Are you ready to take the leap? Well, not so much a leap but a step into the wonderful world of sustainable design. If you are, you’re going to have to work for it. But, trust me, it’ll be worth it!You’ve come so far, you’ve read so many Home style magazines, you’re sick of the Block and finally want to create your own Grand Design. It’s time, you’re now ready for Phase Four.(Apologies in advance for the wordy break down, but the next phases require an in depth explanation.)

PHASE FOUR

Venturing out into the wonderful world of sustainable architecture and building.You’re about to enter into a world full of creativity and passion. It’s a world that is quickly becoming ‘pop culture’. Green architecture and sustainability is very much an emerging industry and those that think they know it all are worth avoiding.The key with Phase Four is to enter it with an open mind but not naivety (if you’ve done phases 1-3 properly there is no way you’re naive). The objective of this phase is to check yourself, understand if the wishlist you’re longing for is achievable or just some fantasy. - The sooner you find this out the better.It’s important to be clear and concise with your desires and expectations but also open minded to the feedback of professionals you meet.Now, the most important piece of all this is you MUST be sure the professional you’re talking to is also realistic and giving you truly honest feedback of whether or not your expectations are achievable. There’s nothing worse than spending months designing your dream sustainable home to find out it’s beyond your means. - We’ve seen too many people come to us too late in the design phase.Get your expectations clear as early as possible.

PHASE FIVE

Now it’s time to get your hands dirty, with design that is!You’re making it happen, you’re entering into design phase. This is an exciting time full of aspiration and creativity.Once you’ve delivered your project brief we get to work on designing your new home.We begin by turning your project brief into 3 alternative design options.- Because there’s no way we can get it right in just one!From these three options you choose the one you like most. Nearly every time we work with someone like you one design stands out above the others.But, there are always aspects of the other 2 designs that are great and you can’t bare to leave them out.This phase takes work from you to decipher each design, to add and subtract the parts you like and don’t like. It’s always good to get advice from family and friends who can add an objective point of view.Once you’ve gone through the designs with a fine tooth comb, it comes back to us and we meld your favourite parts into one design. We then present to you, your holy grail of dream sustainable homes.There’s often a few more tweaks to follow but these can be done while confirming selections and budget items.

PHASE SIX

Let’s break some ground!It’s time to get on site and get your project out of the ground. The first five phases take some time and done right should mean the build is a smooth and enjoyable process.You’re plans now get handed from the Design Team to the Construction Team. You’ll be introduced to your Contracts Administrator and Site Manager who will take your project from commencement to completion.The CA and SM are your guys in the trenches. The CA looks after all selections and any contractual items while the SM is on site 40 hours or more per week ensuring your project is delivered to a worldclass standard and as efficiently as possible.There you have it the six phases of building a Sustainable Home. We hope this breakdown of a journey helps you and directs you what steps are next. Wherever you are in your journey we thank you for taking the first step.PS. If you have any questions let us know by sending an email to hello@www.sustainablehomesmelbourne.com.auPPS. Just wait for Phase 7!