PHILIP STEJSKAL ARCHITECTURE
Q1: What are the key phases of a residential architecture project?
Each project has seven key phases, as follows:
FEASIBILITY STUDY / CONCEPT – during this fixed-price service, we get to know you, your site, your brief and your aspirations, and we scope the initial regulatory framework for your project. We explore options and eventually create an initial design concept for your consideration and feedback. Through an iterative process (see question 4) we refine this concept and ultimately and obtain indicative costings for that concept. At this point we often provide a Fee Proposal to provide services for the balance of the project if you wish to proceed.
SCHEMATIC DESIGN – This phase typically begins with a value engineering process, where the detailed feasibility costing allows us to fine-tune the scope to meet your budget. We’ll then develop the concept design further with you and eventually prepare the documents you need to seek permission from your Local Government Authority to build the house (the Development Application, aka DA)
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT – Once you have achieved DA Approval, we begin to focus on the nuts and bolts of the project. we approach builders, engineers and other specialist consultants for their input, and we begin to develop a detailed 3-dimensional model used to create final construction drawings. We work through final external and internal material selections – and interior fittings and fixtures – with you. We discuss and make decisions around heating / cooling, material technologies, acoustics within the home. Basically all material and product selections are made, and the design is fine-tuned.
WORKING DRAWINGS – Once we’ve made all the decisions together, we then knuckle down to capture those in a comprehensive set of written and drawn documents, which also incorporate the input of specialist consultants (engineers etc, energy efficiency assessors and building certifiers) to ensure the design meets all regulatory requirements.
PRICING – We’ll help you to source suitable builders who can tender for the construction project. We facilitate that process and ensure that tenders are comprehensive and comparable. We’ll help you pick one and negotiate with the builder as needed. Sometimes it can be useful to check pricing with a quantity surveyor during this phase.
CONTRACT AWARD – We prepare contract documents for you to enter into with your selected builder, or formalise any trade packages that you’ll need to manage the build yourself if you elect to oversee it as an Owner/Builder. If changes to the design are negotiated, we’ll update drawings or list them in a Tender Addendum, for incorporation into the contract.
CONSTRUCTION – We update the construction documents to incorporate any negotiated changes and issue them to the builder, and throughout the entire construction phase we’ll liaise with the builder – acting as your advocate on-site. We solve any problems that may arise and provide additional details about the drawings as required. We conduct weekly or fortnightly inspections to ensure the build proceeds according to plan. We coordinate independent building inspections at key milestones and prepare a defects list at the end of construction to identify any issues that need need rectification. We also independently certify claims for payment, time extensions and variations, and generally continue to act in a project management capacity during the construction phase.
FEASIBILITY STUDY / CONCEPT – during this fixed-price service, we get to know you, your site, your brief and your aspirations, and we scope the initial regulatory framework for your project. We explore options and eventually create an initial design concept for your consideration and feedback. Through an iterative process (see question 4) we refine this concept and ultimately and obtain indicative costings for that concept. At this point we often provide a Fee Proposal to provide services for the balance of the project if you wish to proceed.
SCHEMATIC DESIGN – This phase typically begins with a value engineering process, where the detailed feasibility costing allows us to fine-tune the scope to meet your budget. We’ll then develop the concept design further with you and eventually prepare the documents you need to seek permission from your Local Government Authority to build the house (the Development Application, aka DA)
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT – Once you have achieved DA Approval, we begin to focus on the nuts and bolts of the project. we approach builders, engineers and other specialist consultants for their input, and we begin to develop a detailed 3-dimensional model used to create final construction drawings. We work through final external and internal material selections – and interior fittings and fixtures – with you. We discuss and make decisions around heating / cooling, material technologies, acoustics within the home. Basically all material and product selections are made, and the design is fine-tuned.
WORKING DRAWINGS – Once we’ve made all the decisions together, we then knuckle down to capture those in a comprehensive set of written and drawn documents, which also incorporate the input of specialist consultants (engineers etc, energy efficiency assessors and building certifiers) to ensure the design meets all regulatory requirements.
PRICING – We’ll help you to source suitable builders who can tender for the construction project. We facilitate that process and ensure that tenders are comprehensive and comparable. We’ll help you pick one and negotiate with the builder as needed. Sometimes it can be useful to check pricing with a quantity surveyor during this phase.
CONTRACT AWARD – We prepare contract documents for you to enter into with your selected builder, or formalise any trade packages that you’ll need to manage the build yourself if you elect to oversee it as an Owner/Builder. If changes to the design are negotiated, we’ll update drawings or list them in a Tender Addendum, for incorporation into the contract.
CONSTRUCTION – We update the construction documents to incorporate any negotiated changes and issue them to the builder, and throughout the entire construction phase we’ll liaise with the builder – acting as your advocate on-site. We solve any problems that may arise and provide additional details about the drawings as required. We conduct weekly or fortnightly inspections to ensure the build proceeds according to plan. We coordinate independent building inspections at key milestones and prepare a defects list at the end of construction to identify any issues that need need rectification. We also independently certify claims for payment, time extensions and variations, and generally continue to act in a project management capacity during the construction phase.