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Home Owners FAQ

• Do all projects go beyond budget and time? - +

  No, it is a misconception that all projects handled by building professionals go beyond the agreed budget and time frame. To avoid this, our studio will provide advice through all design stages and identify any trace of cost escalation. At the commencement of the project, we provide our client with a project timeline and we will adhere to it.

• Are you open to client ideas and are they willing to listen to my/our needs? - +

  As trained creative professionals, we can't come up with new ideas without input from our clients. Every client has unique requirements and views, and this provides us with fuel for our creative thinking.

• Are you capable of both designing and delivering? - +

  Yes, our rigorous studies and industry experience has prepared us to design and deliver projects to your requirements.

• Do you professionals understand construction? - +

  Yes, we document and detail all the construction details for projects and years of industry experience working with builders and developers has enabled us to understand construction.

• Can you improve the spaces beyond my/our imagination? - +

  Any good building design professional is capable of understanding your requirements and converting them into pleasing and surprising environments. You, as the client should demand and encourage the architect or designer to think outside the box.

• Are you capable of creating spaces that correspond to context and natural setting?  - +

  Yes, all architects and designers are trained to create spaces that correspond to their context and natural setting, but there are instances where some architects disregard this due to lack of interest or a client's request. As climate-responsive designers, we will always create spaces that correspond to its context and natural setting.

• Do you only get involved for a minimum budget, e.g. over one million dollars?  - +

  Not valid, for us, but there are building professionals who refuse to work with clients when the construction budget (excluding architecture fees) is under a million dollars. We are open to working with clients with a much smaller budget. We prefer quality rather than quantity.

• What is the difference between a construction budget and total project budget/cost? - +

  The construction budget is the cost for the construction only and excludes all other fees (architect, structural and other engineers, regulatory fees, etc). The total project budget/cost includes all project costs.

• Do you do small scale renovations and refurbishments? - +

  There are different sizes of building design firms, and some specialise in residential, whereas others do only commercial projects. Some architecture firms only undertake refurbishments of a more massive scale, whereas we are quite comfortable and enjoy undertaking small scale renovations and refurbishments.

• Do you understand the planning and regulatory requirements?  - +

  Experienced design professionals are capable of understanding and deciphering the planning and regulatory requirements. Almost all projects will require the services of a building certifier who will advise and assist the architect during the planning process. During the initial exploration stage, if it is determined that your project requires a planning specialist, then the architect will advise accordingly.

• Are you qualified to provide building costings?  - +

  No, architects are not building surveyors, but they may be able to provide you with ballpark estimates for your project. This will depend on the size and complexity of your project.

• Are you qualified to provide interior design services?  - +

  Yes, we are capable of providing interior design services, but some clients choose to use their own, separate, interior designer.

• Do you understand Passive Haus principles?  - +

  Passive Haus is a high standard of achieving building energy efficiency, and the result is the building will use less or little energy to cool and heat your building. Although everyone claims to deliver energy efficiency buildings, there are other technical layers in the Passive Haus standards that require a certified Passive Haus designer. This studio recently completed the Certified Passive Haus designer course and currently undertaking the certification process to provide these services to our clients.

• Does it cost more to build a house with high environmental credentials?  - +

  Our experience is that houses with high environmental credentials should cost no more than 10-15% more than a house without these credentials. Due to technological developments and demand, the prices of various sustainable technologies, materials and systems have been reducing over recent years.

• Can you understand my cultural background and values so this can be incorporated into my project? - +

  Although many design professionals may claim they understand your culture, they may not appreciate all the nuances of your cultural requirements. You will need to highlight and detail these to the architect during the design process so that they can be reflected in the design and end product.

• Why do you wear black? - +

  Possible answers might be:

  1. The colour black is associated with mystery and deep thinking.
  2. One less decision to make every morning.
• Why do design professionals talk a lot of archi-babble?  - +

  Architecture is a practical, research and passion profession. Perhaps all that reading and reflecting somehow results in archi-babble.

