Drawings and documentation – the foundations of a successful project
A beautiful home or building doesn’t happen by accident – it is the end result of a process that begins with a carefully-prepared set of documentation.
If you haven’t built before you may not know what goes into a set of documentation – it’s much more than the set of ‘blueprints’ that you’ll see rolled under the architect’s arm in the movies. We’ve put this page together to outline the different types of documentation you may come across in your project – what they are, who they are prepared form, why they are important, and what processes we have in place to ensure they are prepared both efficiently and with necessary care.
So why is good documentation important? Well, it’s the only way that your ‘idea’ will get built. No matter how good a design is, if it can’t be communicated to clients, builders and councils then it will never make it off paper.
Concept drawings
End user: You
This is the first stage of each project. Our architects and technicians are expert at taking your brief and preparing an initial concept that is presented in whatever way you find easiest to understand. Documentation at this stage is more about the ‘idea’ – drawings aren’t detailed, which means they are quick to prepare and easily changed. We will also make use of 3D computer modelling, which is a helpful tool for clients who can’t read plans. The finished output of this stage is a basic plan and a simple written outline of the construction materials that can be used by a quantity surveyor or builder to prepare an estimate of the construction cost – it’s better to know this information at an early stage before you move on to the next stages.
Developed design drawings
End user: You, other consultants
This is when we start getting into a bit more detail. We’ll work with you to fine-tune aspects of the design such as room sizes, window layouts etc. We will also use our technical skills to make decisions about the best materials and construction methods so we know how everything is going together. The output of this stage is a set of preliminary drawings that are developed far enough for us to begin having discussions with other consultants such as structural engineers.
Resource consent drawings
End user: Council, you, and maybe your neighbours
A resource consent may be required where there is a breach of planning rules. This may include height limits, boundary setbacks, site coverage and other factors relating to the zoning of your property. Generally these drawings well relate more to the bulk and location of the building – roof heights, window locations, ground levels – rather than detailed information about how it is built. Once a resource consent is approved it is difficult to make changes to the design, so it is important that these drawings are prepared carefully to ensure that there aren’t any subsequent changes that may affect compliance, and that we have detailed information from surveyors about the original ground levels on the site. It is also critical that these drawings clearly and accurately show the extent of any breaches to neighbours so that they can fully understand how they may be affected when they decide whether to give their approval.
Detailed drawings
End user: Council, contractor, you
This is what you’re likely thinking of as the ‘plans’ that are used to build your home. This is what we spend most of our time doing, and we pride ourself on preparing clear and detailed drawings. So what are they for, and why is it so important to invest in high quality documentation?
Well there are three main reasons that clear documentation is important. The first one is obvious – they’re used to tell the builder exactly how to build your home, and to ensure that everything is done exactly as intended. Again, good buildings don’t happen by accident, and if you want your home to look well designed and beautifully detailed then you’ll need to ensure that this is conveyed clearly to your builder.
The second use of drawings is to obtain building consent – they need to be detailed enough to show your council how the building is going to be built, with a particular focus on the construction details related to weathertightness and moisture. Clear and detailed drawings will help avoid consenting delays, and can give you confidence that your home will be built to comply with the building code requirements.
The third reason that drawings are important is that they will form part of the contract between you and your builder, so it is essential that they clearly communicate exactly what you are signing up for, and what scope of work is expected. A cheap set of drawings can be false economy if it leads to costly overruns on site, either because contractors are asked to undertake work that wasn’t shown in the documentation, or if poorly thought through details require rework or stoppages.
Consultants’ drawings
End user: Contractor, council
In addition to architectural drawings, most projects will include some documentation for consultants that is to be read in conjunction with our drawings. This may include documentation by structural engineers relating to foundations or steelwork, kitchen and joinery plans from interior designers, and plans from landscape architects. It is important that all of this information is included in consent application where it requires building consent, and that is it issued to the contractor where it forms part of the contract works. It is important to ensure that consultants’ drawings are coordinated with our architectural drawings to ensure that there are no conflicts with things like steel beam locations, plumbing, etc.
Specifications
End user: Contractor, council
A written specification covers all the information that is too detailed to go on the drawings. It can include detailed selections of materials, fixings and finishes, as well as a very detailed instructions about how each part of the building is to be installed. They tend to be very long documents, and while much of the information is standardised (it would take much too ling to write an entire specification from scratch), it is important that the information that is specific to your project is easy to see. We have developed an in-house specification system that is designed to make it easier for builders to read and find the relevant information – it’s probably going too far to say that they love reading it, but by making it clear and easy to read it can better serve its purpose as a useful part of the construction documentation.
Construction contracts
End user: Contractor, you
A construction contract is an essential part of a building project, and in most cases there is a legal requirement to have one in place. For most projects we recommend one of several construction contracts developed by Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects, and there are options available both for us to administer the contract for you, or you can run it yourself without our involvement. We usually recommend the former unless you have prior experience with building projects.
