Cunningham Gill Architects offer a range of architectural services from concept and advice reports through to full documentation. We offer these services in a variety of forms that can be tailored to best suit your project needs.
We offer a traditional architect design services from concept stage to completion. Our services are based on the NSW Architects Registration Board consultancy agreement.
INITIAL MEET AND GREET
We offer a complimentary 15 minute phone meeting where we discuss your project requirements.
ARCHITECTS INITIAL SITE VISIT
The first step involves an initial meet and greet and view of your site. We meet with you and your family to discuss your new project. At this initial meeting, we require around 1 hour of your time to develop a brief which includes your accommodation needs and your budget. We require all survey material of your property including a Clause 10.7 Planning Certificate from your local Council.
CONCEPT DESIGN
Following on from our initial site visit and receipt of all detail survey material, we develop a concept masterplan sketch design. This stage may involve a site measure of an existing house or may involve a knock down and rebuild. We develop the design brief and prepare measured drawings. We investigate the local planning and stage regulations to establish the opportunities and constraints of your site. We prepare a concept sketch masterplan design idea for your project to match your brief requirements. The concept plan also includes a rough opinion of cost based on the current market conditions.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
During the design-development phase we shall develop the approved concept plan design and provide further documentation such as develop elevations and sections, coordinate the work of specialist consultants required at the pre-da stage, provide a preliminary schedule of proposed finishes, review the developed design against the budget and coordinate, and prepare an updated estimate of the cost of the works.
DEVELOPMENT APPLICATION/PLANNING PERMIT
Authority approval (DA)
The information required for DA (Development Application) will include documentation such as a statement of environmental effects, waste management plans, preparation of checklists for compliance with Council or Housing Code requirements; shadow diagrams; co-ordination of consultants which may include Heritage, Sustainability Consultants (Section J or BASIX); Hydraulic engineers for stormwater; Arborists reports; Bushfire reports, Traffic reports, etc. The department within Council who assess your DA are the Planning Department. Their focus is to do with the design of your project within the urban context.
CONSTRUCTION CERTIFICATE/COMPLYING DEVELOPMENT CERTIFICATE
Contract documentation (CC or CDC)
Following approval of your development application, we proceed to the second stage of the approval process with your local authority. This is the CC stage (Construction Certificate) and is assessed by either your local Councils’ building department (quite separate to the planning department who assesses your DA) or alternatively, you could use a private certifier. The role of the building department/private certifier is to assess your project for compliance with the NCC (National Construction Code – formerly the BCA). Their focus is primarily the safety of your building and ensuring your building complies with safe building practices.
Therefore, Planning Department = Design & Aesthetics where the Building Department = Building Codes & Australian Standards
The documentation required for your Construction certificate or complying development certificate will include checklists for compliance with the Housing Code (CDC only); BCA checklist; DA Conditions compliance checklist (DA only); co-ordination of consultants which may include a structural engineer, civil engineer, hydraulic engineer, sustainability, etc.
CONTRACT DOCUMENTATION
The contract documentation stage involves developing the drawings further in order to provide a detailed scope of work. This will be detailed documentation including a scope of works schedule describing the proposal. These drawings are required so that your building contractor &/or tenderers have sufficient information to be able to best price your project.
INTERIOR DESIGN
Tammy Gill is a qualified and experienced architect and interior design. Tammy will prepare internal bathroom, laundry, kitchen layouts at 1:50, 1:100 ceiling and electrical plans; specialist joinery details, wardrobes, preparation of schedules of fixtures, fittings and finishes.
CONTRACTOR SELECTION
These drawings are required so that your building contractor or tenderers have sufficient information to be able to properly price your project.
With full tender documentation (contract documentation as described above), the documentation can be issued to around 3-4 building contractors to provide you with a lump sum price. For project values between $100K to $2M we use the current ABIC SW (2008) building contract. This is an architect administered lump sum contract that is approved by NSW Department of Fair Trading for residential projects. The building contractors obtain prices from their sub-contractors and with full documentation can provide you with the opportunity to compare the prices provided by each of the tenderers (building contractors). Each tenderer will provide a lump sum price along with a program for the works (including their earliest commencement date). We recommend you interview each tenderer before making a final decision on your selected building contractor.
Instead of going to tender, you may wish to work with your preferred building contractor on a cost plus basis. We still recommend the architect administered lump sum building contract with trades listed as provisional sums.
CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION
The architect meets with the builder every fortnight, takes detailed minutes of the site meetings, inspects the work for quality and compliance with the documentation, responds to RFI’s (requests for information from the building contractor); assesses progress claims; assesses the building programme; assesses buildings request for variations; issue of architects instructions; preparation of Progress Certificate and other accounting associated with the project.
Once the project reaches Practical Completion, the architect inspects the works and in conjunction with the Client and the Builder, agrees a list of any defective and incomplete work that is rectified by the building contractor during the defects liability period (DLP) which is usually 6-12 months.