• Do you carry out extensive research before proposing design options? - +

  Not everyone in the building industry undertake extensive research or spend time developing concepts. We undertake a thorough study and investigation overlayed with your requirements before we propose any design options.

• Why do you charge expensive fees? - +

  Design is the most valuable component of a building project. The design can make or break a project, and the architects’ extensive training and industry experience has prepared them to design and deliver your chosen environment, tailored to your needs, rather than providing something inappropriate or a replica of your neighbours’.

• I do not understand the building /architecture design process. It sounds painful? - +

  Yes, at first glance, it appears daunting and painful, but we will guide you through the process. We have explained the design process on our services page.

Building Industry Professionals FAQ

• What kind of commercial projects experience do you or your studio have? - +

  We are a young and passionate firm, and the founder has over 12 years of commercial project experience working Educational, Government, Commercial, Residential, Health and Retail sectors.

• Has the studio previously worked with project managers, builders and high-end developers? - +

  Yes, during the past 12 years of working in the industry, we have collaborated and formed successful professional relationships with several project managers, builders and high-end developers.

• Are you able to scale your studio if the project demands? - +

  Our office workforce, systems, process, and procedure, are set up to condense or spread based on the project demands.

• Have you or the company have experience working with sub-consultants - +

  Over the past decade, we had experience working with various specialists either directly engaged as sub-consultants or as secondary consultants. We consider them as an integral part of creation and deliverables.

• Is your studio familiar with NCC and their new developments? - +

  We regularly refer to the National Construction Code during all stages of building planning. We are aware of recent significant developments such as:

  • Section J efficiency increases
  • Fire safety & Cladding changes
  • Mandatory sprinkler protection for buildings four-storey & above
  • Condensation management provisions
  • Changes to building sealing requirements
• Is your studio familiar with NATHERS, Greenstar and WELL accreditation? - +

  We have previously used accredited NATHER & Green Star consultants in our projects. We are planning to train our staff on Greenstar and WELL certifications.

• Do you carry adequate professional indemnity, public liability and workers compensation insurance to undertake projects of different scales? - +

  Yes, we carry adequate professional indemnity, public liability and workers compensation insurance. We can adjust our insurance liabilities based on project demands.

• Are you set up to work remotely during pandemic times? - +

  All our office systems, tools, process and procedures set for remote working. All our staff and contractors provided with the tools required to work remotely.

Testimonials

• What you say about us - +

  I have known and worked alongside Kamal on a number of projects over the past 5 years and can honestly say that the hard work he puts into providing a bespoke service for each project is the reason that we are able to repeatedly bring in projects on time and on budget. The design, design management and superintendent roles are all areas where his vast expertise can be harnessed.

  - Scott Lamb (General Manager, Rork Projects, ACT)

  Kamal was committed to sharing and evolving ideas beyond the mundane to achieve outcomes that encompassed multifaceted objectives, from the functional, to the sustainable and to the aesthetic...

  ... As a client, I contracted Kamal to design a refurbishment and fit out of an environment centre for a public school in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). A key asset that Kamal bought to this project was his ability to engage the building users – primary school aged children – in articulating their vision for sustainability improvements to the centre. The students found ‘Mr Architect’ to be quite approachable and freely shared their experience of the building, its performance issues and some of their sustainable design ideas...

  ... Kamal has a strong passion for public infrastructure and sustainable design.

  - Beth Mitchell (Director – Asset Strategies, Education Directorate, ACT)

  Kamal has always shown great professionalism, integrity and competence across all of the years...

  ... He has demonstrated his ability to listen to people from all walks of life and levels within an organisation and to understand what they are actually asking for when it comes to project work and to work with them in a cooperative and collegial manner...

  ... Kamal works from a place of strong ethics and moral decency which I believe will serve him well on his chosen career path.

  - Claire Stoneman (Former Manager of Timetabling & Exams, UC)