Over the past 30 years we have evolved a process that allows cross sector collaboration for all parties involved in a project. We emphasise the importance of idea collaboration, to ensure we understand and respond to the project brief. But always with a degree of the ‘Gary Todd guidance and innovative thinking’ - particularly in the sustainability and regenerative-thinking space - as is expected and desired by our clients.
We discuss the full potential of a project. This can be a conversation via phone call, virtual, or in person with the project context explored and discussed.
From this we exchange our thinking and rethinking of how we could best work together to realise shared aims, objectives and outcomes that are clearly understood and agreed. This is crucial in our process to ensure we all have a complete understanding of joint aspirations and expectations.
A contract to engage our services with you can then be arranged following NZIA conditions of engagement which sets out the process of our service in stages with an estimated sequenced timeline and costs relative to project scale.
Our process continues with confirming our agreed project design brief and budget to inform a preliminary design presented to you for further discussion. Our research of the people, place and context informs our ideology of an underlying concept that can unlock the full potential of a project.
We prepare preliminary diagrams, plans, sections, elevations or visualisation images for our discussion of a design concept that conveys our thinking and any rethinking required.
Our joint further input together is to develop, refine and evolve a concept so that it is embraced by all as the succinct solution.
Within this stage we add more detail to determine any earth works, services, site works, building construction, materials and finishes. These factors are checked against council planning rules plus a cost estimate obtained from consultants or contractors that are required for the project scope.
If a resource consent is required for a project, we identify this and, together with a consultant planner, address council rules to ensure that a project is likely to be achieved with due consideration of the effects of the proposed design on the built and natural environment.
Our high level of success with resource consents is based on the leverage of our experience and mutual respect between the council and our expertise known over many planning matters.
With the design approved by you the client, we prepare a comprehensive set of building consent architectural documents which often includes;
Coordination with consultants for structural, fire, mechanical, electrical, and acoustic input relative to the project scale for the council to check and grant approval before construction on a site can commence.
Our high level of prompt processing success with a building consent is based on the leverage of our respected experience and technical capability.
We collaborate with Interior Designers as consultants to build the best team relative to the scale of a project. Interior design and architecture is best intrinsically linked to inform one another.
Our expertise extends to the overlap of design, briefing and approval of colours, materials, textures, lighting, joinery, fabrics and furnishings with our holistic approach of what is best, appropriate and recommended for either private or public spaces.
We support you with advice to make the best decisions and establish a building contract with a Main Contractor who engages sub trades that are best suited to look after your interests.
We also identify separate contracts for you for the supply of services and goods beyond a building contract.
Choosing the right people to build our team is a very important part of the project. With our offices in Dunedin, Wanaka and Christchurch, we help you choose the best team.
We can prepare tender documents, tender the project and with you determine a Main Contractor or contracts.
We can prepare contract documents between you and the main contractor as the Project Manager to act impartially for all parties for the duration of the contract.
We issue instructions, variations, monitor quality of work and progress including inspections for certification of monthly payments from the client to the main contractor until a code of compliance is granted by council and all contracted work is completed to the satisfaction of realising the project to its full potential for our client.
We collaborate with Landscape Architects as consultants to build the best team relative to the scale of a project. Landscape and architecture is best intrinsically linked to inform one another for the natural and built environment approach we endorse.
Our expertise can extend to the overlap of design, briefing and approval of hard and soft landscaping, driveways, paving, courtyards, fences, screen walls, retaining walls, sculpture, water features, lighting, planting, trees, and irrigation all with our ecological approach and what is appropriate and recommended for either private or public spaces.
