Architects and building designers · the design
Find an Architect
An architect or building designer turns what your block can carry into a design that fits it — the plans that go to Council or the certifier, and then the drawings a builder prices and builds from.
Type your suburb or your address.
What they do
Design starts with a site analysis — orientation, slope, trees, neighbours, the street — and a sketch of how two, three or four homes sit on the lot. From there the architect develops the plans, elevations and sections for approval, coordinates the consultants (survey, stormwater, structure, BASIX, landscape) and then produces the construction drawings. Registered architects can also administer the building contract for you.
When you need one
As soon as the planner has confirmed the pathway. For a Pattern Book project you still need a designer to adapt the pre-approved plan to your site. For a CDC the design has to fit the code exactly, which is a design skill as much as a planning one. For a DA the quality of the design is what wins the approval.
How to choose
Look at what they have built, not just drawn — a duplex or terrace row in a street like yours. Ask how they price: a percentage of build cost, or fixed stages. Ask whether they have worked with your council's design officers before. And check whether you need a registered architect (larger or more complex projects, or where you want them to run the contract) or a building designer will do — the latter is usually the better value on a duplex.
Are you a architect who works here? Apply to represent your suburb — one architect is listed per suburb, chosen on local track record.