m4 Architects
We are a progressive practice that provides exciting innovative design solutions giving clients a sense of individual identity and pride.
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From the moment we become a part of your project, you can be assured M4 Architects are fully invested in realising your vision and seeing your project through to completion. We consider it a privilege to work alongside you and utilise our expertise to bring your project to life.
You have a property and an intention, now it is time to explore both, define project parameters, and hone in on the essence of the design. Our design process begins with a site visit to gain the lay of the land, and to observe the sun and wind directions, access points and much more. We will listen intently to your desires and goals, to find out what is most important to you. It is at this stage that we discuss and define the project brief, by consulting with you on your needs, budget and style.
Once we have visited the site and following initial consultations with you, the next step is for us to put pen to paper. We will sketch preliminary designs and floor plans for your perusal and feedback in order to explore possibilities, clarify your vision, and establish a working draft that gets you excited.
Following our initial concept drawings and continued collaboration with you, our draught persons will convert your design into a detailed architectural design or CAD (Computer Aided Design) concept to produce an accurate site plan of interiors and exteriors. We will check this detailed design against local building regulations to amend any discrepancies. We will also review projected costs and budget with you, and offer alternative cost-effective solutions if required.
We offer state of the art 3D Rendering, allowing you take a virtual reality ‘walk-through’ of your new build-to-be. Using the latest in virtual technology, you will be able to walk around a 3D model of your build and gain a feel for the space well before it becomes a physical reality, allowing you to request modifications to the detailed design accordingly. This service may be beneficial to clients whose construction projects involve multiple stakeholders and/or investors.
Once we have a detailed design in place, our team will consult with all relevant experts, such as geotechnical and structural engineers to finalise the design specifications. The architectural plans are then finalised and prepared for submission to council for consents and permits and, once approved by council, to the construction team to follow. These are what we call ‘working drawings’.
M4 Architects are familiar with the buildings consents process and have good relationships with local council. We are able to handle all the building and resource consents, earthwork permits et cetera for your build with expertise and efficiency.
M4 Architects can observe and monitor the construction process by regularly visiting the site and communicating with contractors. We can actively observe all construction work to ensure that your build goes according to plan, monitor budget and time-frames to give you honest estimations, and advise on non-structural design improvements as construction progresses.
From coastal residencies that feel like home and lifestyle villages for seniors, to business premises, office buildings and fit-outs, regional council buildings and public amenities, our comprehensive experience in new constructions, firm connections with local industry professionals, and extensive regional knowledge, makes us the ideal choice for clients worldwide desiring high-quality, innovative Northland-based architecture.
How to add structures to an existing build and make them appear as if they always belonged? This is the question that M4 Architects is able to answer with experience, expertise and imagination.
We approach renovation projects with a delicate touch, knowledge of local building regulations, attention to budget and sensitivity to desired completion dates. Our commercial refurbishment experience includes office fit-outs and hospital wings, and we are equally practised at repurposing and updating residential spaces to integrate the charm of the old with the functionality of the new.
Allow us to project manage your build with our construction observation services. We will visit the site regularly and communicate with contractors to keep tabs on costs and timelines to give you accurate progress reports. We are also happy to advise you as desired on non-structural design improvements as building progresses.
Our initial meetings are great for sharing information and discussing your vision for your project. Creating a project brief is about defining what you want and how you want to live. Chances are this has been rolling around in your head for some time, but we need to get it on paper and make it real!
Sketching ideas - This stage is exciting! We begin to shape and explore what your new home will look like! Using all the information gathered in the Pre-Design stage & the Brief stage, we start to generate a couple of different design options for you. These will normally be in the form of hand sketched floor plans.
Refining the Sketches and adding more design detail.
If you have a builder in mind, they may be able to advise estimated building costs at this point. Your builder may require more detailed drawings to get a more accurate estimate. To provide more details drawings to your builder, the plans and documents will need to be more advanced.
This stage combines all the information about the project into a detailed set of drawings and specifications that will be used by Council for your Building Consent Application and by your builder for construction.
A Structural Engineer is usually a must on most projects. The extent of engineering is dependent on your site and the final design of your home, we will give advice on this during the design stages. The Engineer is to prepare Structural Engineering Designs as required to suit the Developed Design.
Engineering design and details are usually prepared by the Structural Engineer as an independent set of documentation, alternatively, the Engineer can provide hand drawn sketches of details to us and we can convert these to computer drawn details and incorporate them within our working drawing set.
All the information is compiled - drawings, specifications, reports and forms. We get it all together and submit the application to Council.
Finally, after all the design discussions, planning and Council dealings, you are now ready to turn your dream home into a reality!