Your needs - The Brief
The first step when thinking of building is to document your wishes and needs in order of priority. This not only helps you decide what exactly you want but also allows you the opportunity to ensure that the things most important are incorporated into the design.

Gather Ideas
Magazines, books, newspapers and catalogues are great for obtaining ideas about style as they keep up with current housing & commercial trends and also allow you to present your ideas better to the Building Designer. Consider bringing the following to your initial meeting with the designer:

• Pictures of interiors,
• Pictures or samples of materials, colours finishes
• Type of appliances, fittings or fixtures (i.e. bath and basin types, oven styles etc).

Whatever you find can help the designer grasp a hold of your imagined design much easier and quicker.

Though this isn’t important it is certainly a great step to which the designer can develop these ideas into something you can appreciate.

Alternatively you can allow the designer to provide ideas and incorporate them into a design for your approval.

Budget
It is important to consider your budget and let the designer know what you are committed to. The will mean that the designer can design a house or building that is within your budget, whilst endeavouring to include your wishes and needs.

Timing
Decide on a time you want to build and let the designer know this. They will do their best to ensure that this time is met. However it is important to remember that in some cases this time may need to be extended.

Always allow time for the Design and Building processes as this will change depending on the complexity of the job and in some cases the time of year.

Client Meetings & Site Visit
A meeting can be organised where you and the designer meet to prepare a design brief. This meeting is so that you can present your ideas and all the before mentioned to them so that they have an understanding of what you need. They will then based on this meeting prepare a quote for the design and documentation of the Architectural drawings.

At this stage a site visit may also be arranged which will include measuring the site up if necessary.

Concept Design
Based on the information provided and your ideas discussed in previous meetings, the Designer will then prepare a Preliminary Concept design for your perusal and comments/changes. This Concept Design will show a Site plan, Floor plans, Elevations, room sizes and approximate floor areas. Along with this the Designer will provide an outline of what the design involves, including environmental sustainability.

Planning Drawings
Planning drawings are commenced once you as the client have agreed upon the Preliminary Concept drawings. This stage involves developing the Concept Drawings further by adding dimensions, more elevations and any changes requested. An Engineer will also be arranged to provide a site contour & Drainage plan. These drawings are then submitted to Council for Planning Approval, which assess the impact the design will have on the site and neighbouring properties.

Working Drawings
These are the detailed drawings that are submitted to Council for Building Approval (meaning the building is ok to build as soon as possible).

Within this stage of the building process the Designer will arrange for quotes from various consultants (i.e. Surveyor, Engineer (for footing and steel beam design etc.). Once these quotes are approved we will then proceed to finalise the Working Drawings and obtain the documentation from the other consultants.

The working drawings will include framing plans (if done by us), electrical plans along with the floor plans elevations and sections. These will then be lodged to Council along with the other consultant’s documentation for Building approval.

Obtain Builders quotes
Upon approval of the Working Drawings from council full Development approval will be granted which allows the building to be built in accordance with any conditions outlined by the Council.

This means that builders quotes can be obtained and when a final builder is chosen work can commence on the construction the building.