UNDERSTANDING DESIGN GUIDELINES PROCESS
Understanding the Design Guidelines process takes into consideration the preparation of overarching design guidelines for the subject area as well as putting them into practice. Design guidelines for the subject area should be, in the context of Victorian house design, improvement to what Residential Code (Res Code) is already prescribing.
For this reason, we created a program and a process that delivers design, application, supervisions, management, and improvement feedback to both client and counsel.
QUICK PLANS is a software program for builders and developers to better communicate plans checking process.
FEATURES
- a user-friendly web-based interface
- and efficient and streamlined service
- central storage of communications and submitted/approved building plans
- real-time automated reporting
- links to on-line resources
Design Matrix presents:
Quick Plans Design Review process with the difference.
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In review, the current process at best applies local standards, design requirements for the subject area, and delivery on site. Our program delivers easy to use and understand data input and project checking, compiles data entry, and creates feedback for improvement or flag to be raised with the local council.
The existing process has the following steps:
- Preparation of Design Guidelines
- Plans of Subdivision
- Memorandum of Common Provisions
- The signing of the builder’s engagement form
Current steps
- The builder has to check/revise plans against above
- Plans are then sent to the developer/company/architect
- Check and review need to be sent back as a written response
- The architect creates a letter /conclusion
- Dispensation (?)
- Letter review and change of plans on average 3-4 times
- Receipt of the approved letter
- Scanned plans are sent back to the builder as well as to be archived
- Developer issues a sign off on their letterhead
Current participants in the process:
- Land Developer / Syndicate,..
- Builder
- Owner /Purchaser
- Designers
- Architects-plan checkers
- Council
THE UNIQUE OFFER OF QUICK PLANS IS:
Simplified path to Quick Plan approvals. Money-saving through one place of contact. A better understanding of the Design Guidelines process.
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OUR DESIGN REVIEW SOLUTION
- Create a digital builders engagement form.
- Digital submission of plans.
- Interactive Design Guidelines with checkpoints.
- Provision of statistics to continuously improve the process i.e. highest non-conformance with Design Guidelines are…
- Minimize the number of participants in handling plans. Old practice bu others (builder/developer/service provider/architect-checker/x 3 revisions / report writing/ approval); our proposal: only Urban Designer and Building Surveyor.
- Transparency and easy tracking.