Createus Group - Createus Group 308 Queen Street East

Our design process

The design and construction of any building can be a daunting and complicated process.  There are many different rules to be followed and decisions to be made, from different products to use through to the final colour scheme and even landscaping.

Our role as architectural designers is to make this process as simple and streamlined as possible.  We use our knowledge of Governmental and Territorial Authority requirements, materials, product and our design skills to create a building that fits need and budget. We also use the latest design software.

WHAT COMES FIRST

The prospect of taking on a building project can be both exciting and overwhelming especially if it is for the first time. Whether it be a renovation, new home or commercial building we work alongside our clients through the design and building process to ensure a happy partnership and successful completion of the project.

CONSULTATION

At the consultation stage we meet with you, either on site or in our office, in order to clarify your design brief and to fully understand your requirements, budgets, timeframes, lifestyle, products, wishes etc. A full brief will allow us to ascertain the professional services you require and the costs associated with those services.

 PROFESSIONAL FEES

We need to know the scope and type of your project, as well as the extent of our involvement before we are able to provide an offer of service to you.

Our aim is to set our fee and have it agreed before we commence the project. Changes to the brief and scope of the project will incur additional fees. As a guide at this early stage you may wish to visit the ADNZ website for a fee guideline. There is no initial consultation fee but we do charge a nominal fee for an onsite consultation, which is credited back, should we undertake the project.

 SITE SELECTION

We can offer advice prior to purchasing a building site or existing building. This will require us to work together with you on the following to choose a site or building that best suits your requirements:

Council District Plan requirements,

• Access, positioning, gradient topography,
• Positioning of services such as water, phone, drainage etc,
• Checking Deposited Plan for easements,
• Liaising with other consultants such as surveyors, geotechnical engineers, structural engineers

SKETCH PLAN

The first stage in the process is to turn the brief into a concept along with gathering the relevant site information outlined under site selection. This process takes into account Council requirements, site restrictions and other relevant factors.

We will prepare a proposed site and floor layout as a starting point to enable further discussions and feed back. The concept can then be carried through to the second stage of design including the preparation of sketch plans and elevations before we begin detailed documentation. This will also enable cost estimates for the project to be obtained.

 DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATION

These are the working/construction technical drawings with written specifications that define the quality of materials and workmanship requirements in the construction of your project.

The level of documentation will vary depending on the site, type of construction, type of project, your own requirements and the level of our involvement in the project. Depending on the type of project and its design additional consultants may be engaged at this stage and their documentation incorporated into our documentation.

These documents, depending on the level of service you require from us, can be used for pricing, tendering, building consent application and will form part of the building contract.

TENDERING

We can tender your project to selected building contractors on your behalf. This involves the preparation of tender documents, overseeing the tendering process, answering queries from the various contractors and sub-contractors, receiving tenders, analyzing the received tenders, querying allowances, recommending a main contractor and co-ordinating the signing of contractual documents between yourself and the successful contractor.

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION & OBSERVATION

We can oversee the construction of your project to ensure that the works are carried out in accordance with the building contract. This includes site visits to check on progress, issuing variations and to ensure workmanship meets both your and our quality.

Part of the administration involves providing a suitable building contract, scheduling and recording site meetings, answering queries from site, processing price variations, checking and approving progress claims, ensuring all guarantees have been received, final checks and reports and approving final completion of your project.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES

We can arrange the following services or consultants on your behalf:

Resource Consent

We can advise you whether or not you will require a resource consent for the project. This can be determined at the sketch plan stage. We are able to produce documentation needed for simple resource consents. For large projects we may suggest a Town Planning Consultant be engaged.

Structural Engineer

Where required we can liaise with the appropriate consultant for your project.

Geotechnical Engineer

As more sites are less suitable for building without designed foundations we can liaise with this consultant on your behalf.

Landscape Designer

If required by you or needed for resource consent application we can consult with your designer or one we have worked with before.

Colour Consultants

Colour can be a personal thing but you may require guidance. We can offer this service or arrange an independent consultant on your behalf to work with you.

Quantity Surveyor

For accurate estimates of the project cost we recommend a Quantity Surveyor is consulted.

Lighting Designer

For specific lighting requirements a consultant can be engaged.

We offer the following services as stand alone or as part of the complete commission:

• Interior Design
• Kitchen/Bathroom Design
• As-Built Documentation
• Internal Furniture Detailing
• Swimming Pools/ Water Features