era | Find Your Path
Have you decided to design + build architecture, but you’re not sure how to make it happen?
There are so many options.
It can seem daunting.
F i n d a p a t h a n d a s t r a t e g y t h a t w i l l t a k e y o u t h e r e
If you are ready to begin your architecture, but the choices are overwhelming, the big questions to answer are
What is your end goal?
and
How will you achieve it?
The answers give you the direction you need to begin the steps to Find a Path to make it happen.
My little people just start creating. They jump into drawing a picture or building towers with lego without any forethought as to how it will turn out at the end of the day, and they are not hindered by the overwhelm that comes from having too many options to choose from.
They have no inhibitions!
They create their path as they go along - bashing through the undergrowth and making their path up as they go.
You might like to work out the path you’d like to take before you take too many steps forward.
Always remember that you know more than you think you do, so if you have a problem to solve, begin with what you know.
ONE | WHAT IS YOUR END GOAL
You know what you want at the end of the day.
What is your end goal? What is your purpose for the architecture you want to make?
FIRSTLY | Look at the little things you feel.
Your purpose is often a feeling more than a physical thing.
What is the first thing that pops into your head?
What are the second and third things?
What do they have in common?
SECONDLY | Ask yourself why five times.
What do you want to achieve at the end of the day? YOUR ANSWER
Then, why? And in answer to that, why? And in answer to that, why? And in answer to that, why?
This is the essence of what you want at the end of the day.
THIRDLY | What do you already know?
You know about yourself. You know about yourself in your past. You know about yourself in your present.
So what does the lifestyle of your future look like?
Ask yourself some Quick Questions
What do you like about the way you lived in your past?
What do you like about the way you live now?
How would you like to live in the future?
TWO | HOW WILL YOU ACHIEVE IT
Who will help you?
Who will help you make your architecture into a reality?
You may already have an idea for how you would like to go about designing and building your architecture.
There are a few different options.
to employ a team to help make it happen – to do everything yourself – a combination of the two
DESIGN – PUT THE INFORMATION TOGETHER
EMPLOY A TEAM TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN:
- Employ specialist consultants to design your architecture.
- Employ specialist consultants as well as contractors or tradesmen to design your architecture.
- Employ a design and construction company to design your architecture.
If you choose this option, you are choosing to have them build your architecture too.
- Purchase a pre-fabricated design.
- Purchase an ‘off-the-plan’ design from a designer.
- Purchase an ‘off-the-plan’ design from a project home builder.
If you choose this option, you are choosing to have them build your architecture too.
DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF:
- Design your own architecture
BUILD – BUILD THE REALITY
EMPLOY A TEAM TO HELP MAKE IT HAPPEN:
- Employ a contractor to build your architecture.
- Employ a design and construction company to design and construct your architecture.
- Having purchased a pre-fabricated design, you can usually either elect to have the maker put it together on your place for you, organise for someone to erect it for you or put it together yourself.
- Having purchased an ‘off-the-plan’ design from a project home builder, they will build it.
DO EVERYTHING YOURSELF:
- Be an owner builder and employ contractors or tradesmen to help you build your architecture.
- Be an owner builder and build your architecture yourself.
Regardless of which way you choose to proceed, even if you are following someone else’s process, have your own plan for how you’d like things to pan out based on the process you have chosen and stay informed so you can keep track of what is happening along the way.
Ask yourself some quick questions
What suits you? To employ a team to help make it happen? Or to do everything yourself?
Which path is right for you?
If you have prepared yourself by gathering information about your purpose, place, people, program and parts before looking at your options, you will be able to make a more informed decision that will suit you and your architecture.
The first thing to do is to look at yourself.
What are your skills?
How can you use them to help you design your architecture?
How can you use them to help you build your architecture?
What will you need other people to do?
Secondly, look at your place.
Where are you located?
Who can reach you to help you?
What is your place like? Is it accessible? Is it on a steep slope? If it is, some options won’t be applicable to you.
Who will help you design your architecture?
Have you ever worked with a draftsman, building designer or architect before?
How do you envisage them helping you?
What do you need them to make for you to help communicate your architecture to others?
What are the questions you have for them?
Who will help you build your architecture?
Have you ever worked with a builder before?
How do you envisage them helping you?
What are the questions you have for them?
work out which OPTION is best for you!
THREE | HOW WILL YOU ACHIEVE IT
What is your approval pathway?
The approval pathway you take depends on what you would like to do.
Not all of the work you would like to do will follow a formal approval pathway.
Your architecture will most likely fall into two parts:
- Minor Work
- Significant Changes
Minor Work will likely be able to be completed without a formal approval process, which means that once you have worked out what you would like to do, you can start any time!
This type of work would need to satisfy all the requirements for Exempt Development.
Significant Changes will either require
- a semi-formal approval process, which means that you will need to detail the work you would like to do in drawings and written documents, then have a building certifier confirm that they satisfy the requirements for Complying Development.
- a formal approval process, which means that you will need to detail the work you would like to do in drawings and written documents, then submit applications for Development and Construction before a Contractor helps you complete the work for your home and then a building certifier issues an Occupation Certificate when it has been completed.
The approval pathway that you take will depend on what you would like to do.
You will probably use at least two approval pathways for the work you would like to do at your home.
Exempt Development
This is for very minor work that meets certain requirements.
There are specific requirements about what you can do.
Draw or Write What You Would Like to Do + Construct it Yourself or Have a Contractor Construct it For You = Use your architecture every day!
Semi-formal Approval Pathway
This is for larger work that meets certain requirements.
There are specific requirements about what you can do.
Complying Development Certificate + Construction = Live in your architecture every day!
Formal Approval Pathway
This is for any kind of work.
You can ask the approval authority for exactly what you would like to do.
Development Application + Construction Certificate + Construction + Occupation Certificate = Live in your architecture every day!
NOTE : The above approval pathways are typically applicable for residents in NSW Australia and states with similar legislation.
Ask yourself some quick questions
What work would you like to do?
Make a list - which is minor work and which is more significant?
Which approval pathway will each piece of work take?
FOUR | FIND YOUR PATH
Your End Goal and How to Achieve It.
Everyone’s Path will vary, depending on the combination of elements within
Their End Goal
How they Want to Achieve it
So get to know each to formulate Your Path to move forward.
Even so, Your Path may fall into steps similar to the following:
Establish Your End Goal
Gather Information
Create a Big Picture Plan
Break Your Big Picture Plan into Parts
Work out How You will Achieve each Part
Who will Help You
What will be Your Approval Pathways
List Your Parts in order of Priority
Create a List of Minor Work
Create Detailed Design Layouts for Significant Work
Prepare and Submit an Application for Development Approval
Prepare and Submit an Application for Construction Approval
Prepare Documents for Construction
Obtain Quotations from Contractors
Construct Your Architecture
Live in Your Architecture Every Day!
All the best finding Your Path!
If you would like some help getting there, you can find more information
era | Find Your Path | Options for how I can help you, or how you can help yourself, Find Your Path through the process
era | the Process | A little Story connected with others, to describe the Process to Design and Build Architecture
Til next time!
Start the process to find your architectural language and make your little ideas a reality.
Click here to see the little things I have made for you, or click here if you would like to work with me one on one.