How we work: from first meeting to handover

Clients rarely ask what an architect actually does week to week, and they should. Here is our process, without jargon.

1. First meeting — no charge

We look at the site together if we can, or at photographs and the certificate if we cannot. We talk about how you live, how many people, what you cook, where the cars go, and what you are willing to spend. We are direct about budget at this stage because it determines everything after it.

2. Schematic design — 3 to 5 weeks

You receive a site plan, floor plans, sections and a simple 3D view. This is where the big decisions are made: where the house sits on the plot, where the entrance is, how many storeys. Expect two or three rounds of revision here. Changes at this stage are cheap; changes after construction starts are not.

3. Design development — 4 to 6 weeks

The scheme is resolved into something buildable. Structure is checked, services are laid out, materials are selected with real product names and real prices. You receive renders at this stage — the images you will recognise from the project pages on this site.

4. Construction documentation — 4 to 8 weeks

Full working drawings, specifications and a bill of quantities. If you are tendering to multiple contractors, this is the package that makes their prices comparable. If we are building it ourselves, this is what our site team works from.

5. Construction — varies

For the villas we have completed in Yogyakarta, construction has run eight to fourteen months. We visit site weekly and issue a written report with photographs after each visit. You will always know what was done, what it cost, and what is happening next week.

On fees

We quote a fixed fee for stages 2 to 4 based on floor area and complexity, not a percentage that grows when the budget grows. Construction is priced separately. We will put all of this in writing before you commit to anything.

If that sounds like a process you want to start, [get in touch](/en/contact/).