How do I know if I need an Architect?
1 Is your job complex?
- sloping site
- more than one house on the same site
- access is tricky
- the site is narrow or small
- sloping site
- more than one house on the same site
- access is tricky
- the site is narrow or small
2 Do you want a one-off design ? Specifically designed for your site and tailored to meet your needs
3 Do you want the spaces you live in to be joyful and uplifting?
4 Do you believe in the quality of the space over the quantity? Are you passionate about how you want to live?
5 Do you want your home to work well with its site? To maximise it's potential for sun, views, privacy and connection to the outdoors.
6. Do you want someone to help manage your project from start to finish? Arranging for other consultants, dealing with council and driving your project can be time consuming and stressful without help.
If you have answered yes to most of these questions then you need an architect.
With extensive design experience and construction knowledge Click Architects is able to provide creative solutions for your unique set of design challenges
For more information on how to take the next step click HERE
With extensive design experience and construction knowledge Click Architects is able to provide creative solutions for your unique set of design challenges
For more information on how to take the next step click HERE
When should I involve an architect?
It’s never too early to involve an architect - you may be hunting for land, have decided you want to add a studio to your property, or own a home in need of transformation. We can help you explore the potential of what you already have or of what you are hoping to buy, offering solutions you may not have considered and helping you to avoid costly mistakes
Where do I start?
Some architects will recommend starting with compiling a 'brief'. My approach is to start with the big picture - we've developed a Process Guide that will help you to gain an overview of what happens- you can download it here. Once you've gained a picture of the overall process then give us a call. We'll send you out our free 'Investigate It' booklet that will help get you thinking about the information that will ultimately be developed into the "brief" - including what you want and need, timing, budget as well as how it looks and feels
What should we include in our 'brief'?
When you are ready to chat to us about your project we can send you out our 'Investigate It' booklet. It contains several questions that help with the topics covered by a brief. The advantage is that you don't have to do the work of pulling it all together. We'll meet with you and talk you through it. Based on what you tell us we'll put together the brief and send it back out for you to review. This will be the first version of your brief. As we continue to work together you'll end up filling us in on more detailed information which we can add to the first version - so the brief becomes a living document - developing as your ideas do.
You may be thinking- that's a lot of time thinking and talking. We say - that's a valuable investment in ensuring that what you get is the right solution for you and your family.
You may be thinking- that's a lot of time thinking and talking. We say - that's a valuable investment in ensuring that what you get is the right solution for you and your family.
What should I look for in an architect?
Working with an architect is not a short term prospect -you want to make sure that you can work with them. When you meet the person you're considering engaging check whether you think you could develop some rapport - trust, mutual respect and a personality you can get along with are important. You'll have to tell them things that you may not even tell some of your friends - and you'll need to feel comfortable doing that.
The other thing to check is whether the person you meet will be the one who will look after your project - no point in striking up a great relationship only to be handed off to some-one else in the office.
Look for an architect that asks you the questions you didn't expect to be asked. Why is that? Because to deliver a great project your architect will have to dig deep with you - and give you everything they've got. If they just accept on face value that you want 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and an internal access garage then that's exactly what you'll get. But your architect should be able to deliver on so much more than that - your architect should be able to help you see the opportunities and potential of what your home can be that are beyond what you could have imagined.
The other thing to check is whether the person you meet will be the one who will look after your project - no point in striking up a great relationship only to be handed off to some-one else in the office.
Look for an architect that asks you the questions you didn't expect to be asked. Why is that? Because to deliver a great project your architect will have to dig deep with you - and give you everything they've got. If they just accept on face value that you want 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and an internal access garage then that's exactly what you'll get. But your architect should be able to deliver on so much more than that - your architect should be able to help you see the opportunities and potential of what your home can be that are beyond what you could have imagined.
How much will my project cost?
The short answer is that it depends on the scope of what you want to achieve - how much and to what level of detail/finish.
In more detail what this involves is an assessment of "soft costs" and "hard costs". While these are difficult to know before any design work at all has been done we can give you a bit of guidance:
Once we have met and had a chance to chat over your project in a bit of detail we can give you some guidance on how your budget figure is looking, or if you don't yet have a budget we can give you some direction.
In more detail what this involves is an assessment of "soft costs" and "hard costs". While these are difficult to know before any design work at all has been done we can give you a bit of guidance:
- Hard Costs - these are the construction related costs and include materials, labour and the contractor's overheads and profit, not to mention the subbies - plumber, electrician, cabinet maker,etc
- Soft costs - these are the non-construction related costs and include the architects fees, the other consultants fees, and council fees ( for Building Consent and for Resource Consent too if that's required)
Once we have met and had a chance to chat over your project in a bit of detail we can give you some guidance on how your budget figure is looking, or if you don't yet have a budget we can give you some direction.
