Design Process

Every project starts with a conversation.

Send through your enquiry and we’ll review your project details. From there, we’ll book a free on-site consultation to walk through your ideas together, assess the site, and discuss feasibility, budget expectations, and approval pathways.

Following the meeting, we’ll provide a clear, fixed-price fee proposal outlining the scope of works and design stages.

Once you accept the proposal, we get started.

For renovation or extension projects, we complete a detailed site measure of the existing house. We then draft accurate existing floor plans and elevations to create a reliable base for design. This is also the appropriate time to engage a Surveyor to complete a Contour & Detail survey of your site.

Getting this right ensures:

  • Accurate design integration

  • Fewer surprises during construction

  • Smoother approvals and consultant coordination

This is where ideas come to life.

We begin with a project brief meeting to gather all ideas, priorities, must-haves, and budget considerations. From there, we develop concept floor plans and explore the overall look and feel of the project.

This stage focuses on:

  • Layout efficiency

  • Flow and functionality

  • Orientation and natural light

  • Character and street presence

It’s important to spend time refining options here — changes are easy now and much more costly later.

We strongly encourage having a builder involved at this stage to help guide practical construction methods and budget alignment early. We can recommend trusted builders we have worked with in the past.

With the concept approved, we now begin to refine and detail the design. We incorporate feedback from the concept stage and roll over any remaining updates in to this next set of plans. 

This stage typically includes:

  • Door & Window sizes
  • Material selections and external detailing
  • Elevations and sections
  • Information suitable for consultants such as Town Planners and or Engineers to be engaged for the project.

Sending the drawings back to a builder for a price review at this stage is critical before moving into full documentation.

The design is now locked in.

We move into the technical documentation phase, preparing detailed drawings ready for construction. These plans form the foundation for building approval and on-site construction.

This typically includes:

  • Fully dimensioned floor plans

  • Elevations and sections

  • Construction details

  • Notes and specifications

  • Electrical Layouts

Clear documentation reduces variations, and ensures your builder can price and construct accurately.

Throughout the above stages, we coordinate the required consultants to ensure a smooth approval and construction process.

Most projects require:

  • Soil test

  • Surveyor
  • Structural engineer

  • Private building certifier

Other common consultants:

  • Energy efficiency assessor

  • Interior designer

  • Private town planner

Less common (project-specific):

  • Traffic engineer

  • Civil engineer

  • Fire engineer

  • Hydraulic engineer

We manage communication between consultants and ensure all documentation is aligned, reducing stress and keeping your project moving forward.