THE ARCHITECTURAL PROCESS |
The second part of stage one is creating your Design Brief for your new home. When the site analysis has been carried out you will sit down with your architect and develop your design brief. The brief, along with the site review, is the fundamental building block from which your new home design will grow. Because of this it’s very important that you get your design brief just right. Anything that you forget to tell your architect, that you really need will not be in your finished home, or will be the cause of expensive re-design fees and may require re-building sections of your home to get it right. As you are creating your brief be aware that if something is not in the brief it won’t be in your new home. |
what is the DESIGN brief?Simply put, the design or project brief, also called a ‘program’, is a list of all your requirements that need to be included in your home. how to start on your design briefWhen you start to create your brief, before you go over your requirements with your architect, it’s best to sit down with all the people who will be living in your home and discuss everything that they need and want. Discuss ideas, go away and think about them, come back to the brief and refine it. Your brief will be a work in progress until you feel that you have recorded everything that you need and want and defined what is important in your home for all your family members. As a starting point you can think about houses that you know and like and consider what aspects of them appeal to you. Think about the home you are living in now – what works and what doesn’t, what’s great about it, what does it lack? Looking in magazines, collecting images and noting down ideas are great ways to help you to think outside the box. what to consider when creating your brief
what your architect will doWhen you work with your architect to create the brief together they will ask you a multitude of questions about your ideas, your needs, your lifestyle and they will hone in on tiny details to make sure that they fully understand your requirements. Typically after your first meeting to create the brief they will put together a draft brief for you to look over which may include items requiring clarification. The draft brief can go backwards and forwards several times to refine the brief. Your job is to go over their brief document and make sure that it perfectly defines everything that you need in your home. Don’t start designing... This is the stage for ideas. This early stage of creating your home design brief is a chance to have fun and explore ideas, because right now there are no limitations to your perfect home. Even big ideas that you think are impossible right now, but are things that you would love to have in your home, can be adapted by your architect into creative design solutions that will help your finished home to be absolutely perfect for you. |
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THE ARCHITECTURAL PROCESS |
STAGE 1: PROJECT DEVELOPMENT & ANALYSISThe first stage of your architectural design is all about working out exactly what you need, what you want and what you actually can do with the design of your new home. At the end of this stage the parameters of what you can build will have been established and the viability of your building project will be assessed. There are two parts to this stage: 1. The Site Review and 2. Creating the Design Brief. Right now we’ll explore what is included in The Site Review. the site reviewUndertaking a detailed and thorough Site Review is fundamental to the overall success of the project. Missing information could result in a design that doesn’t function properly for you, doesn’t maximise the opportunities of the site or worse isn’t able to be built because of planning restrictions that weren’t considered. What your Architect will do to complete the Site Review: |
Your Architect will need to visit your property in person and take photos and measurements of the site and any existing structures and look at the existing conditions of the site and the surroundings. |
Your Architect will arrange for a survey of the site and surrounding buildings. He or she will prepare a Site Survey which will be presented as a map showing boundaries, topography, utilities on the site, the location and height of any existing buildings, the location and height of neighbouring buildings, fences and any existing other features of the site. The survey will also establish the legal boundaries, any covenants or rights-of-way or encroachments on the site. |
They will conduct research on the zoning and planning restriction with local authorities and check if there are additional planning restrictions that apply to your property. Local councils' regulations and processes, Local Environmental Plans, Development Control Plans, State Planning Policies, environmental agencies' regulations, Building Codes, BASIX and environmental design requirements and Standards all have their own conditions and restrictions which need to be considered. |
A site analysis will be completed that will collate all the information collected from the site visit, the survey and the research. This will present findings on access, circulation, topography, materials, views, prevailing winds, sun movement, overshadowing, climate conditions, surrounding building context, site and local land use, local environment effects, existing vegetation, electrical lines, surrounding roads. All of this research and the findings will be compiled in a Project Review Report that will summarise the limitations on building on your site, regulations that affect your property, the planning application process and any issues that will impact on your home design. CONSULTANTS NEEDED FOR STAGE ONE
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO FOR STAGE ONEYou will need to supply any existing property information that you have, such as existing site and building plans and surveys, land information, consultant reports, building reports etc. You will need to obtain a sewer and water diagram from the water authority in your area. You will need to engage the Surveyor and in for some sites you will also need to contract a Geotechnical Engineer – your architect or designer will help you with these. The second part of Stage One is creating the Design Brief, which you can read about in the next entry. |
If you have any questions about the Architectural Design Process or would like to work with us on your new home, please contact us here: |
Most people who are looking to buy a family home will end up buying a home that needs renovating. Some homes are perfect home renovation material while others will turn out to be a disaster – costing enormous amounts of money and stress without really adding value to the home or improving your quality of life. But how do you tell the difference before you buy your fixer upper? We’ve compiled some tips to help you make the best decision when looking at fixer-uppers to purchase and then renovate to be your perfect home.
Know what you want in your renovatED HOME
Before you start to look at houses sit down and draw up a wish list of everything that your ideal home will be. (This is the Design Project Brief.) Then set them in order of priority. You will need to know how many bedrooms and bathrooms you will need. Do you need off street parking, if so for how many cars? What are your needs for outdoor space? Go through and list everything that you want in your home is much detail as you can. If you already have an architect or designer you can sit down with them and they will help you to create the design project brief. Knowing what you absolutely must have in a house will be of enormous value in ruling out houses that don’t fit the bill and helping you see the possibilities in other properties.
