Every new house we design is bespoke, a reflection of your personal style and a response to your unique site requirements. We take the time to listen to your individual needs and solve design problems with creative solutions that enhance your lifestyle.
Our projects cover a range of styles from contemporary minimalist to rustic country and our team is big enough that we will have a designer with the skills and knowledge to deliver your style preference. We will work with the ideas that you bring and add our own specialist design intuition honed through years of hands on experience and professional development.
Paper is cheaper than stone and a thoroughly interrogated design will ensure the thousands of decisions to be made are addressed before the first shovel hits the ground. Our process will walk you through the decisions to be made in manageable steps, and we'll document selections with an eye on the overall design direction, well ahead of when orders need to be placed.
Design is seldom a linear process, instead one typically moves back and forth between the stages, allowing ideas from more detailed designs to influence and modify the overall design direction previously established. Design is where we excel and we revisit the brief throughout the project to clarify we are staying on track. Our goal is to deliver a home that will surprise and delight you for years to come.
We discuss in detail your aspirations for the project. We visit the site and evaluate opportunities, like the great view, as well as any physical constraints, like the wind. We’ll help you better understand all the options your site can accommodate, the legal requirements you need to fulfil, which may eliminate some assumptions and clarify your vision. We also prepare a detailed written brief to confirm your requirements.
Design is where we excel. Sketch plans are drawn up based on the brief and we combine your ideas with our design input and the site constraints.
At this stage we explore how problems identified in the brief may be solved. Depending on the budget for the concept plan, this may include a 3D computer rendition of how your new home will look. Sometimes the concept plan requires little modification to get to where you want, or we may find parts of the brief are incompatible and require more work to resolve complex issues.
It's in this phase we really interrogate the design and your budget to get the best outcome for you. Sometimes we nail it 100% in the first cut of the concept plan, sometimes the initial concept and cost estimate may help clarify where opportunities are and where compromise may be needed. We have the ability to modify the design to suit the budget. Where there’s options on how to resolve conflicts in the brief we’ll work with you to find the best solution. At the end of this stage the big decisions on claddings will be made, the interior structural walls and the building exterior will be fully resolved. You'll have a 3D virtual model to explore and see how awesome your new home will be.
This phase involves the development of the approved preliminary design to a greater level of detail and incorporates briefing of other consultants like structural engineers. A design thoroughly interrogated in this stage will ensure the thousands of decisions to be made are addressed before the first shovel hits the ground. Materials and finishes will be selected and presented to you for final approval and resource consent issues will be addressed.
This phase involves the preparation of detailed working drawings and specifications from the approved developed design including input from other consultants to a level that will form the basis for an application for a building consent, tendering and negotiation of a building contract and enable construction work to commence.
This phase involves a range of administrative and contract procedures required to manage tendering and negotiation of a building contract and the commencement of construction. We ensure tenderers all have the same information and the process is fair.
This phase involves the contractural and financial administration of the contract and includes regular site visits to verify the construction work is in general accordance with the contract documents and advocate for the original design intent ensuring quality is not comprised.
We check builders claims for payment, make sure there's a written record of on site decisions, track progress, and manage any variations in the course of construction.
The environmental impact of construction is an ongoing concern within the discipline of architecture and at Hurley Architects we advocate for sustainable design in our work. Green Design principles are integral to the central concept of each and every project we work on.
We have been working in house to create a sustainable design framework for our projects. This includes looking at the environmental impact of the materials we use; passive design informing site orientation and roof overhangs and ways of reducing the carbon footprint involved in running the building, through appropriate insulation levels and ventilation.
Our team has the skills to deliver a project with these sustainable practices inherent in our design, hence we offer the following services:
Home Star-accredited assessment and design through the NZGBC (New Zealand Green Building Council)
Green Star assessment and design through the NZGBC
Jann Hurley is an accredited Green Star professional. Green Star is a rating system that evaluates the design, construction and fit out of commercial buildings.
Elizabeth Cotter is an accredited Home Star assessor. Annaliese Mirus, Mishori Dunraj are qualified Home Star Designers. Home Star is a rating tool run by the New Zealand Green Building Council which certifies the ‘health, efficiency and sustainability of New Zealand homes.’ Our Home Star accredited assessments can be carried out through both the design and build phases. This means that the assessment can be done after a home is constructed, whether it is designed by our team or not.
The Home Star rating system ranges from 6-10 Stars; most homes in New Zealand are below the minimum 6 Star rating, even if the house is a new build. A house built to minimum code does not ensure effective moisture control and insulation levels whereas a 6 Star or above ensures the home is well insulated, creating a warmer home in winter and cooler in summer, which in the long term can reduce electricity and water bills.
Home Star assessments rating 6 or higher can also attract up to a 1% reduction in your home loan rate depending on the bank.
Home Star rewards practical design solutions to maximise energy efficiency. These may include simple ideas such as site positioning to maximise sunlight, and window placement to control solar heat gain. Consequently, designing a Home Star accredited home does not require extensive additional costs or a complex design to achieve the 6 star rating.
