KHAB SERVICES
Architecture
First thing that pops into your head? Is it men in black turtle necks with big glasses leaning over drawing boards?.... These are the faded cliché’s. ‘Architecture’ is a broad term that typically encompasses all the services listed below and the product itself. The origin of the word is something like ‘Chief Builder’. Ironically, while we love a chance to dabble, hands on building is one thing that we don’t really do.
Interior Design
Where does Architecture stop and Interior Design Start. It is blurry in our practice and we tend to think: the blurrier the better! Depending on the scale of the project, typically our scope will include all built in elements such as joinery, internal colours/finishes, and lighting. This work requires a great deal of client communication/ understanding, specification, and detailing. At ‘Interior Decorating’ we draw a harder line to the limits of but can still offer an opinion on loose furniture and soft furnishings.
Master Planning
Master Planning can apply to a house, a school, a city. To date we have experience up the scale of a school (we’re still waiting for the call to masterplan a city). A successful Masterplan delivers a well-researched strategy for a site, delivered in stages over a proposed timeline.
To be successful, a Masterplan explores all risks and opportunities to select the best strategy. Typically a number of sub consultants will be needed to define risks and opportunities. As the lead consultant, Khab’s role in Master Planning shifts to coordination, compilation, and presentation.
Feasibility Studies
Feasibility Studies have a some overlap with Master Planning but tend to hone in on more specific outcomes. As the lead consultant, Khab may directly test design feasibility such as; Will it fit? Can it work? Will it look and feel good? For a long list of other potential feasibility issues, Khab would again take the role to coordinate and compile sub consultant input. The most typical feasibility items are cost, maintenance, structural, and approval.
User Group and Stakeholder Workshops
The development of any project done without the engagement of stakeholders and users risks missing the mark completely. Khab has experience in establishing engagement, developing briefs, and presenting proposals at several scales. We’ve done this with private residential clients, with boards, committees, congregations, and community groups…. Even pets!
Briefing/ Brief Development
Khab has collected and compiled hundreds of design briefs. We believe that an understanding of our clients and our communication of that understanding is critical to our success as Architects. If the brief isn’t right then how can the solution proposed be right?
3D Visualisation
Projects frequently start with a hand drawn perspective that quickly becomes a 3D digital model. We use this tool to test, refine, and communicate design ideas. While we can work these visualisations up to a sales and marketing level, typically they are used as an active tool to accompany the development of other documentation. We would rather sell you an idea for a whole building than just one seductive image of it.
Architectural Documentation
The most typical understanding of ‘Architectural Documentation’ are the documents required to get something approved and built. The plans (drawings) selections and the specification. Khab does not outsource delivery of these documents – we do our own CAD drafting in-house.
A broader definition of ‘Architectural Documentation’ might encompass all of the documents produced by Khab such as sketches, minutes, room data sheets, instructions, tender reports etc. etc.
Contract Administration
The documentation that Khab produces typically forms part of a contract with a builder…. They will build what’s in these documents for this cost over this amount of time. Khab will frequently administer this contract while the project is under construction. Khab does not undertake or manage the build but assesses and certifies that it has been done as agreed in the contract.
Tendering
Design Team Coordination
On the majority of projects, Khab is nominated to coordinate the design team of sub consultants. Various disciplines of engineering, Land Surveyors, Quantity Surveyors, Certifiers, Energy Assessors, and more contribute. Khab typically coordinates the engagement, timing, and assembly of all the information generated by the Design Team.