consultants. That’s why, on this page you’ll find out a little more about the architecture services we offer and how we can help your project become a reality.
Alongside this it is important to understand the design process, so click the button to the right to get an in-depth understanding of the architectural design process.
WHAT ARCHITECTURE SERVICES DO WE PROVIDE?
Our goal is to step you and your project through the right steps, to turn your dream into a real, living, breathing, project. Depending on your project, whether it’s a residential home, a retirement village, school, commercial building or a Marae, you may need a different mix of the below services we offer.
Don’t be afraid if the below services sound like ‘gobbledygook’, because our talented and experienced team will recommend what services your project needs, nothing less and nothing more. Our advice is backed by our Founder’s years of experience as an LBP Builder, giving us practical ‘hands on’ experience.
FREE DISCOVERY CALLs
Call us on 0800 326 466 for a no obligation chat about your project. This is mostly how all of our projects begin, a phone call, some ideas, some thoughts, and one of our team diving around with out online map tools and giving you good, solid advice to begin your project.
SITE VISITS
Most of our projects start with a site visit. Driving to the site, standing on it and seeing view lines, the sun, wind, contours of the land and surrounding houses and buildings just answers so many questions about a potential building design. We make sure our clients are with us to explain any features they like and share their knowledge of the property.
DESIGN INSPIRATION
Since we see so many mood boards and design ideas from all our clients, our team are a wealth of knowledge on where and how to get design inspiration. Check out our 6 best websites for House Ideas.
PENCIL CONCEPTS
Design ideas flow freely with a pencil in hand. Computers tend to limit our ability, and restrict our free thinking, so we like to start our projects on a piece of paper, and sketch out layouts and thoughts. This then evolves onto the computer, but drawing pictures is definitely part of our job!
3D CAD CONCEPTS
We design in 3D. What that means is that when we’re drawing up your new build, every element in it is 3D modelled on the computer, just like we’re building it in real life. This means we can spot check any material clashes or really think through any tricky junctions before the builder gets to it onsite.
VIRTUAL REALITY
Designing in 3D allows us to export walkthrough files for you to explore your home or building on your computer well before it’s built. This is great for design decisions like choosing window sizes and heights. It’s simply just part of our process. Check out this example.
DEVELOPED DESIGNS
This is when we take the CAD Concept plans and develop them to a level where there’s enough detail for subconsultant input – like engineers, truss designers, interior designers, to name a few. It gives them just that little bit more detail which helps them with pricing and sizing.
DETAILED DESIGNS
After the various reports, designs and input has been received from subconsultants, we finalise your set of plans by doing detailed designs. This is where all the information is pulled together into one final set of plans and is ready to present to the local council.
SPECIFICATIONS
If plans are drawings, specifications are words, explaining the drawings. Specifications are usually a separate document to the plans and cover the process, materials to be used, and have manufacturers attachments with product certificates to prove the materials ‘specified’ are suitable.
BUILDING CONSENTS
Nearly all of our clients get us to submit their Building Consent to the local council. Because we know the process, the forms, and most often the people in Council, it’s easiest for us to submit your project on your behalf, and we can answer any of those curly questions along the way!
PERMIT SUBMISSIONS
There’s a raft of other permits and consents that your project may or may not need. Earthworks Permits, Resource Consents, PIMs, Service Applications – we’re familiar with all of these and can look after the paperwork and submission of these to the local council for approval.
CONSULTANT MANAGEMENT
‘Consultants’ refers to people like engineers, landscape architects, surveyors, wastewater designers and fire engineers who (if required) provide additional reports like TP10s, TP58s, Acoustic Reports for your project. We have a great team of consultants we use and can look after the arrangement and management of these people and reports.
TFS - Technical feasibility studies for marae
After helping many Marae projects get funding, plans and consents, and with great relationships with the Department of Internal Affairs and Te Puna Korkiri, we can help with the TFS stage of a Marae project.
10YPP, Project Management
Many schools rely on our ten year property plan assistance, and project management help for new buildings and building upgrades. We work closely with MOE & contractors to ensure your project runs smoothly.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER BUILDING CONSENT IS ISSUED?
As a firm with a background in Building, we prefer to let the builders do what they do best – Building. That’s why on most of our projects we are only a phone call away from your builder, and he can call us at any time.
However, if you want a formal construction monitoring program where we visit site on a regular basis to check on the build accuracy, workmanship, weathertightness, and design improvements as the build progresses – that is something we can discuss on a project by project basis.