Overview
There are many ways that Architectica can assist you through the process of designing and building your project, and numerous reasons to engage our professional services.
Using Architectica can both save you money and reduce the stress involved in designing and building your project.
The tailored personal service provided by Architectica, along with our expertise in all building types, can help protect your investment and maximize the potential of your project.
We Can Save You Money
Architectica can save you money because:
- We have in-depth knowledge of the building process and most economical, efficient way to achieve what you want
- We have the experience to deliver your project on budget and on time.
Experience. With our industry experience and enviable reputation we have the ability to undertake any project in the most time and cost effective manner.
Effectiveness. We frequently propose creative solutions not considered by our clients to achieve improved outcomes for projects. Whatever your project we will propose creative solutions designed to maximise the potential of the site and meet the needs of our clients in the most effective and efficient way.
Speed. With almost everyone faced with holding costs and interest costs, our systems are designed to minimise the time spent in the design and documentation stages. Approvals are handled time and cost effectively, often achieving better outcomes than strictly permitted under the regulations. Simultaneously undertaking stages can allow us to fast-track the process and using our Contract Administration services can save time during construction.
Value. Our fees are all inclusive, and are agreed as a lump sum at the start of our commission. We provide a detailed scope of inclusions that are often not included if a basic service is provided by a draftsman. Our fees are comparable to those offered by draftsmen (or building designers) however our clients can have the confidence of a trained Architect with 6 years of tertiary education (rather than a 2 year diploma), professional accreditation and registration, as well as over 20 years of practical industry experience.
Quality of Design. We ensure that the design exactly meets with your requirements and is how you expected. Through our computer modelling we can show you how the completed building will meet your brief.
Environmentally Sensitive Design. Application of ESD principles can effectively reduce your running costs of a building, through reducing or eliminating costs associated with electricity for heating and cooling, as well as lighting, and even water charges. In all areas of our life these costs for services are increasing. At Architectica we believe in reducing our reliance on others for these items and saving our clients money. Capital costs of these items can be offset and they often have a short pay-back period before becoming free.
Full Documentation. You are protected by the comprehensive detail in our full documentation, eliminating risks of unforeseen costs and contractual disputes.
Competitive Tendering. In a traditional service we seek competitive tenders from a carefully selected short list of suitable builders to ensure our clients obtain the best price for the works, and for the quality of works expected.
During Construction. We perform our Contract Administration services with impartiality and professional integrity, ensuring that our clients interests are protected under the terms of the building contract.
Protect Your Investment
Architectica has many years of experience assisting our clients in achieving the most out of a site’s potential and maximizing every opportunity. In turn this allows their project to achieve the highest possible returns in terms of investment as well as lifestyle.
According to many property experts, properties designed by an Architect frequently achieve a higher sale price, providing a better return on investment. We believe that good design and well designed buildings are more valuable and more cost-effective than others, and not necessarily more expensive.
Only an Architect can truly provide Architectural services at the level required to fully protect your investment. Other allied occupations (draftsmen/building designers) will offer Architectural Services, however they have not undergone the same rigorous training and practical experience requirements as Architects.
Can you afford not to use an Architect?
Service
Personal Service
Architectica is based upon providing excellent personal service to all of our clients.
You will work directly with the Architect appointed to your project, who will be directly involved throughout your project.
You get what you want
Architectica provides services to ensure that the building you end up with is exactly what was agreed upon, and is what you want, at the best price, with minimal construction issues, and at the quality you desired.
Engaging Architectica will ensure you have a dedicated professional focusing on individual design to suit your needs, not a re-worked standard design.
You can be involved as you want. We can take the project through independently or you can have as much input, or as little, as you want into the overall process.
Tailored services
At Architectica we tailor our services to suit each individual project. We determine at our initial client meeting the required scope of services and tailor our scope of services to suit the project and the client.
Architectica also provides the following fundamentals we believe to be critical to a successful project (that you may not receive if you don’t engage an Architect)
- Impartial preliminary advice at the start of the project, to advise as to overall feasibility, site selection, etc
- Detailed documentation, including schedules of finishes, detailed written specification, door and window schedules, joinery (eg kitchen) and wet area (eg bathroom) detailed design and documentation to ensure you get exactly what you want.
- Effective application of Environmentally Sustainable / Sensitive Design (ESD) principles throughout the project to reduce your heating and cooling costs, lighting costs, and to make your property more comfortable and sustainable.
- Tendering of the project to suitable builders to obtain a competitive price
- Contract Administration during the course of construction to ensure that the building works are in accordance with the documentation and to address all of the issues that can arise in construction such as progress payments, variations, and time.
Coordination, not just design
A building project is unfortunately not as simple as preparing a set of architectural drawings and starting building. Typically it involves several stages with several different consultant disciplines required at each stage, from the initial feasibility, design, development approval, documentation, and construction.
Architectica coordinates with all other parties at each stage to ensure that your project receives the attention it deserves.
Reporting directly to you, our client, we can arrange the engineering and other building consultants that are required for virtually all projects, interface with Town Planning consultants, obtain geotechnical reports and site surveys, arrange development and building approvals from authorities, as well as tender the project and undertake the contract administration.
