Architectural Design Process
All structures intended for human habitation are subject to the Building Act and the attendant Building Code. From 1 March 2012, Practitioners working in this discipline must be Licensed Building Practitioners, (LBP).
Under the LBP Design phase, there are three classes based upon the complexity of the project. The classes are Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Booklets are available free of charge from Department of Building and Housing or at http://dbh.govt.nz/lbp-consumer – these provide important information.
The design process for building is more or less prescriptive, that is leaving aside any special features, such as architectural style, the design process has to follow a procedure set down by law.
The process starts with the acquisition or permission to develop or re-develop land (space). In New Zealand the use of land is controlled by law. Several statutory bodies control land use, including Territorial Authorities (Councils), and numerous Government Agencies etc.
Having located a section of land, the next task is to carry out the legal transfer. This work should only be carried out by a practising lawyer.
It is important that a Title Search obtained from http://www.linz.govt.nz/survey-titles and a Land Information Memorandum, LIM, be obtained from your Territorial Authority, and then have these read by the Professions that you have engaged (lawyer, engineer, surveyor etc).
In projects where information from the LIM has to replied upon, it is important to confirm this on-site. Eg; a buried service would have to be positively located by excavation. If the information on the LIM is found to be inaccurate, request that the Territorial Authority re-issue the LIM (at their cost) showing the correct information.
Commonly, the design process for residential buildings especially larger and perhaps modern styles, can be scheduled in 3 stages.
Stage One, known as the pencil sketch stage, is where the Client has informal discussions with the practitioner and with the aid of magazines and catalogues to identify accurately what you want the practitioner to document. These discussions with drawings, photos and visits to buildings that have the features you seek, will prove to be invaluable. The document to come out of this work is the Statement of Intent or Expectation.
Experience has shown that at the pencil sketch stage for every $1 spent, $10 is saved. It needs to be noted that making changes after the granting of building consent can be very expensive. The maxim “get it right first time” applies.
Stage Two comprises preparing drawing for Consent. Once the elements of the design are established, together with any engineering data, the designer prepares drawings, which contain standardised images of the components required for completion. Included with the drawings is a document called the “Specification”. This includes the calculations and explanations in detail how the building is to be constructed and how each requirement of the Building Act and the Building Code will be achieved. It is considered good practise to only include the necessary information on the drawings tendered for Building Consent.
Stage Three comprises detailed working drawings and documentation. Once Building Consent is granted, the drawings should then be subjected to the build-ability process. The aim is to achieve maximum productivity by including details that provide the constructor with all the information required. This enables the component ordering logistics, trades persons activities to be scheduled and any information as to construction methods and skill sets required in the assembly of a modern building to be dealt with effectively. This level of detail reduces uncertainty and misunderstandings and enables accurate pricing and cost efficiencies
Under the LBP Design phase, there are three classes based upon the complexity of the project. The classes are Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3. Booklets are available free of charge from Department of Building and Housing or at http://dbh.govt.nz/lbp-consumer – these provide important information.
The design process for building is more or less prescriptive, that is leaving aside any special features, such as architectural style, the design process has to follow a procedure set down by law.
The process starts with the acquisition or permission to develop or re-develop land (space). In New Zealand the use of land is controlled by law. Several statutory bodies control land use, including Territorial Authorities (Councils), and numerous Government Agencies etc.
Having located a section of land, the next task is to carry out the legal transfer. This work should only be carried out by a practising lawyer.
It is important that a Title Search obtained from http://www.linz.govt.nz/survey-titles and a Land Information Memorandum, LIM, be obtained from your Territorial Authority, and then have these read by the Professions that you have engaged (lawyer, engineer, surveyor etc).
In projects where information from the LIM has to replied upon, it is important to confirm this on-site. Eg; a buried service would have to be positively located by excavation. If the information on the LIM is found to be inaccurate, request that the Territorial Authority re-issue the LIM (at their cost) showing the correct information.
Commonly, the design process for residential buildings especially larger and perhaps modern styles, can be scheduled in 3 stages.
Stage One, known as the pencil sketch stage, is where the Client has informal discussions with the practitioner and with the aid of magazines and catalogues to identify accurately what you want the practitioner to document. These discussions with drawings, photos and visits to buildings that have the features you seek, will prove to be invaluable. The document to come out of this work is the Statement of Intent or Expectation.
Experience has shown that at the pencil sketch stage for every $1 spent, $10 is saved. It needs to be noted that making changes after the granting of building consent can be very expensive. The maxim “get it right first time” applies.
Stage Two comprises preparing drawing for Consent. Once the elements of the design are established, together with any engineering data, the designer prepares drawings, which contain standardised images of the components required for completion. Included with the drawings is a document called the “Specification”. This includes the calculations and explanations in detail how the building is to be constructed and how each requirement of the Building Act and the Building Code will be achieved. It is considered good practise to only include the necessary information on the drawings tendered for Building Consent.
Stage Three comprises detailed working drawings and documentation. Once Building Consent is granted, the drawings should then be subjected to the build-ability process. The aim is to achieve maximum productivity by including details that provide the constructor with all the information required. This enables the component ordering logistics, trades persons activities to be scheduled and any information as to construction methods and skill sets required in the assembly of a modern building to be dealt with effectively. This level of detail reduces uncertainty and misunderstandings and enables accurate pricing and cost efficiencies