What if we don't have a site yet?
No problem.
Frequently we have clients who come to us who are considering either a couple of different homes or they are tossing up between a number of sites for a new build.
We can help you clarify the objectives and needs of your project so that you have a good measure against which to assess any particular site. In addition, we can give advice around planning rules (the District Plan allows you to do certain things in certain areas of town) and how these apply to the properties you are considering. We can also carry out some site due diligence for you - you'll want to know what the constraints and opportunities could mean for your project. We can help with easements and legal boundaries, location of services, environmental considerations and understanding what the information provided in a LIM could mean.
Frequently we have clients who come to us who are considering either a couple of different homes or they are tossing up between a number of sites for a new build.
We can help you clarify the objectives and needs of your project so that you have a good measure against which to assess any particular site. In addition, we can give advice around planning rules (the District Plan allows you to do certain things in certain areas of town) and how these apply to the properties you are considering. We can also carry out some site due diligence for you - you'll want to know what the constraints and opportunities could mean for your project. We can help with easements and legal boundaries, location of services, environmental considerations and understanding what the information provided in a LIM could mean.
How much does it cost for an initial consultation?
It costs nothing to give us a call to chat - we love hearing about what you are planning and discussing any problems you are facing.
What happens after that?
What happens after that?
How long will it take to complete my project?
This is another of those questions where the answer starts - well it depends…. That said we usually expect to work with our clients for at least 12-18 months when we are involved in concept design right through to completion of the project on site.
The size and complexity of your project will have the biggest impact on how long your job will take - both for the work we do in designing and documenting, but also the length of time taken on site. Once we've had a chance to discuss your project with you in some detail we can start establishing milestone dates for the various stages - both for design, and then for construction.
Making the timing work is a two-way thing. So there will be times when we need feed-back from you and times when we need to have meetings with you. If you are a very busy person we'll get you to let us know that early on so we can factor that into the timing indications we give you. Similarly design mind changes can affect the progress of your job - but if you are suggesting a change we'll let you know the impact.
If you have a firm target you need to hit then we can give you some options around achieving that - we have special 'crash' programmes that we can discuss with you for rush jobs for example.
TIP: DO NOT RUSH THE DESIGN PROCESS. This is the time when you want to ensure that the decisions you make in conjunction with your architect are the right ones for your family - better to take a little longer and get it right than to have regrets for the rest of the time you spend in your home.
The size and complexity of your project will have the biggest impact on how long your job will take - both for the work we do in designing and documenting, but also the length of time taken on site. Once we've had a chance to discuss your project with you in some detail we can start establishing milestone dates for the various stages - both for design, and then for construction.
Making the timing work is a two-way thing. So there will be times when we need feed-back from you and times when we need to have meetings with you. If you are a very busy person we'll get you to let us know that early on so we can factor that into the timing indications we give you. Similarly design mind changes can affect the progress of your job - but if you are suggesting a change we'll let you know the impact.
If you have a firm target you need to hit then we can give you some options around achieving that - we have special 'crash' programmes that we can discuss with you for rush jobs for example.
TIP: DO NOT RUSH THE DESIGN PROCESS. This is the time when you want to ensure that the decisions you make in conjunction with your architect are the right ones for your family - better to take a little longer and get it right than to have regrets for the rest of the time you spend in your home.
Do you have a particular design style?
The short answer is no.
The longer answer: it is my belief that each client deserves to be treated as an individual. Each family's needs will be different and if I were to have a particular style then in effect I would be imposing a standard answer on you without taking sufficient consideration of who you are. Click Architects design responses are developed for you, to your family's beliefs and priorities, as well as taking a strong consideration of the site - whether it's an undeveloped site or your existing home. We don't do one-size -fits- all.
That said if I were to try to describe the work I like to do I'd say contemporary with clean simple lines. I prefer quietly elegant architecture rather than anything brash and 'shouty'. If I'm doing an addition to an existing home I aim to be respectful of what is already there but I don't try to replicate something from the past.
The longer answer: it is my belief that each client deserves to be treated as an individual. Each family's needs will be different and if I were to have a particular style then in effect I would be imposing a standard answer on you without taking sufficient consideration of who you are. Click Architects design responses are developed for you, to your family's beliefs and priorities, as well as taking a strong consideration of the site - whether it's an undeveloped site or your existing home. We don't do one-size -fits- all.
That said if I were to try to describe the work I like to do I'd say contemporary with clean simple lines. I prefer quietly elegant architecture rather than anything brash and 'shouty'. If I'm doing an addition to an existing home I aim to be respectful of what is already there but I don't try to replicate something from the past.
I already have a design for my house, can you just draw up the plans?
