Arcadia Building Design

Tel/Fax: 02 6025 1770
Mobile: 0419 003 221
morden@arcadiabuildingdesign.com.au
PO Box 3427, Albury NSW 2640
38 Featherstone Avenue, Albury (by appointment)

Design
Design is a collaborative process between building designer and client. Whether you, as the client provide me with initial sketches or whether I start from scratch, the process is a methodical one progressing through stages with sketches and plans showing more detail till we arrive at the final design. I can provide designs of all different styles and using any construction methods or materials that you as the client require. This is why most of the homes I design are quite different to each other and don't conform to any particular style.

I can provide designs for any detached single, double or triple story home, grouped townhouse/unit developments, attached/duplex style developments.

Documentation
No design is worth anything unless it is articulated in an accurate and detailed set of working drawings. I place a great deal of importance in the quality of the working drawings I produce - something that builders appreciate.

Your final plans and documentation will include most or all of the following:

Floor plans
Elevations
Electrical plans
Cupboard and tiling layouts and elevations
2D cross-sections and structural detailing as required
3D construction detailing if required
Slab plan if required
Site plan
Written specification (NATSPEC)
DTS 5-star plus conformance sheets (For WA clients)
BASIX conformance sheets (For NSW clients)
Stormwater drainage/retention design as required per council regs.
Site context, shadow diagrams and other docs needed for planning applications.

Consultants
As part of the overall design and documentation service, I can organize the other services that are required to complete any additional documentation. These services are subject to quoting by the consultant at the time. These consultants commonly include:

Structural Engineer (required for all jobs)
Energy Rater (minimum requirement for VIC jobs, optional for NSW and WA)
Site Surveyor
Geotechnical Engineer (to complete site classification if required).

Planning Applications
I can handle the application for your project if needed or, if you prefer, help you complete the appropriate council forms. Naturally all council consultations and negotiations that are required will be carried out in a timely manner to make the (often long and frustrating) planning process as quick as possible.

Environmental Sustainability
If you place a great deal of importance in energy efficiency in your new home I can provide all the necessary tips and tricks to achieve a good star rating on your home. The minimum star rating required by national building legislation (except NSW which uses the BASIX system of certification) is 5 stars (this will change to 6 stars in early 2011). This is a relatively easy score to achieve and there are many ways of improving the design of a home to achieve much higher. I would consider 6 star's easily achievable and 7+ stars a good goal.

And remember that most of the features that go into a sustainable home are not simply 'greenie' add-ons that will make your home look different but simply a result of good design, effective use of space and the right materials. A great website for more information is www.yourhome.gov.au.