This all means that you have one party to liaise with and that party knows exactly the status of each aspect of the project.
Flexibility
Architectica offers flexibility at all stages through the design and construction processes.
Our utilisation of computer modelling enables you to visualise the project at early conceptual design stages to avoid costly alterations later in the design development and documentation stages or even during construction.
We produce highly accurate documents that allow our consultants (such as engineers) to work from, allowing them to have the latest base plans for their works.
Design alterations are readily accommodated at any stage and documents revised and re-issued where required.
Our clients are always welcome to be involved in the design as much or as little as they desire.
Environmentally Sustainable Design
At Architectica we apply the principles of climatic and environmentally sustainable design and energy efficient design to all our projects, on a daily basis.
We consider orientation and climate, as well as the site’s micro-climate, solar exposure, natural daylighting, breezes and cross-ventilation as well as mass and materials to create climatically responsive and comfortable designs.
Our projects are comfortable in normal conditions without the need for mechanical ventilation or air-conditioning, remaining cooler in summer and warmer in winter through passive environmental design. This also results in lower operational costs for electricity for mechanical equipment and electrical lighting.
Aspects of ESD we apply to projects include:
- Orientation to capture views and natural ventilation while providing optimum solar exposure to maintain comfort levels in summer and winter.
- Natural ventilation, breezeways, and application of natural convection
- Natural lighting
- Shading devices and overhangs
- Open planning and relationships between indoor and outdoor spaces
- Solar heating, electricity co-generation, water storage, water treatment, grey water use
- Insulation
- Thermal mass
- Recycling
- Technologies afforded by new materials
- Adaptable uses and housing for aging and disabled persons
- Retention of existing landforms and vegetation
Expertise
Architectica, established over 15 years, has the practical experience and expertise in a range of building types, to successfully negotiate the development path from inception to completion for your project.
We combine creative design with effective construction techniques and materials to provide design-oriented architectural solutions that are practical and buildable.
Only a person registered with the registration board of their state of Australia is permitted to use the title “Architect”.
John Pearce, the principal, has been registered as an Architect since 1992. Providing almost 20 years of experience as a registered professional, coupled with the several years of practical industry experience gained prior to registration this ensures you have an experienced registered professional Architect protecting your interests and acting on your behalf.
Fees
Architectica will provide you with a written proposal of Professional Architectural Services and lump sum fees, so you know exactly what your costs will be.
Prior to commencing our works Architectica provide a FREE / NO OBLIGATION consultation. We then provide a written proposal outlining the scope of services included in each stage and our appropriate professional fees.
As a guide, your investment will be between 4 percent and 8 percent of the construction costs. This will vary with the scope of works required, as well as the project size and complexity.
You will benefit from Architectica's fixed lump sum, all inclusive fee structure. Allowing you to fix this item in your project budget, rather than working on open-ended hourly rates or percentages.
Other Benefits of working with Architectica
Maximise your site’s potential. We identify with you your requirements and the potential of your property. We define your requirements with you and work to achieve these, balancing them with any legal or town planning requirements, along with your budget, and the opportunities and constraints that we identify with you to get the most out of your project.
The Brief. We establish with our clients at the outset and clear brief and scope of works as well as a realistic budget and stick to it.
Cost Opinions. We obtain on your behalf independent budget estimates at various stages of the project, and from a variety of sources, to ensure the budget is matching your expectations.
Experience your building prior to construction. All of our projects are computer modelled as part of our design process, allowing our clients to experience the building at the early design stages and prior to construction. This process can also assist with marketing the project and gaining approvals, as well as producing the working drawings and construction documentation accurately and exactly as intended, and interfacing with other consultants computer drafting programs. This also allows us to study solar penetration and shadows as well as test colour and material options.
Aesthetics. As a design oriented practice we aim to always produce aesthetically pleasing buildings reflecting our clients tastes and desires. While having personal preferences for architectural styles we have no difficulty in adapting to individual clients personal desires. We believe that the finished building should be great architecture, but it should reflect our clients personal desires and preferences.
Approvals. We can arrange the various approvals required for any building works on your behalf from Development Applications or Material Changes of Use through to Building Approvals.
Builders. We have a range of builders who we have identified and worked successfully with previously or we are happy to work with new builders of your choice.
Establish and Administer Building Contracts. We can set up the building contract, between our clients and the builders, and administer the contract during the course of construction. We attend to all of the issues that can arise during the course of the contract including any variations to the works, extensions of time, and progress payments. We act between the owner and the builder, ensuring the owners interests are fairly represented while also fair to the builder.
Problem Solving. We are experts at solving problems, from steep or difficult sites, remote projects, new technologies, environmentally sensitive design, or complex usage requirements we relish a challenge and produce interesting practical solutions to the most complex problems our clients can give us.
Cost Management Strategies. We have a range of cost management strategies and cost control points during the project to ensure that the project budget is considered at all points and that our clients are kept informed of the anticipated overall costs. |
Testimonials