Our Process - The Project Centre

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INITIAL CONTACT

Let’s get the ball rolling . . . Starting a new building project is an exciting time. To kick off the process with ease get in touch with us.

You can reach us via phone or email, or you can fill out contact form and we will get in touch with you!

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LET’S CHAT

Our initial consultation, on-site or in our office, our design team will discuss your requirements in detail with you, offering their professional advice to assist you in the preparation of your design brief.

So please bring any inspo you have for your project with you to this consultation, hand drawings, a list of ideas, wants, needs and requirements you may have, as it is very easy to forget things once we start talking away. If you have existing drawings on current property, aware of any easements, title restrictions, building envelopes, developer guidelines, PLEASE SUPPLY US A COPY.

Our team will make sure to explain the process to you, so you have a complete understanding of what is to come, as we too are humans and do understand that the whole process can be overwhelming

FEE PROPOSAL

After your initial consultation with us, we will prepare a fee proposal for you based upon your brief.

Our fee proposals include;

Information about your project
Project brief
What stages are involved and what to expect within each stage of your project, including estimated timeframes associated.
Authority applications/ consents/ approvals that we see will be triggered by the project. We will outline the application type, provide projected costs, when applications will be prepared + submitted and estimated timeframes associated.
List outside consultants that we will be engaging for the project.

PROJECT ORIGINATES

Once our fee proposal is accepted, our team will be in touch with the next steps to begin the project and send out deposit invoice to be paid.

For Extension / Renovation projects, preliminary measurements will be taken at this time so the building design process can proceed without delay.

New / Unit Development projects, we will visit your building site to assess the environment to determine the most suitable design specifications for the location against your project brief, planning zones / overlays and building regulations / guidelines.

INFORMATION GATHERING

Once payment of deposit has been paid, we need to gather all the details of project site. This includes everything from information from your local council to a copy of the property title, property information certificates. We need all this information so that we can properly identify everything that may impact the design of your project.

You will be kept up to date of any requirements regarding potential issues such as overlooking, overshadowing or reduction in setbacks. These matters are common aspects of the design process, and our team will guide you through all the necessary steps and applications.

At this stage of the building design process, we will also engage a registered land surveyor to accurately identify your site boundaries and the location of anything within the property that might impact your project, if stated fee proposal.

BRING YOUR PROJECT TO LIVE… DESIGNING

This is the exciting part!

Our team will provide you with a concept based on your individual brief we put together with you, the discussions we have had on site and the information we have gathered. This is the starting point in developing and creating your new project.

Once we have the preliminary design, we submit it to you for your comment and approval.
This is your chance to give feedback. Our team welcomes your input and trusts that tweaking and perfecting the design will be an enjoyable process.

At this stage, we highly recommend you connect with builders and other suppliers to get preliminary costings on your project to ensure your budget is in line with the project.

Once you are confident with the design, we can proceed to the next stage.

AUTHORITY APPLICATIONS / CONSENTS/ APPROVALS

Some projects require Authority applications/ consents & approvals. This will be discussed with you at the initial consultation and followed up throughout the design process. All avenues will be explored throughout the design process to find the best possible solution.

It’s time to involve your local council and start the dialogue. If we involve council early and ensure all parties are on the same page, we can ensure a smooth transition to the planning process.

Once we receive council’s feedback and have married your design needs to council’s expectations, our extensively knowledge planning & building assessor will produce detailed report and required documentation for submission and administer the application process on your behalf, providing you updates on interactions, further information requests etc.

WORKING DRAWINGS

Once the concept design has been finalised and Planning / Authority permissions have been granted, we are ready to produce the final working drawings!!! (Yay)

These are the drawings from which your project will be constructed from, a builder is able to provide a complete cost of works and building contract from and these form your Building Permit documentation.

These fully dimensioned plans and elevations specify every aspect of how the structure will be assembled. We then continue to liaise with our experienced and reliable team of outside consultants to ensure all bases are being covered for your project.

FINAL APPROVAL – BUILDING PERMIT LODGEMENT

Prior to construction commencing, a building permit must first be obtained from a private building surveyor. As part of The Project Centres full-service package, we will produce all the necessary documentation so this process can progress as fast as possible.

Documentation submitted to the building surveyor includes the full set of working drawings, energy rating report and structural engineering computations, reports & certification, any Authority Approvals, as well as any other consultant’s documentation that may be required for your project.

At this point builder must have been selected, Building Contracts signed, and Builders Insurance or Owner Builder Consent Certification provided to us as this is part of the Building Permit Documentation required for a Building Permit to be issued.

At The Project Centre we have a range of consultants that we have a good working relationship with we trust to ensure the process of issuing building permits is hassle-free.

BUILDING PERMIT ISSUED

With all final approvals obtained, we can continue with the final stage of the building design process: The build!
The Project Centre we don’t sleep until you do . . .

Our job is not yet completed until you move in. Our staff work hand in hand with your builder to ensure that construction proceeds without delay. We are on hand to answer any questions that may arise and to make any design adjustments that may be needed.

Once project is finished then we can all sit back and enjoy what we were able to create and bring to life together!!

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