First, we will organise a call to gather some basic information and to see if we are a good fit for you! Next, we’ll schedule a face to face consultation to ask some more important questions and begin to map out your future home together! Our process achieves the best results by understanding and learning about your family’s lifestyle and what you truly want to achieve in your home, along with the aspects you know you don’t want. Whether you have ideas or need the inspiration to achieve these dreams, we would love to learn about your vision and in turn discuss our process with you in detail to get you started on the right foot.
There are several stages to get to the point of laying down the first brick. But, here at Ellevations we consider each project in terms of self contained stages. Each stage is independent and does not tie you into completing all the stages of the project with us. Here is a loose guideline of some of the steps you can expect to encounter along the way:
- Step 1 – Initial Consultation At this stage, we would like to meet up with you for an obligation-free consultation. Here is where we learn about your plans for your upcoming project, answer any questions you may have, give you advice and finally give you a complimentary quote and assessment.
- Step 2 – Site visit This is where we will visit your existing site/property and measure up if it’s a renovation. If you are building from scratch all we need is a survey plan from a surveyor.
- Step 3 – Concept Design Taking your wishes and desires into consideration, we will create the initial design for your project. From the very early conceptual stages you will be able to see your future home in an interactive 3D format.
- Step 4 – Design Development This is the stage where we resolve and amend the initial concept design and prepare all the architectural plans with greater level of details.
- Step 5 – Development Application (DA) When you are 110% happy with the design, we will put the finishing touches on it in order to make it ready to lodge with your local council or certifier for approval. Covering everything that your local council requires to minimise delays.
There’s no real clear-cut answer! The duration of the design process all depends on the scope of work required and the individuality of each case! That’s what makes it so special. Time will be affected by these considering factors;
- Design complexity
- How soon we receive all the supporting information from you!
- Amount of variations / change of plans
- Turn around time in communication with third party consultants
- Surveyor (Survey plan)
- Town Planner (Statement of Environmental Effects)
- Structural Engineer
- Hydraulic Engineer
- Surveyor
- Bushfire Consultant
- BASIX Consultant
In saying this, Ellevations will regularly update you to ensure that you are with us each step of the way!
Realistically and unfortunately, no. Ellevations holds a high priority on individuality and simply copying another builder’s design would be both unfair to them, and to us! In essence, we will not breach copyright of any third party designs whilst producing documentation. However, we are more than happy for you to bring along inspiration designs and ideas to help us create the perfect design for you!
Ellevations strive to consider every aspect of your needs, meaning that the building designs created are more of a reflection of the clients than ourselves! We identify your functional requirements, take in consideration your lifestyle, understand your reason for renovation as well as considering your aesthetic preferences. And if we’re not the perfect match for you, no need to worry because our contract agreement is extremely flexible and has options of exiting at any stage of our collaboration!
We are mainly involved in residential projects, as well as alterations and additions made to your homes! No project is too small for us. Whether you would like to add that dream veranda, change the layout of your internal space or extend to a second story of your home, we are there with you every step of the way!
Our initial consultation is FREE. We will be happy to start discussing potential ideas over the phone, or otherwise we can meet in your home to learn about your future plans relating to your project! After our visit we will send through a comprehensive tailored quote, specific to your needs.
First of all, we will help you to form a general idea of what you would like to achieve from your renovation. Based on that, we will assess if your renovation will need a CDC (The Complying Development Certificate) and see if your ‘wishlist’ complies with the guidelines of SEPP (State Environmental Planning Policy). This path is an approval that does not require a separate council DA (Development Application) lodgement and CC (Construction Certificate). If the option of CDC is not suitable for you, don’t despair! You just need to go down the path of submitting a DA to your local council. In either way, we will guide you through the process step by step, so there is no over warmth. While there can be many technical differences between Exempt Development, CDC and DA, the time taken to provide the approval is the main difference. Ellevations will assist you with considering the criteria to decide the approval process that will give you the best outcome for your project.
As far as Ellevations costs concern, we charge a fixed fee for our services so you know exactly what you have to pay with no hidden surprises. Although, depending on your local council requirements and scope of your project, you might require services from some of these consultants:
- Surveyor (Survey plan)
- Town Planner (Statement of Environmental Effects)
- Structural Engineer
- Hydraulic Engineer
- Surveyor
- Bushfire Consultant
- BASIX Consultant
When starting on your renovation journey, the inevitable decision of choosing between a building designer or an architect is bound to appear. But you may be asking yourself, what are the real differences between the two?
One of the key distinguishing factors relates to the educational level in which each has to complete. Within Australia, the road to becoming a licensed architect involves five years of university, work experience as well as passing the State Government Board of Architects examinations. Building Designers encompass a variety of job prospects as they either work under a complete Diploma in Building Design, Bachelor in Architecture or receive their training from a wide array of design-related backgrounds.
Putting scholastic differences aside, depending on the type of renovation you are planning , finding the right professional will make the process both enjoyable and successful. Whilst considering the qualifications of a potential partner is important, consider their previous work, reputation, the designer who you can effortlessly communicate with, who can guide you through the process with their knowledge in the building industry and passion for design. For the majority of residential renovations and additions, Building Designers have a professional capability and the industry’s knowledge to produce functional and aesthetically pleasing designs, architectural drawings, 3D Modelling as well as council submissions. Regardless of which road you take, you can get equally show-stopping results from both, architects and building designers.
Ultimately, a home that has been created to encompass all the desired elements of a design will have a longer and more fulfilling life with you whilst also being a better financial investment for your future. Start the process with conversation, searching for YOUR ideal designer professional.
We most definitely do! As well as being involved in building design, we also assist individuals, architects and other building designers with their drawing documentation. If you are thinking of changing the layout of your home or apartment, we would love to assist you, regardless of how small or large your project might be! And if you would like to see your future plans come to life in 3D, we will create an interactive model that you can easily view and explore on your very own smart phone or laptop!
Begin brainstorming with your building designer first in order to fully create the concept design of your future plans. However, we also believe in the importance of working closely with your builder from the beginning stages of planning. So, once the first step has been taken, don’t be afraid to work with both your builder and building designer in order to achieve the best possible outcome for your dream home!
Here at Ellevations we are extremely passionate about the environmental impact and sustainability when designing projects. Whilst helping our clients to create their dream homes, we also design with high energy performance in mind as well as consciously taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint in both the planning and construction phase of our projects. We strive to guide you in creating homes that have a healthy environment for your family as well as lowering the environmental cost by considering the ‘life cycle’ of your building.