Design Process

PTMA offer full architectural services to our clients. This includes architectural assistance with the client brief and concept design, to assistance on-site and throughout the build process.

However, we are more than able to tailor our offering to a partial service should you require. Examples of this might include:

  • Clients who want an architectural design and documents for approvals and a builder. These clients might be building with a builder they trust and have used in the past, and therefore may not require any assistance with construction services.
  • A builder who may be commencing a design and construct contract for a building. They may already have a concept design which is the basis of the contract, however, they may need to develop the design, and have it documented for approvals and / for construction.

We can tailor our services to the suit your individual project. As such, our fees are calculated on a project-by-project basis. 

Our fees will depend on the extent of the services as listed above, but will also be affected by:

  • The complexity of the project,
  • The size of the project,
  • The timeframe, and
  • The level of detail.

It’s important that we note our fees don’t always directly relate to the total construction cost. However, fees will reflect where the construction cost is impacted by the above factors. 

As a family business, we pride ourselves on tailoring our services to our clients’ needs and tailoring our fees accordingly. It is difficult to provide an estimate and is easier to give an accurate price indication once we have worked out a brief or initial concept with you.

Design
Cost Control

4 Stage Design Process

Documentation
Delivery

01

Design

Full architectural design services, including:

  • Responding to or developing a brief with a client

  • Site master planning and initial concepts

  • Developing designs, details, interiors and selections

02

Documentation

Documentation services, including:

  • Managing required approvals process

  • Documenting for town planning through to Building Application and Construction Certificates

  • Coordinating consultant documents where required, depending on the project

  • Providing ‘for construction’ documents for projects where requested (a higher level of resolution and detail to inform the build process)

  • Providing amended documents of ‘as built’ documents where requested

03

Delivery

Project management services, from design, through to documentation and to delivery of project.

This typically involves:

  • Ongoing liaison with our clients from the beginning of a project through to the completion of our role.

  • Managing a consultant team so that we can be a single point of contact for our clients.

  • Obtaining builder pricing.

  • Lodging applications as required and managing the approvals processes.

  • Preparation of standard building contracts where required.

  • Providing services to assist the client (and builder) through the construction phases of a project where required.

  • Construction services can be provided through to the end of construction and beyond – to assistance after the owners have taken possession of the building or moved in.

04

Cost Control

Assisting clients with keeping project costs down and within budget, from the early stages of the project through to construction.

This can include collaboration with a quantity surveyor as required, prior to builder pricing. This is recommended for most projects.

Please note that not all clients want this aspect of a service as it does take time and hence cost money. However, building a good relationship with the project team includes the quantity surveyor and builder.

The sooner this is started, the sooner the project design can be tested against a client’s budget.