EnglishNo matter what your building project, there is a right way and a wrong way to approach it. You have to have the right people doing the right things at the right time. With anything to do with designing, building and renovating we like to add some more to that equation; You need to have the right people asking the right questions to the right people, all the time.
Everything to do with building design, construction management, renovation has an order of things; A Syntax. Our job is to educate you on the Syntax and then help you work through the process in a structured way that makes sense to you and creates the best outcomes.
Your education is as important to the outcome of your project as your ideas.
Where to start:
Although the order and process are systemised the first thing that you need to understand is that no two building sites are identical. Ever. There are hundreds of different things (big and small) that can impact on a property both above ground and below, from within the building boundary and external to it, and then there are the regulatory requirements.
So the place to start is the site analysis and assessment process.
We have to assess the site before anything else can begin. We are happy to do this as part of our no fee, no obligation introductory process. We cannot give you any advice until we have an understanding of what we are working with.
Next step is to meet with you in person, again as part of our no fee, no obligation introductory process. We need to understand your needs and wants and the goals that you want to achieve with your building project.
From the outset, your budget is very much in focus. As it should be. So it is critical that we understand your budget and that we provide honest and accurate input into how best we can meet your budget in a practical and effective manner.
So based on all the questions and answers and research we will then be in a position to ask you the following question:
Based on what you have learned about the feasibilty and cost of your building project and what you have learned about what we are capable of providing to you would you like us to prepare a fee proposal so that we can begin to help you create a great design and program for your building project?
This is a simple Yes or No situation. It does not obligate you. If you would like us to prepare a proposal then we will get that organised for you.
Your fee proposal will be presented to you very shortly after your initial consultation and will include a:
- A Scope of Works
- Staged Schedule of Fees
- Depending on your project Fees are broken into either 2 stages or 3 stages: If the project requires a DA then then stages are: DA, BA and then Tender Documentation. If no DA is required then only the BA and Tender Documentation stages are set out in the proposal.
- Terms and Conditions of Engagement
- Our Firms Responsibilities to You
- Your Responsibilities to Us
It is very clear and we encourage our customers to read it carefully and ask questions about any aspect of it.
Again we now ask a pretty simple question:
Is there any reason why we should not get started and start bringing your building project to life? That is what we do and that is what you need. So let’s get cracking.
So if you decide that you do want to get cracking and you are excited about commencing with Cube Building Design then an Activation Invoice will be issued to you and we will ask you to sign the Design Proposal. The Activation amount is a small percentage of the total quote and allows us to begin the process.
Please note that all of our work is scheduled based on the payment of the Activation Invoice. That is the only way to schedule our clients’ needs fairly. So if there is any element of urgency then please activate our services quickly else it may take longer for us to commence work on your project.
By signing the agreement and paying the initial invoice you are not contractually obligated for the entire outcome. What you are doing is paying for a more qualitative and quantitative outcome in order to create a more detailed vision/plan of the project whilst mitigating all the risk from your project. To determine with confidence that a concept plan encompassing what you want and need can be delivered in a viable way in accordance with your budget. That is the first critical step and it is that step that will begin to provide clarity and transparency to your visions and dreams.
The first thing you must do once the engagement process has commenced is order a full and proper survey over your building site. This is mandatory. There are just too many horror stories out there now from poorly planned outcomes and bad decisions because the survey was not done or done without the right instructions.
If you have a surveyor in mind then please introduce us so we can properly instruct them. If you do not have one then we will introduce you to a high quality professional who delivers great results. We can initiate the engagement on your behalf or you can do it directly. The main thing is that you get this critical piece of work done professionally and effectively as soon as possible so that we can begin to define clear outcomes for your concept.
During this phase you will also be given a time line on how long the first phase of your concept development will take.
Various members of our team will be introduced and involved in the completion of the first phase.
From this point it is a staged and carefully managed process. With each stage approved and controlled by you and with invoicing only taking place when we have completed a designated phase of the project. In this way we work towards the end goal, using our experience, expertise, systems and consultants where necessary to collaborate and provide input. The Cube Building Design engagement process gives you a world class system to ensure that everything that comes after it is predictable and you are always in control. All this whilst still providing the creative architectural flair to achieve your goal for your building project.
