The Barefoot process incorporates concept, preliminary, developed, detailed and construction design phases. It is an evolutionary process developed from your objectives. There can be substantial changes within each stage because buildings today are complex in all facets: form, structure, services, etc. But first, we begin with a conversation…
Stage 1
1
Discovery
meeting.
The discovery meeting is a crucial stage that sets the foundation for the entire project. It is a collaborative session involving various stakeholders; homeowners, architects, builders, and other consultants.
Stage 2
2
Concept
Design.
This phase of the project is all about interpreting the design brief. We tell you what we think you’ve told us in a document so that everything can be confirmed. Then, we translate that design brief into two to three concept design options to get a feel for where you want to go.
Stage 3
3
Developed
Design.
Here, we are developing the concept design into something further: claddings, roof and walls, colour schemes on the exterior of the building. We present two to three options and sometimes, they are combined to produce a building you are happy with.
Stage 4
4
Detailed
Design.
This is where we draw all the little junctions on the building, where anything interfaces with something else. Window and cladding junctions, penetrations, flashings, structural connections and the like; 50-100 construction details depending on the complexity of the building. Here, we are working on an air-tight and thermal bridge-free construction details.
Stage 5
5
Project
Realisation.
This part of the process ensures everything happens when it should and involves tendering to contractors and contract negotiations. We recommend appropriately skilled and experienced passive house builders for you to choose from, or you are welcome to choose and use your own.
1
The first step is the discovery meeting, a crucial stage that sets the foundation for the entire project. It is a collaborative session involving various stakeholders; homeowners, architects, builders, and other consultants. It’s about understanding the project’s goals, requirements, constraints, and design preferences. It is essential in laying out the roadmap for creating a highly energy-efficient and comfortable living space.
The Barefoot team will visit and photograph the site, taking 360-degree panoramic pictures. We’ll take our compass to get the site’s orientation and look at the neighbourhood to check the aesthetics. Some clients already have a geotechnical report or surveyor information, so if they’re available, we’ll look; if not, we can advise on what might be needed to start the project.
When designing houses in New Zealand, much of the required input is centred around what you want. We provide a broad spectrum of architectural styles so that we can discover what you are looking for aesthetically and how you want the building to work for you.
It’s a good idea to bring your ideas and likes; we want to get an idea of what you like architecturally – your style. A mood board is especially helpful when using magazines and/or clippings; others will use Pinterest, ArchiPro, or a collection of pictures they’ve seen online. These are often related to the exterior form and claddings and then follows the interior design ideas such as joinery. It all feeds into the mood of the house.
One of the most important questions is ‘how’. How are you going to use the building? Because grandparents who have their grandchildren visiting are different from a young family with three kids, which is different again to a professional couple. This leads to usability – how many living areas and bedrooms, is the primary suite split from other rooms, is it open plan?
All this information brings us to the beginning of defining a design brief.
2
Concept / Preliminary
Design.
This phase of the project is all about interpreting the design brief. We tell you what we think you’ve told us in a document so that everything can be confirmed. Then, we translate that design brief into two to three concept design options to get a feel for where you want to go. We only produce a simple 3D model, a rough outline of the shapes, window sizes and locations, boxes, and rooflines.
Some sites have restrictions from the Resource Management Act; there might be technical engineering (stormwater, overland flow, drainage requirements, leech field, septic systems, traffic engineers, structural engineers) conditions on the site, structural (like retaining walls).
Then, we develop a floor plan from the box shape you like the best. There’s a little bit of chicken and egg in this process; box shape and floor plan can be changed to work together throughout the process. Location of bedroom, bathroom, living, media, kitchen, garage, etc. and how those rooms would flow.
This is where you can make changes, such as room sizes. Once the floor plan is approved, we’ll develop the outside shape, the rooflines, and the window positions.
Approvals are required step-by-step, and we finish with a blank model. This is where we do our preliminary thermal modelling. It gives an expectation of how much heating energy will be required. Windows (widths, head, and sill heights) and roof overhangs (project or reduce roof eaves) can be manipulated to affect the energy result.
We’re now one-third of the way through the design – this has included ‘concept design’ and ‘preliminary design’. The basic building blocks of the project are defined in general terms, and the project should be clearly defined.
3
Developed
Design.
Here, we are developing the concept design into something further: roof and wall claddings and colour schemes onto the exterior of the building. We present two to three options, and sometimes, they are combined to produce a building you are happy with.
We then begin the interior renderings of certain rooms based on the discovery meeting so you can see what the inside will look like. At the same time, other plans and elevations for building consent are going on in the background, such as drainage, lighting, electrical, floor coverings, and walls. The energy modelling is being refined to include insulation requirements, the thickness of the walls and floor slab, glazing types and getting more accuracy on the energy result.
There is an amazing amount of work going into this phase to coordinate with all involved in the project and introduce other consultants’ information. Now that the basic interior and exterior are done, we produce floor plans, elevations, and the energy plan.
4
Detailed
Design.
This is the most time-consuming and, therefore, most expensive part. It’s where we draw all the little junctions on the building, where anything interfaces with something else. Window and cladding junctions, penetrations, flashings, structural connections and the like; 50-100 construction details depending on the complexity of the building.
It informs the builder how to build the building.
Here, we are working on an air-tight and thermal bridge-free construction. These are places where the heat can leak from the inside to the outside and vice versa. Ideally, our goal is to eliminate as many thermal bridges as possible. Our hands-on construction experience allows us to produce practical and buildable designs. We’ll incorporate additional information from other consultants and engineers and produce a detailed specification document. At this point, we’ll begin obtaining the building consent.
The building consent process usually involves a back-and-forth with the Council to answer their questions and make alterations to get the consent required. But generally, with new builds, not many changes are required, and the new build Council assessors tend to respect our qualifications and experience; they’ll ask us about it first.
‘Passive House Standard’ stands for quality, comfort and low energy and is arguably the world’s most rigorous quality assurance standard for energy-efficient buildings. Passive House will be an integral part of the building for climate change response, to deliver carbon-zero buildings to New Zealand in line with the government’s objectives. We supply the design drawings to the Passive House Certifier, and there is another back-and-forth to ensure compliance.
5
Project
Realisation.
This part of the process ensures everything happens when it should and involves tendering to contractors. We recommend appropriately skilled and experienced passive house builders for you to choose from, or you are welcome to choose and use your own.
We provide tender analysis – comparing the tenders to ensure we compare apples to apples with the prices received. We’ll even draw up the contracts and facilitate the contract agreement between you and the builder.
We administer the contract, ensuring the specific T&Cs are met and observe construction. We visit the site regularly and ensure that the building work is per the documents, plans, details, and consents and of adequate quality. For example, we perform blower door testing, which is part of a passive house process – it’s the quality assurance check of the construction from an air-tight point of view and checks like this happen throughout the building process and at completion.
At the end of the project management, we ensure all the documentation is in order and obtain any further information about the construction (including all the relevant photographs) to confirm the building matches the plans. We get a declaration from the builder and send it all to the Passive House Certifier to obtain the Passive House certification. Once approved, you can install this plaque on your new home. We’ll also apply for a code compliance certificate (CCC) from your local council for the building.
