Question 1

What is Placement’s process?

Accepted Answer

At Placement, our work is driven by respect for people, communities, and the environment. Every project begins with listening and learning, so we can reflect your aspirations and values in the design. We see ourselves as storytellers and take great responsibility in shaping spaces that reflect both history and future potential.

Our process is divided into three key phases:
Phase 1: Early Works - We explore your vision, needs, and site context.
Phase 2: Documentation & Permits - We develop detailed designs and secure approvals.
Phase 3: Contract Administration - We manage the build to bring your project to life.

We value collaboration and are committed to quality. Each project is overseen by a director, with the remaining team providing collaborative support ensuring smooth communication and swift decision-making, especially at critical moments.

Though we're a boutique studio, we employ formal project management methodologies from larger scale practice to deliver a clear roadmap from start to finish. Our team includes multiple registered architects, including a Passive House designer, and we’re dedicated to ongoing learning to stay ahead of industry standards.

At the start of every project, we assess your priorities and match the right team members to each phase so your project gets exactly what it needs, every step of the way, making us well-equipped to deliver fit-for-purpose solutions that meet specific needs of each project.

Question 2

How much does a new build or renovation cost?

Accepted Answer

The factors determining build cost are the project size and quality, and we will always advocate for quality over quantity.

Recent renovation projects have cost $4,000-$6,500/sqm, and additions and new builds have cost $7,000 - $10,000/sqm.

Question 3

Why should we engage an Architect?

Accepted Answer

Many of our clients understand the value of architecture before they approach us, but the three key components of the value of the work we offer are:

1. Quality design
Details matter to our clients and to us. Each design is unique and tells a personal story of our time together; where we are now and where we hope to be. The long-term comfort, ease and delight is paramount to us.

2. Steady hands 
Our expert team and thorough processes ensure projects smoothly progress. We do heavy lifting up front to minimise risk and gain trust early from our clients and collaborators with our calm and considered style. The architectural journey with us is efficient and enjoyable and one many clients return to, time and time again.

3. Return on investment
Various results suggest that the long-term financial value of an architecturally designed home is higher than a non-architect designed home. The University of Melbourne and Architeam conducted further research into this, read about it here and here.

Question 4

Why should my project be Passivhaus standard?

Accepted Answer

Passivhaus requires buildings to achieve approximately 70% less energy consumption than an equivalent NCC compliant building, and costs between 6% and 10% more to deliver. With tangible outcomes delivered via drastically lower running costs and helping reduce the impacts of climate change, more intangible benefits such as occupant comfort, health and wellbeing are also achieved.

Question 5

How do you manage the budget and stay on track?

Accepted Answer

We take pride in building projects, not just designing them, therefore budget management is a crit­i­cal com­po­nent of our process to ensure we are deliv­er­ing fea­si­ble and innovative solu­tions.

Alongside regular and transparent conversation with our clients, budget discussions are woven through our process whereby we consult with quantity surveyors, builders through ECI models, in-house cost estimates and cross checks with live and historical projects so to avoid price shocks. This gives the clients confidence in an area that can feel risky. Critical information is delivered in a respectful and methodical manner to ensure priorities are maintained and energy and confidence throughout the service and beyond remains high.

Question 6

Do you have builders that you recommend?

Accepted Answer

We have a selection of builders whom we have worked with suc­cess­ful­ly over many years. We typ­i­cal­ly rec­om­mend a builder based on a best fit for the skill set, per­son­al­i­ty or bud­get for the project.

For most projects, we typ­i­cal­ly pre­fer to engage with a builder for Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) which means they are consulted with earlier on in the project to refine details and budget expectations. This ensures that an innovative design vision is appreciated, and a high-quality result can be delivered seamlessly on site.

We are always hap­py to intro­duce new rec­om­mend­ed con­trac­tors into our pre­ferred group, fol­low­ing a process of due dili­gence to under­stand their   com­pe­ten­cies and fit for the spe­cif­ic project.

Question 7

How do you charge fees?

Accepted Answer

Our fees are tailored to suit each client’s needs and budget, whether full architectural services or something more streamlined. We aim to strike the right balance between affordability and quality.

Fees are based on the size and complexity of your project, reflecting the time, detail, and drawings needed to deliver the high standard we’re known for.

We break down the total fee across the stages of the project. If your construction budget changes, we adjust the fee accordingly. Invoices are issued monthly, based on the progress of the current stage.

Percentage
Typically, applicable with full services where the scope and timeline is clearly defined, percentage fees are related to the scope and construction budget and vary between 5%-25% of the construction cost/estimate.

Fixed fees
Fixed fees are applicable often to reduced architectural services like interior or furniture design where the scope, quality and deliverables are more or less constrained.

Hourly Rates 
Hourly rates are nominated where our time is not easily quantifiable nor in our control - i.e. during:
— Town Planning stage
— Contractor Selection 
— Building Permit