What It’s Like to work with Steele Studios
Ever wondered what it’s like to
work with a residential architect in Melbourne?
Every architect and firm has a bag of tricks depending on what you are after. There isn’t one right way to design your home or manage your project, and just like dating, the success of a partnership comes down to whether you two ‘click’.
We get a lot of questions from prospective clients and about how we work and what exactly we do. The average home in Australia takes anywhere from 4 months to 2 years to design and build. Variables can affect the timeline such as the size of your home, the complexity of the design, custom features and materials as well as characteristics of the land.
We’re here to make your life easier and do everything we can to save you thousands of dollars and get you moving into your home quicker, so you can pop that bottle of champagne. While every project is a personal response, we have our tried and tested system and workflow that serves as the foundation for every project we take on. If you’re curious about how we do things, (and make life easier for you), read on.
1. Scoping Out – Are we a Good Fit?
The process starts with a Contact Form. Fill it out here. We will continue with a short email exchange and conclude with a phone call. On this short phone call – we’ll ask you questions about your project, time-frames, and budgets.
Being a residential architect doesn’t mean we’re the right architect for every project. We love new challenges like tight spaces or heritage overlays but also stay true to our modern Australian aesthetic. If we aren’t the right fit for your project, we’re ok with acknowledging that and will pass.
2. Meet and Greet
Hopefully, you’ll appreciate our curiously filled eyes and ears, but we’ll have a coffee or kombucha on site to have an in-depth dive session to extract the nitty-gritty. We listen to how you’re going to be living in these spaces, brewing coffee in them, snoring away the sweetest dreams, and bathing kids in them.
This initial meeting makes sure we’re a good fit. From there, we’ll submit a proposal that includes a quote for our professional fees.
3. Lock it in
We’re going to be creating something special together. Working together means you join our community, enabling you to tap into our local expertise, hand-picked builders, trades, and other experts. Once you’ve paid your deposit, we’ll send you a proposal of our services, how we will guide you through the dust and mud, and tips on how to strengthen your working relationship with an architect, plus a few more surprises.
4. Define
Goals have been outlined, challenges assessed and initial research has been performed. We explore concepts and ideas and take them to the next level, refining them, pushing them, and pulling them into reality. We propose a solution that fits within your timeline and budget.
5. Design
This design phase is a detailed deep dive into the drawings and supporting documents needed to create your project. We design and document EVERYTHING. It’s a huge job, but we love it.
We document everything from how the land slopes, types of walls to keep water out and heat in as well as the finer details like custom cabinetry, decorative wall and ceiling details, lighting and plumbing fixtures, tiles, flooring, etc. We’re not joking. Everything. Every design is a response specifically to that project which means no two designs are ever the same.
6. Build
If you’ve decided to let us manage the construction of your project, we will oversee the preparation and execution of the building contract and build. We have regular meetings on-site with tradies to make sure all the nuts are bolted in securely and correctly.
We answer any contractor queries and manage variation requests. Once the builders are done, we run our eyes over, checking for defects and fine-tuning. Then, we hand over the keys so you can move in.
No matter how carefully we’ve planned, there are always things to tweak. This final phase can be frustrating for you, so we make a point of staying focused on fine-tuning these loose ends and ensuring that everything is completed with the highest standard and care.
We love working with like-minded people who are willing to be pushed outside their comfort zone. If you’re seeking a residential design with our modern aesthetic and are open enough to trust us with creative direction, we’d love to hear from you. Get in Touch.
