BAASTUDIO INFORMATION STARTER KIT
Commencing a house renovation or new home project may seem overwhelming initially. We have developed a range of resources to help you understand what you need to consider, the breakdown of the processes involved, and provide you with the knowledge and confidence in tackling your project towards a successful building outcome.
To kick start your project, contact us for a starter kit. This includes topics on the following:
About BAASTUDIO
Budget Considerations
5 steps to a successful renovation
Understanding the site is the key to great design
Master planning your existing house
Design consultation flow chart
Drawing stages
Building new vs renovating
You will also receive a link to a project questionnaire. If you are interested in proceeding, simply submit this back to us and one of our team will contact you to discuss your project and either schedule a site visit with an Architect (Sth East QLD/Northern NSW), or arrange a consult via ZOOM.
ELEMENTS FOR PRODUCING GREAT DESIGN
There are four critical elements for ensuring a quality design for your home. At BAASTUDIO we are committed to providing you with a professional service that involves you throughout the process, so your renovation or new home project runs as smoothly as possible and is custom designed for you.
1. BRIEF
A project brief is an outline of your design requirements, expectations and project objectives.
Without a clear and detailed brief, misunderstandings may arise between the Architect and the agreed scope of work. It is common for clients to receive architecture drawings where the designs proposed cannot be built within their budget. The project brief/questionnaire we send you is developed to capture your lifestyle needs, tastes, budget, and planning information so we can ensure the advice and designs we present will meet your needs as well as being feasible.
2. DRAWINGS
Architecture drawings and documentation are precise, detailed and tie in with all the consultant documents.
Without detailed drawings, builders and contractors have difficulty interpreting the detail of the project; the quality of the job suffers, and is likely to result in variations, extended timeframes and increased costs. If builders must improvise based on substandard drawings, the end result will differ from the original concept and objectives. If wanting a custom designed home, it is worth investing in quality designs and drawings produced by an Architect.
3. CHOOSING THE RIGHT ARCHITECT/DESIGNER/COMPANY FOR YOU
Some questions to consider during consultations to help you determine if the company/design professional is right for you includes:
Do they offer creative solutions to provide you with a custom and unique design that suits your property, lifestyle needs and tastes?
Are they spending time getting to know you and your requirements?
What are their fees for the entire job? Have you been provided with a clear contract for the scope of work being provided?
Does the fee reflect the level of expertise?
What services does the company provide during construction? This is where a project manager will negotiate with builders and contractors on behalf of you for the best outcome.
Will you be informed during the various stages of drawing, planning and construction process?
What level of involvement do you have throughout the project?
Does the company provide all the design services inhouse, or do they outsource their services?
4. BUILDER
Your design/project will only be as good as the builder you engage. Do your research on potential builders by considering the following:
Does the builder have residential experience?
Is the builder hands on or managing construction off-site?
Is the builder registered?
Are you able to view completed projects to view the quality of their work or see a gallery or portfolio of work?
Have they been recommended, are you able to contact a previous client?
At BAASTUDIO we have a team of builders in South East Queensland we can recommend to see your project through to completion. As part of our services, we also offer to tender your project to compare and negotiate with builders securing you a competitive price.
FIVE STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL RENOVATION
1 CREATE A WISH LIST
In architectural terms this is a brief you would present to your architect at your first consultation. We suggest that you estimate your ideal housing situation in a 5-10 year time frame. Are you looking to increase your house size to accommodate a growing family, work from home, downsize due to retiring or children moving out of home? Please keep in mind bigger is not necessarily better or more functional. Even larger size homes if they have not been designed properly will lead to wasted spaces and poor airflow.
Questions to consider include: How many bedrooms? What is the best aspect on the site? Are there potential issues on site to factor into the design plan? E.g. noise, obstructing views, wind, sloping site, or pesky neighbours! Do you like open plan living? What type of entrances do you prefer? Do you want to accommodate indoor/outdoor living spaces?
2 CHOOSE A THEME OR STYLE
The best way to choose a style that you will enjoy for years to come is to find inspiration by researching housing (exterior and interior) styles and ideas via housing magazines, web based sites such as Pinterest & Houzz.
Questions to consider include: What overall style or theme appeals to you? Some examples include Contemporary, Provincial, Minimalist, Queenslander, Art Deco, Eco-friendly, Coastal, Tropical, Hampton. What suits your personality and lifestyle choices?
3 BUDGET
When evaluating your budget for the project you should also do your research into the real estate potential of your area, the demographics and lifestyle of your neighbours particularly if you may re-sell at a later stage. It is important to know the possible capital gain value of the renovation as this may determine whether you focus expenditure on certain areas of the house.
Questions to consider include:
What materials will complement your style as this will dictate the overall cost? Have you allowed for overall construction costs, consultant fees and variations? Will you be required to temporarily re-locate? Have you factored the cost of items you will need to purchase such as lighting and appliances? Do you know the sqm rate for building a project? Most renovations today you need allow for approx. $3000sqm.
Contact us for a starter kit if you require more information on a guide to consultant and construction costs.
4 ENGAGING AN ARCHITECT
In your first consultation with an Architect they should be asking you questions such as those listed above to understand your requirements, lifestyle and personality in designing a renovation solution.
Following a site survey, a measure up your existing house and site is required. They will take note of the site slope and orientation, existing layout of the house, the condition of the structure and materials, water flows/ runoff and survey of storm water and sewer pipes. These details will be drawn up by the Architect and is the basis from which they can draw up a Masterplan (Wish List) of your entire project.
5 MASTERPLAN
Based on the clients brief (wish-list, style, budget) and the measured drawings of the existing house, the Architect will create conceptual design or a master plan. A master plan is essential as it ties all the elements of the project together to create cohesion. Having an Architect design your wish list and discuss budgets, planning regulations, and building restrictions gives you the knowledge on how to stage your project and what the process involves.
The benefits of Master Planning include:
Clear picture of the overall design so the project does not have a piece-meal approach.
Save on future consultant costs.
Ensures that structural elements and materials work with future stages.
Have confidence that even if the builder does work in stages, future work will still complement and blend into your existing house.
The design is based on a detailed understanding of your site giving you the best living solution outcome.
Gives you a realistic goal you can constructively plan towards.