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Focal Building Design Render

Custom Home Designs & Renovations

Focal Building Design is a leading building design studio located on the Gold Coast. Whether you need a custom home design or a renovation, we provide personalised services that are tailored to your specific needs. We create beautiful and innovative designs that bring your vision to life. 

Experience the magic of Focal Building Design, where your inspiration becomes a stunning reality. As a passionate and experienced building designer on the Gold Coast, I, Michael Watson, am here to turn your vision into a reality. Let's work together on your dream design!

Meet the Designer

Michael Watson |

10+ Years Experience

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Contact us

Focal Building logo

© 2024 . Focal Building Design

Email: michael@focalbuildingdesign.com.au

Phone: 0455 160 544

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  • What services does a Building Designer provide?
    We offer a wide range of design services, including residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. Our services cover everything from conceptual design and space planning to detailed certification drawings, and construction documentation to achieve build approval for any type of project.
  • How do I start working with you?
    You can get started by contacting us through our website or by phone. We’ll schedule an initial consultation to discuss your project, understand your needs, and develop a tailored design plan. Once we’ve discussed your vision, we’ll provide you with a detailed proposal. Upon accepting and paying the nominated deposit amount, we can commence with initial concepts.
  • Do you provide 3D renderings of the designs?
    Yes! We offer high-quality 3D renderings and visualisations to help bring your project to life. This allows you to visualise your space before construction begins. You will also be provided a BIMx model of your design where you can fly through your project on the computer, ipad, or phone. Giving a more life like perspective before any construction commences!
  • How much does it cost to hire a building designer?
    The cost of hiring a building designer varies depending on the scope and complexity of the project. We offer personalised quotes after discussing the details of your project during the initial consultation.
  • Can you help with obtaining permits for construction?
    Yes, we can assist with securing the necessary permits and approvals required for your project. We are well-versed in local building codes and regulations, and we’ll help ensure your project complies with all legal requirements. For the approval process we deal daily with external consultants such as; town planners, private certifiers, engineers, energy efficiency assessors just to name a few. To ensure a complete and effortless experience with us, we not only recommend external consultants not only that we trust, but we know will have your projects best interests at heart.
  • How long will my project take to complete?
    Project timelines vary depending on the size and complexity of the design. After our initial consultation, we will provide you with a project timeline that outlines the various stages, from concept to completion.
  • Can I make changes to the design during the process?
    Absolutely! We understand that your vision may evolve over time. We offer flexibility in making adjustments to the design throughout the process to ensure the final result meets your expectations.
  • Will you work with my builder or refer any builders for our projects?
    We're happy to collaborate with your chosen builder or refer any builders if you are yet to decide. The great thing about approaching us for your custom design is that you are 100% the owner of the plans we provide you. You can have them built by whomever you choose and please. This negates any potential issues down the track if you were to have your design completed where you didn't have ownership to them and wanted to explore different avenues to have it built.
  • Do you work on projects outside of my local area?
    While we primarily work within a specific geographic area and being based out of the Gold Coast, we are open to taking on projects outside of our usual location. We are definitely able to work remotely on projects and don't necessarily need in person meetings or site visits. With the use of phone conversations, video conferences, and emailing correspondence, this can be more than enough to be able to provide our service to you. Please contact us for more information about our ability to work in your area.
  • Can I see examples of your past work?
    Definitely! We have a portfolio of completed projects available on our website and social media's. Feel free to browse through to see examples of our work and the types of designs we specialise in. We can also send through further examples as necessary to further showcase our service!
  • Do you offer design for small-scale projects?
    Yes, we work on projects of all sizes, from small home renovations/additions to large scale residential and commercial buildings. No project is too big or too small for our team!
  • What is your design process from start to finish?
    Our design process is structured to ensure a smooth, collaborative, and successful project. Here’s how it works as a general process, which may alter to suit the project: Initial Consultation: We begin with a conversation to understand your vision, goals, budget, and timeline. This is a key step where we gather all the necessary information about your project, whether it's residential, commercial, or other types of design. At this point we identify any planning or design issues that can arise with your project and then put a step by step process from start to finish. Giving you a snap shot into what you can expect from design to building approval process. From there we can formulate a fee proposal and begin our design! Site Analysis and Feasibility Study: When required, we attend a site visit to assess the location, conditions, and surrounding environment. This can also include a site measure of any existing structures for a renovation project and gather any further information. Conceptual Design: Based on the information gathered, we develop an initial concept. This includes rough floor plans, initial basic 3D perspectives, mood boards, and preliminary ideas to help you visualise the direction we’re heading in. Design Development: Once we’ve agreed on the general concept, we refine the design. We’ll develop floor plans, elevations, and 3D visualisations. This stage often involves some back-and-forth with you to ensure we’re aligning with your expectations. Final Design and Certification Issue Drawings: After refining the design, we create the final, detailed drawings and documents. This is when you’ll see the complete vision come to life in a full set of plans. Once the design is finalised, we can help achieve building approval for you and provide a consulting service where we engage and liaise with external consultants to keep on progressing the design through to building approval. Construction Phase: Once the approval is granted, we then leave it with yourself and your builder to complete the construction of the project. There may be times when your builder will have questions about the plans or any further construction detailing being required. We are more than happy to assist with any questions during the construction.
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