Our New Construction Design Process

Date Published: July 21, 2025

We manage the technical complexities so you can focus on your goals. This guide details our proven process, explaining what we do at each stage and—more importantly—why it's essential for the success of your project.

Step 1: Project Feasibility & Due Diligence

No ground is broken without a foundation of solid research. This initial phase is all about due diligence. We investigate every detail to ensure your project is viable, compliant, and optimized for your specific property before any significant design work begins.

What We Do:

• In-Depth Consultation: We start by understanding the unique goals of your project. Are you maximizing living space for your family? Creating a high-yield rental unit? Or developing a multi-family property? Your objectives define our design parameters.
• Comprehensive Zoning, Bylaw, and DPA Analysis: This is one of the most critical steps. We conduct a forensic review of the local municipality's zoning bylaws and Official Community Plan. This tells us the non-negotiable rules for your lot, including setbacks, height restrictions, Floor Area Ratio (FAR), and lot coverage. Crucially, we also determine if your property falls within a Development Permit Area (DPA), which may have special requirements for:
  • Hazardous conditions like wildfire zones or stepped land.
  • Protection of the natural environment for properties near watercourses or other sensitive ecosystems.
• Thorough Site Analysis: A building must respond to its environment. We analyze property surveys for easements, covenants, and rights-of-way. We also coordinate a geotechnical report to understand the soil conditions, which is essential for a safe and cost-effective foundation design and for determining the optimal location and depth for a basement. In parallel, we perform a sun path analysis to strategically design windows, decks, and living spaces for optimal daylight and energy efficiency. If there are significant trees on or near the property, we identify if an arborist report is required to assess their health and ensure compliance with municipal tree protection bylaws. If the property is in a DPA, our analysis will include all specific guidelines and required professional assessments.

Why this matters: This phase is about risk management. It prevents costly redesigns, eliminates surprises during the permit review, and ensures we are designing a building that is legally compliant from the very beginning.

Step 2: Collaborative Architectural Design

With the rules of the game clearly defined, we begin the creative and collaborative process of designing your building. This stage is a partnership, translating your goals and our findings into a thoughtful, functional design.

Key Activities:

• Schematic Floor Plan Development: We draft layouts for every level. For a custom home, this means perfecting the flow of daily life. For a multiplex, it involves designing efficient, comfortable, and independent units that maximize rental value and livability.
• Exterior Elevation & Massing Design: We design the building's exterior, creating elevations for all sides. We carefully consider the building's massing, rooflines, and style to ensure it is aesthetically pleasing and respects the neighbourhood context, all while adhering to height and setback rules.
• Built-in Client Feedback: The design process is iterative. Our contracts include dedicated hours for your review, allowing you to provide feedback and request adjustments until the layout and look are exactly right.

Step 3: Immersive 3D Visualization

It's essential to experience a space before you commit to building it. Our 3D visualization services make this possible, providing an invaluable tool for confident decision-making.

• 3D Model & Virtual Walk-Through: We build a complete 3D model of your project. We'll send you a link to a virtual tour, allowing you to walk through every room, check sightlines, and understand the building's scale and flow. For multiplexes, you can tour each individual unit.

Why this matters: A 3D model moves your project from abstract lines on a page to a tangible space. It helps everyone—from homeowners to investors—visualize the end result and make crucial design decisions with confidence.

Step 4: The Technical Building Permit Blueprint

With the design approved, we create the highly detailed technical drawings that form the core of your building permit application and serve as the instruction manual for your contractor.

• Detailed Cross-Sections: These drawings slice through the building to show its construction from the foundation up. They detail the structural system, building envelope assembly, insulation values (RSI), and how all the layers work together.
• Critical Code & Construction Details: The plans include specific details for all requirements of the BC Building Code. For multiplexes, this is especially critical and includes designs for fire separations between suites and wall assemblies that meet Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings for occupant privacy.

Step 5: Navigating the Permit Process

Submitting for a building permit involves much more than just handing in drawings. It's a process of technical coordination and communication, and we guide you through every step.

• Expert Consultant Coordination: All new builds require a team of professionals. We delegate our drawings to the required Structural Engineer, Geotechnical Engineer, and Certified Energy Advisor (CEA). We then act as the central coordinator, seamlessly integrating their stamped reports and designs into your final permit package.

• Application Support: While you submit the application, we make the process easier by helping you fill out the necessary forms, providing direct responses or recommendations to city inquiries, and assisting with any required documentation.

• Revisions Are Part of the Process: It is standard for a city's plan reviewer or an engineer to provide comments. Our service includes revising our drawings to address these technical requirements, ensuring a clear path to permit approval without unexpected fees.

  Our 5-Step Process at a Glance

  This table provides a clear overview of our new build process, outlining the essential activities and the key deliverable you receive at each stage.

  Step	Key Activities	Primary Deliverable
  1. Feasibility & Due Diligence	Zoning & DPA analysis, site analysis (geotechnical, survey), budget & goals consultation.	A Clear Project Foundation & Feasibility Report
  2. Architectural Design	Schematic floor plan design, exterior elevation concepts, client feedback sessions.	Conceptual Design & Floor Plans
  3. 3D Visualization	Creating a detailed 3D model and providing a virtual walk-through of all spaces.	Immersive & Interactive 3D Model
  4. Permit Blueprint	Drafting technical drawings, structural systems, and BC Building Code details (fire, sound).	Permit-Ready Technical Drawings
  5. Permit Navigation	Coordinating all engineers (Structural, Geo, CEA), application support, city revisions.	Approved Building Permit

Post-Permit: Construction Support

Our role can continue even after the permit is issued. To ensure the design vision is executed correctly, we offer post-permit services on an hourly basis.

• Construction Consultation: We can provide professional guidance to you or your builder to clarify details and resolve questions that arise on the construction site.
• Quantity Take-Offs: We can assist with material quantification, helping with budgeting and ordering of key components like framing, concrete, and structural elements.