Four Walls Architecture Provides The Full Service When Building A House

As we learnt in the news this week, Building and Housing Minister Nick Smith has asked his officials to consider expanding the current list of exemptions for gaining building consents that would allow licensed building practitioners to 'self-certify' certain types of building work. “I have got my officials working on a guarantee scheme which would effectively provide a backup in the event that the builder went broke or defunct, or there was faulty building work, that the homeowner would still be protected", Smith said.

This is all very well, but nobody wants this to lead to another ‘leaky building’ crisis. As Amy Hendry of Four Walls Architecture says, “It makes much more sense to commission a qualified architect who will provide an excellent client service, comprehensive drawings, and cultivate a relationship with a builder that makes the construction smooth and quality driven”.

The Four Walls Architecture client brief is to make sound decisions about planning, form, materials and building methodology and they also have an extensive network of industry consultants who can help with very specific sustainable building design requirements. Amy and her team at Four Walls deliver excellent design, clear communication, thorough drawing and specifications and friendly, dedicated service offering a tailored service for commercial clients which is adapted and shaped according to project requirements.

Before work starts on site, Four Walls Architecture recommend the NZIA’s Standard Conditions of Contract for most projects. It is a comprehensive contract, and allows the architect to observe the work, run site meetings, issue instructions to the contractor, process their invoices, and settle any issues that arise. As Amy goes on to explain, an architect on site allays much of the workload for the client and helps the project to run smoothly.

At the end of construction, Four Walls Architecture will contractually ensure the builder fully completes the job, including fixing any faults or defects in the work, and will issue completion certificates to the contractor, and assist the client in obtaining a Code Compliance Certificate.

With this excellent communication between the builder and the architect there should be no need for any worries in the future regarding leaky buildings or any other problems. For more information please visit the website at http://www.fourwallsarchitecture.co.nz .