Do you need help creating the design brief for your new home renovation?
Our Design Project Brief Toolkit will take you through a structured process to help you to consider, prioritise and create the brief for your perfect family home. |
Look beyond the ugly in your fixer uppeR
Open your mind (and close your eyes!) Just because the house is old, dirty, dark, cluttered, messy, tasteless and maybe even smelly doesn’t mean this home isn’t a gem. Remember that you’re not buying the home to live in as it is. You will be tearing out that ugly carpet, repainting the walls, removing the 1970’s curtains and updating the kitchen. Be aware that what is off-putting about a house may just be superficial and easily and cheaply fixed. Even if you can’t visualise what the house could be, your architect will help you to create a wonderful home out of what presents as a disaster. If the house is presented very badly, but ticks all the boxes in other areas you might have found your perfect home for a bargain!
Know the structural soundness of the house
If you only do one thing before buying a house it has to be getting professional building and pest reports done on the property.
Unless you are planning to completely demolish the entire structure you need to be sure that the existing walls, structural beams, floors, roofing, plumbing, electrics etc are all up code and structurally sound. Having to completely rewire a house or replace all the floor joists because of termite damage or deal with asbestos removal can eat up enormous amounts of your renovation budget. Are you planning on adding an extra storey? Then have a structural engineer check that the existing walls and footings can support the added weight. Also you need to know if the existing building is up to code to prevent you spending your renovating budget on replacing things like balustrades and railings.
Unless you are planning to completely demolish the entire structure you need to be sure that the existing walls, structural beams, floors, roofing, plumbing, electrics etc are all up code and structurally sound. Having to completely rewire a house or replace all the floor joists because of termite damage or deal with asbestos removal can eat up enormous amounts of your renovation budget. Are you planning on adding an extra storey? Then have a structural engineer check that the existing walls and footings can support the added weight. Also you need to know if the existing building is up to code to prevent you spending your renovating budget on replacing things like balustrades and railings.
Consider the floor plan of the house you want to renovate
If the floor plan is something that you can work with and you need to create only minimal changes this will dramatically affect your renovation budget. Knocking down walls, adding structural beams, relocating bathrooms and kitchens all add to the building costs considerably. So, a good layout means that your budget can be directed towards other things like improving the finishes and fittings and adding new spaces and will move you a lot further towards creating your perfect family home.
Buy the worst house in the best street
It’s a cliché but it’s true to look for ‘the worst house in the best street’. This is a good start to help ensure that you are adding real monetary value and not over capitalising on the property. You can check what the other houses in the street have sold for recently and compare these prices to your renovation budget to see if you will be able to carry out the renovations that you want without overcapitalising on the property. It’s always best to get professional advice from a real estate agent or a valuer, especially if you are planning to on-sell the house after you renovate.
Check the planning controls before you buy your fixer-upper
Check with your local council and other authorities to see if the rules and regulations that apply will restrict what work you can do to the house. For example if the house is in a heritage area this will limit the changes you can make in terms of colours and materials, what can be demolished and visibility of new work from the street. Controls such as floor space ratio and height limitations may mean that you aren’t able to add the number bedrooms you need or extend the living area to suit your family.
Check the home buyers contract details
Have your solicitor look over the contract for you and check for issues such as easements and the location of the sewer line all of which can restrict where you can build or result in higher building costs.
Know your buying and renovating budget
If you know what your total budget is for buying and renovating your home you will be able to assess whether a home is right for you. You will also need to calculate all the costs associated with buying and then renovating the home. Remember to include fees, taxes, inspection and conveyancing costs. You need to find a home that fits the formula:
buying costs + renovation costs + fees & charges + contingency = your budget
If you’d like more information on home renovation budgets you can read our article here.
buying costs + renovation costs + fees & charges + contingency = your budget
If you’d like more information on home renovation budgets you can read our article here.
Extra things to check for before buying your fixer upper
- Is on street parking a problem? If so where will visitors park?
- If the house has been recently renovated you will be paying a premium for the work which may not be exactly to your taste, so consider the cost of doing renovations yourself compared to the extra cost of buying a renovated home and know what you are happy to compromise on.
- Have the walls been recently painted? Freshly painted walls can mask dampness and hide structural faults.
- Look at the heating and air conditioning system. Consider if these are adequate or will they need to be replaced.
- What condition is the guttering and downpipes in?
- Is there a pool? Do you want the pool to stay? Will the pool need repairs? Consider any removal or repair costs.
Purchasing your new home is one of the biggest decisions that you will ever make. Without being properly prepared you will be overwhelmed by the process and may make unnecessarily costly mistakes. So, do your homework, talk with experts and you will be well on your way to buying the fixer-upper what will one day be your perfect home.
Visit our website for more information and find out how we can help you to achieve your perfect family home www.archetypestudio.com.au
Do you need help creating the design brief for your new home renovation? Our Project Brief Toolkit will take you through a structured process to help you to consider, prioritise and create the brief for your perfect family home. |