At Click we look to develop an appropriate design response with you - we bring our wealth of experience, design creativity, technical know-how and passion for working with people to bear on your particular design challenge. If you are sure you already have the answer and just want it drawn up to get a Building Consent then we are probably not the right partner for you. However, if you're keen to explore the full extent of the opportunities for your project then we'd love to chat it through.
Do you organise getting the Building Consent at the council?
Yes we do.
In the past gaining consent wasn't quite the technical mine-field that it is now. Clients could take their own documents down to council and submit them with some confidence. More recently, and with the new requirements for Licenced Building Practitioners to undertake restricted building work (most additions and alterations as well as all new builds will fall into this category) the application has become very demanding. Most of our clients don't have 2-3 hours to spend on that sort of thing during their busy day, nor do they have the time to answer additional council questions during the processing of their application. We're used to this sort of thing and can handle it for you (I can't pretend to enjoy it though!)
In the past gaining consent wasn't quite the technical mine-field that it is now. Clients could take their own documents down to council and submit them with some confidence. More recently, and with the new requirements for Licenced Building Practitioners to undertake restricted building work (most additions and alterations as well as all new builds will fall into this category) the application has become very demanding. Most of our clients don't have 2-3 hours to spend on that sort of thing during their busy day, nor do they have the time to answer additional council questions during the processing of their application. We're used to this sort of thing and can handle it for you (I can't pretend to enjoy it though!)
Do you offer a service during construction?
Yes we do.
The service we offer while your home is being built or renovated gives you peace of mind that the design work you've spent time and money developing will be fully translated into the built form. We'll monitor the progress of the job and we'll review the contractors monthly claims before you pay them.
We'll be with you and the contract team throughout construction and for a 3 month follow-up period afterwards.
The service we offer while your home is being built or renovated gives you peace of mind that the design work you've spent time and money developing will be fully translated into the built form. We'll monitor the progress of the job and we'll review the contractors monthly claims before you pay them.
We'll be with you and the contract team throughout construction and for a 3 month follow-up period afterwards.
Do you arrange to get prices from builders?
Yes getting you signed up with a suitable contractor is also part of our service. The way we go about engaging a contractor will be discussed with you - different ways are suited to different projects. Common approaches include:
A negotiated tender : we negotiate on your behalf with a suitably experienced contractor. The price is checked against a quantity surveyor estimate.
Invited tender: based on reputation and experience we invite a limited number of contractors to submit their price, availability for the project and timing. We compare the tender submissions for you and make a recommendation.
A negotiated tender : we negotiate on your behalf with a suitably experienced contractor. The price is checked against a quantity surveyor estimate.
Invited tender: based on reputation and experience we invite a limited number of contractors to submit their price, availability for the project and timing. We compare the tender submissions for you and make a recommendation.
Can we use our friend who is a builder?
Yes, usually there is no problem with doing that. In carrying out our responsibility to you we will of course check them out - they still need to be suitably experienced for the work required and they will also have to be an LBP.
An LBP is a licensed building practitioner - by law you will now need someone with this qualification to carry out work on your home.
We find most builders are great at what they do and each have specific areas of building they prefer and are best at doing. We look for a 'fit' that's right for your project - whether that's an infill house on a tricky site or a bespoke alteration. There will be a good builder for you.
An LBP is a licensed building practitioner - by law you will now need someone with this qualification to carry out work on your home.
We find most builders are great at what they do and each have specific areas of building they prefer and are best at doing. We look for a 'fit' that's right for your project - whether that's an infill house on a tricky site or a bespoke alteration. There will be a good builder for you.
How do you charge for your services?
The people who get the most out of the design process all share this perspective: design is an investment rather than a cost. The reality is that architectural fees, like all professional services, are not cheap (but neither is getting the design wrong; trust us on that one).
Our fees don’t only include design; they also give you access to our years of knowledge, building and project management experience, our network of industry contacts, and our team’s ability to navigate approvals and solve complex problems. This results in life-enriching design and a streamlined process with lower stress.
Traditionally architects charge fees as a percentage (typically 8-14%) of the construction cost, or at an hourly rate. Both of these fee methods can be worrying for clients as you never know how much the next invoice will be for, or what the total fee will be. We offer fixed fees upfront to provide certainty. Our fees are tailored to suit your individual needs, and the complexities of your project. They are broken down into each stage of the design, consent, and construction process.
Our fees don’t only include design; they also give you access to our years of knowledge, building and project management experience, our network of industry contacts, and our team’s ability to navigate approvals and solve complex problems. This results in life-enriching design and a streamlined process with lower stress.
Traditionally architects charge fees as a percentage (typically 8-14%) of the construction cost, or at an hourly rate. Both of these fee methods can be worrying for clients as you never know how much the next invoice will be for, or what the total fee will be. We offer fixed fees upfront to provide certainty. Our fees are tailored to suit your individual needs, and the complexities of your project. They are broken down into each stage of the design, consent, and construction process.