“When we talked to the draftsperson, they weren’t listening. They had their ideas of what we should do. Pynenburg & Collins listened to what WE wanted. ‘I’ve heard you want this. What’s your budget? I’ll go away and come back to you with a couple of ideas’.””
— Les, Martinborough
 
 

 

PROJECT PHASES

We believe that some of the key aspects required to achieve a brilliant outcome are collaboration and a structured process. To achieve this all projects generally follow five main phases, where we tailor the detail in each to suit what is appropriate for you and your project.

Phase One: Pre-Design (initial meetings & site visits)

Whether you’re looking to alter an existing building or build new, the first things we want to understand are your vision, your requirements, and your constraints. This is best discussed during an initial meeting, where both of us can ensure we are a good fit as a project team.  Trust and respect is critical throughout every stage of the architectural and build process, so establishing our creative and collaborative relationship early on is very important to us. Once we are both happy to proceed, let’s begin by working through your space together; this includes site visits, project research, unpacking town planning rules and getting to understand how we are going to create your built environment.

Phase Two: Design Development & Documentation

Our end goal is to create brilliant architecture. Something that is appropriate to you, fixes your problems and creates a wonderful space that you have a deep affinity with. To do this we need to work together closely to understand your unique desires, then reflect them back to you in a truly collaborative set of plans.

Our design process runs along a typical path that we tailor to suit your specific project needs.
  • Concept design – developing an initial design that allows us to confirm that we can meet your brief, as a proof of concept - answering questions such as; what are the relationships, how do the parts come together, how does it flow, have we covered all the bases, is this feasible?
  • Preliminary design – working up the initial Plans and Elevations - this is where we begin fleshing out the design in more detail. Articulating the design aesthetics in a cohesive way, refining the design to express the essence of your brief. At this point we’re able to refine high level costs to ensure we are still on budget.
  • Developed design – at this phase we refine the design further to enable us to lock down the major design elements, agree the materials, and start to develop the construction details. Adding detail to the plans and elevations, along with developing the sections allows us to agree on the overall shape and form, where we can start working on the details and the specifications. At the end of this phase you will be able to obtain more accurate costings to confirm the construction budget.
  • Detailed design – completing all of the documentation needed to obtain a Building Consent and to allow the building to be built. This takes the Developed Design set of drawings and specification through to completion, with all of the details drawn and materials specified to allow your brilliant to be brought to life. All the way through we’re working closely with you to check that the design aesthetic and the details still meet your brief, retaining the essence of the vision we began with at the start.

Phase Three: Procurement & Consenting

Procurement is simply a method of selecting the best contractor to undertake the building work, for a fair price, in a reasonable timeframe.
  • If you already have a suitable builder in mind, we are able to facilitate the negotiation to achieve an agreeable price and programme.
  • If you prefer a competitive market then we have considerable experience in the various methods of tendering.
Either way the key is to ensure that you have the information you need in order to make an informed decision.

Typically running concurrently with the procurement process, we would undertake the Building Consent process. Making the application to the Council and answering any questions they may have, ensures that the process is as smooth as possible.

Some projects may also need a Resource Consent, and we look to identify if one is needed early on. Depending on a number of factors, this could be simple and straight forward or could have a level of complexity. It is often best to apply for this as soon as the major design elements are finalised, often during the Developed Design phase. This ensures that things don’t need to be altered to account for any consent conditions. We have experience in successfully obtaining these consents, and are able to guide you through the process.

Phase Four: Construction

The construction process can be time consuming and stressful. If you’re experienced and confident in administering the project yourself, that’s great, we’ll tailor our services to suit your needs. But if, like most, you don’t have the time, and experience or energy to administer the project, we can support you with this. Our service typically falls within two main areas:
  • Contract Administration; administering the building contract, working with the builder to ensure the agreed deliverables are reached, and managing variations and costs along the way, and;
  • Construction Observation; making sure that contractors are building in the way it should be built - a focus on quality and achieving the vision we’ve set.

Phase Five: Project Completion

On project completion, you typically have a defect liability period to ensure that the space is up to standard. We’d ensure that any defects are completed as part of our final inspections to sign off the work.
 
 
 
 

 

PROCESSES & SYSTEMS

It’s crucial that the various elements and systems in your building are coordinated right from the outset. We use industry leading Building Information Modelling (BIM) systems and processes during the design phases to make sure all elements are coordinated and that  things run smoothly throughout all of the phases and between all of the design consultants.

The systems we have developed and the technologies we employ also allow us to work remotely from the project location (nationally and internationally), while still maintaining the collaborative relationships required.

 
 

 

VISUALISATION & TECH

A successful design process requires seamless communication with all parties. We make sure ideas can be shared and visualised for maximum insight and understanding, and we employ a number of technologies to communicate and assist in the design of your space.

Our BIM Design Authoring Software (both Revit and ArchiCAD) allows us to integrate all of the design and technical aspects into one coordinated model, which means you can explore your virtual building in real time.

Using a Virtual Reality (VR) headset and controllers, you can navigate through the virtual model. Experiencing the design in a three dimensional environment gives a realistic sense of scale and depth, allowing you to freely explore the design inside and out.

 
 
 

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