STEP ONE – INITIAL PLANNING
Initial Consultation
We ask questions, you answer them and we actually listen to those answers. This is your home and it should be tailored to you and your family. We will give you advice and give you options, but in the end it’s your home and we want you to be happy there.
Site Visit
Once we have listened to your ideas we will come and visit your build location. It’s important we understand what you want. With an Energy Efficient / Passive House, the orientation is critical when it comes to maximising the passive elements. We need to visualise those ideas on your building site before we start to put it on paper. We need to get the vibe, the feeling of the home and land and how it will all work.
Concept Plans
Based on our previous conversations we will create an initial floor plan. This will consider your ideas and how we are going to make them work. We may also incorporate some of our ideas so the house will function well. This is the point when it is easiest and cheapest to change the layout to get exactly what you want.
STEP TWO – ARCHITECTURAL PLANS
Developing the Design
Once we have settled on the floor plan, we can then create the elevations. Important parts like window placement and shading will be a priority here. You will now see how the home will look from the outside.
Developer’s Approval
The first approval is always yours but if you are building in a subdivision, we will have to seek developer’s approval. This is normally a formality and takes just a few days.
Develop Designs for Costing
Once you and the developer have signed off the plans, we can develop them further for costing. This is an important step as we will give you an accurate cost on how much your project is going to be. Unfortunately, we hear it all too often that clients gave the Architect a budget, had their plans completed, paid a large bill and then went and got it priced only to find it way above what they had asked for. Had they done that at the developed plans stage then it would have saved the client a lot of heartache and money.
Shopping Trips
We price the project by putting in a range of quality fittings. We then take you on a shopping trip around our suppliers. Armed with how much the project will cost, you are now free to keep, change or upgrade the chosen items. Once this is done any price changes will be forwarded to you for your acceptance.
STEP THREE – CONSENT
Develop Design for Consent
Once you have accepted the costings and had are happy to proceed, we prepare the plans for council consent.
Lodge Consent
We will lodge the designs and take care of all the paperwork.
Consent Issued
We are now ready to start the build.

STEP FOUR – BUILD
When building your house, we generally follow these steps in the build process:
- House foundations
- Structure of walls & structure of roof
- Roof installation
- Moisture barrier wraps
- Windows & claddings
- Insulation & vapour barrier
- Internal Gib
- Internal Finishing
- Painting
- Kitchen, bathroom & electrical fittings
- Tiles & floor coverings
- Driveways, patios & landscaping

STEP FIVE – SIGN OFF & MOVE IN!
When your new home is complete, we’ll inspect the house together, and when you are happy, you’ll be ready to move in and start your new life!
