OUR PROCESS

Our journey together begins by laying the foundation for a truly collaborative partnership. In conversation with you, we will explore the characteristics of your future project, share observations and we would like to hear more about your dreams and your vision. Most importantly, we want to understand what you hope to achieve with the project — what are your actual goals and underlying motivations. A building mirrors the people who inhabit it, carrying their stories, rhythms, and character — not merely the imprint of the architects who designed it. As architects, our role is then to determine the “how” that leads to your desired outcome — how to translate your vision into a tangible, built form.

*If we decide we are good fit, we will send you a proposal that reflects the value and expertise we believe we can bring to your project. Subsequently, we can get into contracts and then figure out schedules.

Just as a physician carefully assesses a patient before prescribing treatment, we begin by gathering and synthesising all relevant information.

We will collect and collate all relevant data, interpret and review every aspects of your site and your brief — things like cultural and historical context, topography, urban flows and tensions, site restrictions, the obstacles and the opposing forces…Each parameter, every constraint, and all available data become more than requirements to manage; they become catalysts for creativity — raw material that fuels our imagination and informs our design decisions. Are there any rules and contraints that can be bent creatively in our favour in order to, for example, increase the built-up of the development?

By the end of this exploratory phase, the possibilities of what can be realised on your site will start to emerge with more clarity.

The objective of this stage is to distill the essence of everything we uncovered and “diagnosed” in the previous stage and “weave” those insights into a compelling and coherent architectural narrative, a “big idea” or a driving concept. We would then begin translating it into some form of visual representation — through sketches, functional diagrams and/or by blocking out exploratory compositions of volumes and planes, whether on paper or through three-dimensional models. Abstract thinking gradually becomes more tangible but we are still not addressing issues of scale or constructability which will be articulated later. This is the easiest and most cost-efficient time to make changes to the design. As the project progresses, implementing revisions to the original brief will require increasingly more time and effort.

It is at this point that our years of experience, knowledge, expertise and intuition come fully into play — guiding our imagination and ensuring that the emerging concept is both poetic and purposeful.

This is the stage where we progressively develop the form and the function of the building and then consequently refine and resolve the design to its highest level of clarity and precision — ensuring it fully aligns with your goals and objectives. We will collaborate with various consultants and engineers whose expertise is needed in order to produce coordinated structural, MEP (mechanical, electrical, and plumbing), fire protection, and similar drawings and documents.

By the conclusion of this phase, and subject to your approval, the design will be cohesive and at a near perfect level, and ready for submission to the relevant local authorities for a building permit. All aspects of the production of the formal architectural drawing set — all required deliverables such as site plans, floor plans, elevations, sections, schedules, supporting reports, etc. — are covered here.

The permitting process can involve a lengthy review period; however, during this time we can begin preparing the detailed construction drawing set and supporting documentation which will include every element of the design. We will produce as many drawings as necessary to resolve as many questions as possible before construction starts and, to clearly communicate the exact scope and intent of the work to a selected number of construction companies that will be invited by us to submit their bids to build your project. Typically, potential contractors require a couple of weeks to prepare and submit their bids.

Once the most suitable contractor has been selected — based on experience, quality of work, and pricing — and construction is ready to commence, our role as architects during this phase will be to provide construction oversight. We will monitor the works on site to ensure the building is executed in full accordance with the approved design and specifications.