stage 0 - feasibility + sketch design
see clear design options, understand cost direction, and decide what’s next
Fixed fee. Clear next steps. No obligation to continue.
Sketch Design exists to remove early confusion, helping you see clear options, understand trade-offs, and make confident decisions at the right time.
You’ll see real options, compare them side by side, and gain clarity around design direction and budget range, so you can decide how to proceed.
Fixed fee. Clear next steps. No obligation to continue.
Project Possibilities is the other Stage 0 pathway, focused on site and planning feasibility to help you decide your next step.
Stage 0 is designed to explore options visually, test direction, and establish early cost understanding before moving into detailed design.
Sketch Design focuses on layout, form, and early decision-making, using floor plan layouts as the primary design tool. External elevations, 3D views, and detailed documentation are completed in later stages.
Needs are the minimum requirements your project must meet to function well, layout, rooms, connections, and essential spaces.
Wants are aspirational additions, features you’d like to include if budget allows, such as a gym, additional rooms, or higher-end elements.
As part of Sketch Design, we use this framework to create two sketch design options:
Seeing both options side by side helps visualise trade-offs and establish realistic cost ranges before committing further.
Sketch Design is a collaborative Stage 0 service that brings design and construction thinking together early. Early builder involvement helps test design decisions against real-world construction considerations, improving feasibility, buildability, and early cost alignment before committing further.
If a builder is already involved, their participation is welcomed during this stage to inform cost understanding and feasibility as the design direction develops.
If no builder has been selected yet, we can assist with identifying suitable builders and facilitating early conversations to support feasibility and next-step planning. This support is optional and discussed during the process.
By the end of Sketch Design (Stage 0), you’ll have:
For some clients, the outcome is confirming that a particular option — or even the project itself — isn’t the right fit. That clarity is still a successful result, as it avoids committing time, money, or energy to the wrong path.
These steps outline what happens once you decide to proceed with sketch design.
Book and pay securely online to begin Sketch Design. or organise a short discovery call to talk through next steps.
We’ll contact you to confirm details and organise a site visit at a suitable time.
We attend the site with you (or you can join virtually), explore your brief using a needs vs wants framework, and complete site measures where required.
Two sketch design options are prepared, each with indicative cost ranges to support comparison along with initial planning investigations.
Options are reviewed together and a preferred direction is identified.
A refined sketch design is completed, followed by a Pre-Build Feasibility outlining total estimated project costs and next steps.
Sketch Design is offered as a fixed-fee Stage 0 service, with pricing based on the total floor area of the proposed works. This applies whether the project is a new build, renovation, or addition.
Sketch Design pricing (incl. GST)
Pricing applies to sites within 90 minutes of our office locations. The final pricing tier is confirmed during booking, with any future design or documentation stages quoted separately.
Availability is limited to ensure each project receives appropriate time and attention.
No. Both are Stage 0 services suited to different starting points. Project Possibilities is for pre-purchase or very early feasibility, while Sketch Design is typically the right starting point once you have a site and are ready to explore design options.
Sketch Design includes early planning considerations to inform layout and feasibility. Planning requirements can evolve, and additional constraints may emerge as the project progresses. Formal documentation and approvals are completed in later stages.
No. Sketch Design focuses on early layout exploration and direction-setting only.
Detailed documentation, elevations, 3D views, and consultant coordination are completed in subsequent stages once a clear direction is established.
Yes. Sketch Design is particularly valuable for renovations and additions, where testing layout options early helps clarify priorities, constraints, and cost implications before committing further.
Sketch Design pricing is based on the project size selected at booking, which is used to allocate scope and resources for this stage.
If the project grows beyond the selected size range, pricing will be adjusted and discussed with you before proceeding. Additional changes beyond the included scope can be accommodated and billed at an hourly rate, with approval before proceeding.
At Align, we work on a fixed design fee basis. This fee is provided for your consideration at the completion of the sketch design stage and is based on the actual design and design work required.
For budgeting purposes, architectural and interior design fees are often referenced within the range of 5–10% of the construction cost, based on design complexity. Projects under $800k may sit above this range due to the fixed level of work required regardless of project value.
Following the completion of the sketch design stage, we will also outline the estimated costs for design consultants, site reports, council fees, and other project-specific costs.
