ARKiTek / Architectural design

ARKITEK · PREPARE YOUR PROJECT

What to include in your architectural design brief.

You do not need a finished brief to start. A few clear priorities make the first conversation more useful.

Start with the project and its location

Tell ARKiTek where your Ashburton or Canterbury project is and whether you are considering a new concept, a renovation, an interior layout or support for a commercial or rural space.

Describe the people who will use it and the activities it needs to support. Explain the problem you want to solve, rather than feeling that you must already know the design solution.

List what matters most

Separate essential requirements from ideas you would like to explore. Useful topics include room relationships, privacy, storage, light, outlook, outdoor connections and how the space may need to change over time.

For a renovation, describe the parts of the existing property you want to keep and the parts that do not work well. Photographs and existing plans can help communicate this.

Gather the information you already have

Share available site details, plans, sketches and reference images. Identify which drawings describe the current property and which are ideas for a future change. Note any information that still needs to be confirmed.

Reference images help explain a preference, but they are not a substitute for an agreed design scope or accurate site information.

Discuss deliverables, timing and fees

Tell Maui whether you need help exploring a layout, comparing concepts, understanding a space in 3D or refining an interior. Agree the proposed deliverables and the decisions each stage is intended to support.

Share your preferred timing and project priorities. Confirm the design fees and scope, the information required from you and any specialist input or consent documentation needed. These depend on the project and are not established by an illustrative render.

Your first-conversation checklist

• Project location and type of property or space.
• What you want to change and why.
• Essential requirements and preferences you want to explore.
• Available plans, photos, sketches and site information.
• Preferred timing and the design support you need.

Review ARKiTek’s design services or view the featured AKOSMS concept.