Step 3 - Design Development

In the design development stage the architect and client work together to develop the concept drawings into a final design solution.

The Client/Architect Agreement

With the design chosen, Archicentre entered into a Client/Architect agreement with the winning Architect, Stephen Petrie. This agreement was based on the Royal Australian Institute of Architect’s standard Client/Architect agreement. The agreement outlines:-

• The responsibilities and entitlements of the architect;
• The responsibilities and entitlements of the client;
• The services to be provided by the architect;
• The fee basis;
• Details of reimbursable expenses;
• Any special conditions.

Design Discussions

With the concept drawings and preliminary costings outlined in the architect’s renovation report, Archicentre then began working with the architect to develop the design into its final form. This involved making changes to the floor plan, discussion and selection of major building materials and a review of the final design against the budget.

The results of these discussions led to the following changes to be made:-

• Design & Construction - Rear pavilion
  
  The original design concept had the rear pavilion constructed off site in a modular format and craned onto site. The advantages of this approach were construction time and cost savings of this section of the building. On further investigation it was found that due to crane and street limitations it would not be possible to keep this approach. Therefore a conventional on-site approach would take place.
  
  Another change to this area was to introduce some block work and areas of concrete floor provide some thermal mass for slow release of winter solar heating of the building materials.
  
• Design & Construction – Link between the front and rear pavilions
  
  Due to cost considerations and thermal issues the glass areas of the link between the pavilions have been reduced and louvre windows introduced to improve cross-flow ventilation. Views of the courtyards have been maintained and the natural ventilations for spring and summer breezes increased.
  
• Design Layout
  
  After consultation with real estate agents the main bedroom was moved from the front to the rear of the upstairs area to create a more impressive parents retreat with substantial en-suite and dressing room areas.
  
  The other minor changes that were made were to eliminate the reflection pool in favour of a wet-edge to the swimming pool.

Consultants

Part of the Design Development stage is also to employ the required building consultants that have to be involved for the project to proceed. The types of consultants required will vary according to the scope, scale and type of building or renovation you are undertaking. Different types of sites (i.e. steep sites) will also determine what types of expert consultants may be involved.

Archicentre’s architect, Stephen Petrie, visited the Mosman Council website to get the most up to date list of documents required for submission into Council (see next stage – preparing documents for Council Approval). To fulfil this list of requirements, documents had to be produced by several professional consultants.

The consultants that Archicentre engaged to assist in the development of Mosman Green included a:-

• Surveyor: A surveyor assembles and assesses land and geographic information to be used in the planning of the land. This includes working out the size and shape of land, position of boundaries, etc.
  
• Structural Engineer: A Structural Engineer designs all the structural elements of the design. They design and specify all the structural components ranging from the type and size of materials from timber to steel to concrete.
  
• Arborist: The aim of an arborist’s report is to identify and assess all trees on a site to make recommendations about their landscape value and management or if they are subject to a Council’s Tree Preservation Order. The Arborist will also identify any tree, vegetation or soil protection zones that need to be established prior to development.
  
• Landscape Architect: Landscape Architects plan and design land areas for a range of commercial, public and residential developments. They use their professional skills to combine art and science to provide creative design solutions and land management solutions to specific sites.
  
• Style Consultant: Similar to the role played by an Interior Designer, as Archicentre is not a typical client renovating their home, we have employed a Style Consultant to help us decorate and furnish the interiors of Mosman Green.

Archicentre also engaged the services of a Quantity Surveyor to provide a comprehensive cost analysis of all the elements of the project in terms of materials, products and labour. A Quantity Surveyor has expertise in keeping touch with current building cost and the benefits of this information is very useful at this stage of the project. Knowing this information enabled Archicentre to work with the architect to move some of the areas of cost around within the project. Eg, to reduce the amount of glass and put that gain into a more impressive front door or bathroom fittings etc.

Click here to see the list of consultants engaged to assist in the Mosman Green project.

Pre-DA Meeting with Council

Although both the architect and Archicentre had reviewed the Local Council regulations governing development of the Mosman Green site, Archicentre arranged a Pre-Development Application meeting with the Duty Planner at Mosman Municipal Council.

The purpose of having a Pre-Development Application meeting with the Council before submitting a DA is to gain the initial feedback from the planner of the proposal. This feedback can lead to important design changes to conform with the council’s regulations and issues that may affect neighbours. In the case of the Mosman Green project the only comment that the planner had was that privacy for neighbours should be considered in the design. They also commented that it was a prudent plan on our part to invite the neighbours to an open house to discuss the plans prior to DA submission.

Most Councils provide the opportunity for a pre-DA lodgement meeting where informal feedback will be given and some councils will charge for a formal report from this type of meeting. The Pre-DA meeting is not a guarantee of future approval but is valuable in the development process as it communicates to the Council that you are interested in complying with their regulations and gives you opportunity to modify the design if necessary.

Pre-Development Application Meeting with the Neighbours

Archicentre also obtained from Mosman Council the postal contact details of the neighbours that the Council would be notifying of the DA. Archicentre then wrote to these neighbours inviting them to a meeting where they could view the drawings of the proposal and speak with the architect Stephen Petrie and Archicentre State Manager David Lawrence. The letter also drew the neighbours’ attention to the fact that they could view the design on the Archicentre website.

One couple came to the meeting and expressed their satisfaction with the design and thought that the proposed residence would add value to the area.

It is best if your neighbours hear of a proposed DA for you in the first instance rather than the council notification for the following reasons:

• It promotes positive relationships and communicates that even if you don’t get on well that you respect the fact that your development could have an impact on their property.
  
• Even more important is that it provides the opportunity for you to consider issues that neighbours might raise in the design phase before DA lodgement. Many projects take more months to pass through the planning process and get on the ‘DA merry-go-round’ because neighbours were not consulted prior to DA lodgement.

Summary

With all renovation projects there are always a number of areas that evolve during the design development phase. These can be changes that come about due to new ideas, moving around some of the cost centres and further analysis of energy efficient methods/products etc.

This is where the benefit of the architect’s skill and knowledge are particularly helpful to assist the client in reaching their goals.

With the design development stage now complete the next step was for the architect to prepare the documents for Council Approval.