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WHAT WE DO
What does an architect do? This link to the Australian Institute of Architects website provides a good summary.
We provide a range of services to assist you through all stages of your project, from conception to construction. We understand every job and every client is different though, so we tailor our services accordingly. Below is a summary of the ‘Typical’ stages and what is involved.
Feasibility
A feasibility study provides a way of testing an idea or ideas for a project without getting deeply involved in the design process. It may be a ‘desktop’ analysis that looks at the numbers and planning controls of a particular site. Or it may involve some very loose sketches and massing diagrams to explore the development potential of a project.
Concept Design
This is where we take your brief, develop it further and provide an initial design response. This typically takes into account preliminary budget, planning controls, approval pathway analysis and pairs this with your personal requirements and tastes. A combination of hand sketches, 3D Cad and physical models are used to communicate the basic design or designs.
Design Development
Once you are happy with the concept we explore this in more detail and check it once again against the budget and any site specific constraints. More detailed plans, 3D photo-renders and other documents are prepared as necessary.
Approvals Documentation
Depending on the type, scale and approval pathway (DA, complying development or otherwise) we document the project according to the requirements of the approval authority. These often include long and exhaustive checklists but we have a broad experience with this process and can help you navigate it along with other consultants that might be necessary. We will then lodge your documents and track the process, keeping you informed.
Tender / Construction Documentation
This is where we get into the nitty gritty details that really make a good design into a great building. Each project and each client will have differing requirements at this stage so we tailor a package to suit. Our documentation has been praised by builders and clients for being clear, succinct and not overdone. We highly recommend this stage as it provides a more detailed, accurate description of all the works - right down to the kitchen tap selection. More accurate means more realistic pricing and less confusion through the construction process.
Tendering
We can provide a list of builders that are suitable and available for your project and then issue a formal Tender invite. We then assist the selected builders with their queries and aim to ensure that we get a range of prices that are representative of the works proposed. Alternatively we might negotiate with one builder, or you might bring your own. The construction industry climate is ever changing and a flexible approach often gets better results.
Construction Stage Services
When engaged to provide services during construction we are able to guide the process and ensure a better result through open communication. Traditionally this process involves the architect acting as both an independent observer and assessor of both the builders and clients claims. This is called ‘Contract Administration’ and is generally paired with a general involvement in the process to assist where further detail is required, or when the inevitable variations occur (think Grand Designs…).
Post Construction
If we are engaged to administer the contract (as above) there are certain processes that continue beyond when you are handed the keys. Even when we are not involved intimately in the construction we love to come and visit and see how you are settling into your new space.
About
Benedict Design is a small Architectural studio with a focus on residential design.
We pride ourselves on our reputation for being approachable, honest and hard working.
We believe good communication is key to a successful project. This means keeping you informed throughout the process and presenting our ideas with generous 3D visualisations and clear documentation. Our clients and builders love this approach.
We are ‘inclusive’ architects, not ‘exclusive’. Good design should be universal and our portfolio reflects this belief.
WHERE WE ARE
Benedict Design relocated to Orange in the central west of NSW at the beginning of 2018. We still service Sydney and work with a broad range of construction industry consultants that we have developed a relationship with over the past 10 years and more. We are in Sydney every couple of weeks and also happy to travel elsewhere for the right job so don’t hesitate to get in touch!
WHo WE ARE
BEN JOHNSON
Ben completed architectural studies at the University of Sydney, graduating in 2005. Whilst studying he worked in the practices of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer & Bruce James & Partners. These progressive, design focused studios helped Ben to forge a better understanding of the creative processes that provide solutions to complex project briefs.
Following his studies Ben worked at Planpac International where he was part of a small design team responsible for a wide range of medium and large scale projects in Sydney, northern Queensland & Papua New Guinea.
In 2006 Ben joined the Sydney practice of DKO Architecture. In the space of 4 years the office grew from 6 to over 20 staff. Ben’s role saw him responsible for a team of 2-3 people, providing design and documentation assistance on a vast range of developments from single dwellings to master-planned communities.
In 2010 Ben started out on his own, seeking more independence and control over the design process and wanting to satisfy a desire to work at a more intimate scale. Since then Ben has completed a large number of successful projects. The diversity of scale and complexity within Benedict Design’s portfolio is evident - with tiny terraces in Sydney’s Inner West to farmhouses in the Central West.