The Artificial is a small practice that values good design and providing a good experience for our clients, which is why we only take on a small number of projects at any one time. This allows us to provide comprehensive services and work with our clients throughout the entire process from conception to the reality of the built product. Our process can be customised to suit the variables of your project, however the general structure is detailed below:
1 - Pre-Design
An initial meeting where we discuss your brief, spatial requirements, timing & budget. This will include a site visit to understand the site's constraints & opportunities.
2 - Sketch Design
We interrogate your project brief and test out layout configurations to produce sketch floor plans that best achieve you're spatial goals. This will include a site measure and completion of existing drawings if required.
3 - Design Development
Further development of the previous stage occurs as we develop the architecture of the project by testing external form and materiality using 3D CAD software. If required, the drawings produced at this stage will be use to lodge a Development Application (DA) with council where we coordinate the approval process with a Town Planner on your behalf. There will also be sufficient information to allow a preliminary costing of the proposal by a cost consultant or builder.
4 - Interior Design
With the floor plans resolved, this stage focusses on the detail and aesthetic of the interiors particularly the joinery design within the individual rooms and spaces as well as the selection of finishes, fixtures and materiality.
5 - Construction Documentation
The most involved and detailed stage of the process that will produce technical drawings and selections of all aspects of the project, suitable for accurate pricing by builders and for construction. The documentation will also be sufficient in obtaining Building Approval (BA) with council.
6 - Pricing & Builder Selection
In this stage we assist you with builder selection generally through either of the following options:
Competitive tender, where two to three builders are asked to provide detailed pricing for the project, and;
Negotiated tender, where we negotiate a price with a preferred contractor directly.
7 - Construction Services
We take pride in seeing our projects through from inception to completion and believe great results are achieved when the client, builder and architect work in a collaborative process. During the construction of the project we attend site regularly to assist the client and builder with any queries (which is common during the build) and to ensure that the original design intent is taken all the way through to the built stage.