Residential Architecture Services
At Here Studio, we know that a well-designed home brings huge benefits to people's lives, and therefore believe that architecture should be available to everyone.
Although the term ‘forever house’ is an ideal of most practices, creating this typology is difficult to achieve as people go through their lifecycles. So, rather than promising an unrealistic ideal, our team creates solutions that are flexible and will address both immediate and future needs while being realistic about promising the undeliverable.
For our team of experienced architects, the choices of how people choose to live can be extensive, with some clients being overtly conscious of how their neighbours live or what is served up in the media. So, from the outset, it’s paramount for us to understand the values of clients as much as the physical reality of what can be achieved. This is particularly the case when working with older period homes that can often be ‘stubborn’ and challenging to turn around to meet today’s standards, with an emphasis on light-filled homes that embrace their garden settings, both rural and urban.
Once the architect brief is firmly established, there’s a concept/design phase that leads to the generation of alternative schematics. And while some have greater traction than others, it’s often the case of extracting some elements found in each, presented in 3D models for the client to fully understand what can be achieved with a realistic budget and within a set time frame.
We deliver our architectural services through the following stages:
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Discuss your project with us
Meet on-site or online for a walk-through or schedule a feasibility workshop
Detailed fee proposal
Review our proposal
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This stage includes analyses of your site, design concepts including multiple options, layouts, precedent project research, environmentally sustainable design principles, sketches and 3D images - digital and or hand-drawn, form studies, material palettes and written reports.
Concept Design
This is the first stage of our architectural process. It is about establishing the overall idea(s) of the project, including the basic layout, approach to form and sense of materiality. Normally this takes 4-8 weeks of work including back and forth with you.
Concept Design is one of the most exciting parts of the process, it is the point where your dreams and ideas before meeting us, start to materialise on paper in other people’s heads. It is a creative research and learning process for both of us. We formulate the driving ideas and questions of the project and synthesise these together.
Design Development
This stage includes analyses and development of the Concept Design, detailed options, precedent projects, images and early product research, plan and section sketches, 3D images, dimensioned plans hand-drawn and computer drafted, digital 3D models – that you can manipulate at home, Photo-like renders, walkthroughs and impressions of the design using a 3D model and in-house rendering software, coordination of specialist consultants and written reports.
Design Development is the second stage of our architectural process. It is about developing the design into a complete project with clarity about scale – decisions made about how big or small things are, window and door openings, materials palette, atmosphere, external and internal design, and the layout. Normally this takes 6-8 weeks of work including back and forth with you.
We start by confirming and working out key areas identified in Concept Design and study them iteratively. We again use sketches, inspiration and more images, and then seek to debate the pros and cons of different directions with you, concerning cost, impact, functionality, regulation and composition.
Town Planning
The services included in this stage include measured drawings of the proposed design, masterplan, site layout and elevations, written Town Planning Report, consideration of planning regulations and arguments as to why the proposal should be supported, liaison with Council and other authorities, and coordination of specialist consultants.
We work to understand the planning scheme goals and find productive ways to achieve the design directions we have developed with you – in a timely fashion.
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Construction Documentation
This is by far the most technical stage of the architectural process, and it requires the most resources in terms of time. Correspondingly, we require much less back and forth with you than in previous stages.
This stage includes a full documentation set fit for building permit and pricing, materials and colour palette presentations, sourcing sample materials from suppliers or our office library, workshopping with you in a showroom, fully dimensioned drawings as well as technical documents including Australian Standard and National Construction Code requirements.
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Contractor Selection
Contractor Selection is the stage in which we bring the builder into your project, and it requires a clear, concise and careful process. Best industry practice is to run a tender process in which all builders are sent a complete and identical set of detailed documents and specifications, and then return in a set amount of time with a contract price and breakdown of costs. Here Studio also has experience in ‘early contractor engagement’ which involves a ‘negotiated offer’ – a builder getting involved early in the process and negotiating a contract and price in a fluid process. This normally takes 6-8 weeks including a tender, and negotiating for you.
Contract Administration
This is the final stage of the architectural process and is quite different to many of the other architectural design and technical drafting stages. Our job is to represent you and monitor the progress and quality of the construction. An architect’s method of controlling the project delivery – timeline, quality and cost for you is via administering the contract, including assessing payment claims, variations, adjustments of time, assessment of completion and release of security. We attend site, lead site meetings and support the builder with information.
Arguably this is the second-most important stage of the architectural process because it is where your dreams, ideas and design become reality - in all the mess and complexity of a construction site. This normally takes 18-24 months, including regular site visits (normally 6, or monthly visits), and a full 12 months after the construction is complete to assess defects.