Question 1

Are you an insured business and do you guarantee your work?

Accepted Answer

Studio203 is covered under the Professional Indemnity Insurance of our professional body Architeam. Studio203 is registered in NSW and the ACT and observes the Architects Act 2003, which can be viewed on the webpage of the NSW Board of Architects: https://www.architects.nsw.gov.au/download/INFORMATION%20SHEET%20-%20SUMMARY%20OF%20PROVISI

Question 2

How did you decide to get into your line of work?

Accepted Answer

During the last years of high school through being inspired by our cities, towns, ideas for future living, beauty of classic buildings and travel later on.

Question 3

Do you have a favourite customer story you would like to share?

Accepted Answer

We keep everything in relation to our clients confidential. We would leave it up to our clients to share stories of their builds.

Question 4

What do you like most about your job?

Accepted Answer

The collaboration with a good client and an innovative builder. The design phase is great with a good team, but the beauty of the building lies in the detail, interpreted from detailed architectural drawings by an innovative, enthusiastic and talented builder.

Question 5

What questions should a customer ask to hire the right service professional?

Accepted Answer

Is the architect a good fit for the client and the client a good fit for the architect? It's a long working relationship and architect and client need to get on well for succesful project outcomes.

Question 6

What questions do customers commonly ask and how would you answer them?

Accepted Answer

How much does building cost? This depends on many factors and also minimum construction costs per sqm for architect designed houses for the project area. Start with a reduced brief to avoid disappointment and add if the budget allows for it.

Question 7

What makes you the most reliable and trustworthy person for the job?

Accepted Answer

The work of studio 203 is being recognised in local and national awards and nominations, media features and positive reviews from clients and building professionals.

Question 8

Why should a customer hire you over another service provider?

Accepted Answer

We design our buildings as an experience of space, with interiors flooded with light, and connected to gardens and opportunities for outlook. We integrate environmental design and see heritage features as an opportunity, whilst working closely with authorities and other consultants early on in the project phase to maximise development potential and achieve integrated outcomes. We take a maximum of three projects at any one time and are dedicated to a very personal service with great attention to detail. We particularly enjoy challenging sites and contexts that require highly customised solutions.

Question 9

What are the typical things that you need to know before you can provide a quote to a customer?

Accepted Answer

1. Every project begins with a conversation: about the client, their existing situation, their needs, the site, the target budget etc. The client would also ask the architect questions in return. 2. If we think we could work together, we would organise a meeting with you and view the site. 3. We will then ask you to fill in our “Client Briefing Questionnaire”, which gives the client the opportunity to re-think requirements and aspirations and firm these up in writing.  4. To give a fee proposal we will also require full client representative details, details of the owners of the site, the legal description of the site including a copy of the current Certificate of Title. A current Certificate of Title will be required to review site against restrictions on title (such as Old Title, easements, covenants, caveats etc).

Question 10

How can a customer save money before you start the work? Please give 3 tips

Accepted Answer

1. Work out and agree on your brief. A defined brief will keep variation costs at planning and the construction stage under control. Important: the architect will do the design for you and guides the project through all the design and construction phases, so leave it to the professionals. If you simply want building plans of your ideas drawn up, it’s best to approach a draftsperson. It might also be a good idea to do your research on the benefits an architect will bring to your project.  2. Try to get an idea of current construction costs for architect-designed houses in your area and for the level of finish you want to achieve. A project without the matching finance will rarely go beyond the DA approval phase. In our practice, we work with a builder or cost consultant from the sketch design phase onwards to avoid nasty surprises at the end of the approvals phase. The relatively small fees for specialist estimating services mean that we work towards a realistic budget, backed up by a market-focused estimate.    A simple starter table for “Architecturally designed executive residences” can be found on https://www.bmtqs.com.au/construction-cost-table, though from experience their high level reflects closest the current construction costs. To this, the costs of approvals fees and of the diverse specialist consultants (surveyor, engineers, cost consultant, sustainability consultant etc) need to be added.   Your architect is not a quantity surveyor or builder to give you a cost estimate and architects' professional indemnity insurances typically do not cover cost advice services.  3. Declutter your household and consider what really needs to go into the new home: excessive storage requirements will translate into increased joinery costs and can lead to compromised design solutions.   Note to 2): Alterations & Additions typically attract are higher construction costs per sqm floor area, since builders need to “work around” the existing building fabric. The same applies when clients prefer to live on the site during construction or to relatively small projects, which can have similar overheads as larger projects. There is also more measuring up and custom detailing involved for the architect, which leads to slightly higher percentage fees. Clients of first floor additions should make a significant allowance for amendments and making good of the rooms immediately under the upper-level addition.

Question 11

Are there any special offers you would like to offer to Oneflare customers?

Accepted Answer

Please refer to our webpage for working with us and fees for Initial Consultation/ Site Visit. https://www.studio203.com.au/designprocess

Question 12

What makes your pricing competitive?

Accepted Answer

Our pricing is consistent with fees charged by architects for custom-designed houses. We keep our pricing fair by taking into consideration the individual circumstances of each project, such as complexity of brief, site and context, types of approvals required etc, and calculate fees accordingly. Since we are a small enterprise, our savings in overheads are passed on to our clients.

Question 13

How do you normally charge for your service?

Accepted Answer

We charge a Percentage Fee of the "Cost of Works" defined in the Australian Institute of Architects Client and Architect Agreement. Our fees are based on full architectural services and cover all project phases from initial design to project completion (including post-construction services), and on a fee scale: larger projects attract lower percentage fees than small projects. The basis of our engagement is the Australian Institute of Architects Client and Architect Agreement.

Question 14

Is there a particular aspect of your trade or industry that you specialise in?

Accepted Answer

We have experience with complex design scenarios, including heritage conservation areas, bush-fire prone land, flood zone and acoustic design. We use the principles of passive house design combined with technology to enhance the thermal comfort of spaces. We like to explore new approaches to energy

Question 15

What experience, skills, qualifications or training do you have to make you the right person for the job?

Accepted Answer

Between the two partners we have university degrees in architecture from Canberra Univeristy and the University Of Stuttgart, Germany, and a Masters Degree in Property Development from UTS Sydney.

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