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Getting Started – Concept Design and Construction Cost Analysis

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In our June 2012 Newsletter, we discussed the importance of passive design being used in conjunction with the selection of energy efficient building options to deliver the optimal thermal efficiency for your proposed new building works.

It is worth repeating the benefit of incorporating your design ideas and building products you would like to use, into a Look Book/Scrape Book. You can then take this “Look Book” to your designer to help you communicate exactly how you would like your design and product selections to come together. The more information you provide to your designer, the better placed the designer (architect, draughtsperson) will be to produce your concept design.

Documentation such as Survey, Section 149 Certificate (available from your local Council) and Sydney Water Diagram (available from selected Reece Plumbing outlets) would be useful to provide to your designer for the concept design stage.

The concept design can include:

  • Drawings done to scale

  • Basic set of plans (with some dimensioning)

  • One or two elevations (with some dimensioning)

  • General material listing

  • Possibly a 3D sketch

A professionally produced concept design will allow you to visualise how your design ideas will work for you and your family. The concept drawings will enable you to make sure that the designer has encapsulated all of your design ideas/product selections and that the two components come together effectively. At this stage, there is ample scope to make changes if certain aspects are not meeting your expectations.

Once you are happy with your concept drawings, an important next step is to ensure that the project can be built within your allocated budget.

At this time, DirectBuild can offer our Construction Cost Analysis (CCA) of your concept design. The CCA is a robust construction budget estimate for each construction element. It is primarily designed to help you gain a better understanding of the breakdown of the construction expenses. The CCA is a good indication of the potential cost of your project to establish whether the project can be achieved within your budget.

By having the CCA undertaken at the concept design stage, the opportunity exists for you to vary your design or product selections if the initial costing exceeds your allocated budget.

Take the time to make sure the concept design fully reflects of the requirements of you and your family and is within your budget. Once you are comfortable, it is time to ask your designer to finalise the drawings and other requirements to the standards required for you to proceed to the planning approval stage (either Complying Development or Development Application).  The level of detail to be included in the plans varies depending upon whether the plans are to be submitted to Council for consideration as a Development Application or can qualify as a Complying Development.

The team at DirectBuild would be happy to discuss the design concept, planning approval process and Construction Cost Analysis with you in greater detail at any time.

Scott Frear

Marketing and Building Consultant
DirectBuild Australia Pty Ltd

Telephone (02) 9713 7428

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