Residential and Commercial Design Process
1. Initial Consultation and Design Brief
A visit to your property gathers information and identifies your site potential to create a design brief. Your individual needs and preferences are noted while taking into consideration the practical elements including property layout, style, size, geography, soil and weather conditions, sustainability and your budget. Following this initial 1 ½ -2hr consultation and acceptance of Design Services, a Design Brief is created. A quote may be able to be given at this meeting or sent within 10 days if requiring further analysis. (*For on-line Design Process, please see ON-LINE)
2. Site Survey
Accurate measurements and other information are gathered to create the Site Analysis. If the site is large and complex a professional surveyor and/or structural engineer may need to be engaged at an additional cost. The Site Survey, Site Analysis and Design Brief are evaluated and from this a draft concept design is created which is tailored to your individual needs and the site’s elements.
3. Concept Design
An initial draft concept design is completed within 4 weeks of the Site Survey and presented to you. This plan illustrates the proposed garden but excludes planting, detailed drawings or construction particulars. During the presentation, minor adjustments may be made to ensure you are completely satisfied with the design. Creative and effective solutions are found, the plan is refined and a second concept plan presented.
4. Plan-set
The final Plan Set is completed 8 to 10 weeks from the date of the Site Survey. On completion of the design process you will be presented with either the final Plan-Set as below or a Master Plan. Depending on the complexity of the project, some plans may be combined to create a Master Plan. Your plans are detailed and technically accurate using a computerized drafting program. You are now ready to begin construction work yourself or hand over to your Landscape Contractors.
The Plan-Set includes the following plans and documents:
-Concept Plan. A detailed, scaled technical plan combining and explaining plants, hardscape materials and design elements.
-Hard Landscape Plan. Details, levels, layouts and dimensions of materials for paving, decking, etc.
-Planting Plan and Plant Schedule. Detailed plan and document showing the plant specifics, names, types, sizes and exact locations for new and existing plants. Plants are chosen with your preferences in mind and also for their aesthetic, practical, ecological and therapeutic benefits.
-Plant Maintenance Plan. A maintenance schedule produced specifically for your plants to ensure their success and that they look their best year-round. This enables you to tick off monthly duties or provides your Garden Maintenance Contractor with a program to follow.
Your Plan-Set may also include some or all of the following:
-Elevation and cross-sectional drawings. These drawings assist with visualization of the new garden and provide some construction details.
-Short-form Specification. Document regarding materials and construction. This is useful for tendering for landscape construction.
OTHER...
DESIGN PROCESS FEES
Costing is based on the site size, project complexity, number of plans commissioned and hours estimated for the design process.
Example: Balconies and small courtyards or gardens would usually cost between $300 for a hand-drawn not-to-scale sketches to $2400 for the Plan-set or Master Plan to scale professional cad plan. Naturally, the larger the garden the more hours work required and therefore a higher fee is quoted. Please contact for fee structure or further information.
ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONED PLANS & SERVICES
Commissioned upon request. Please contact for fee structure.
PROJECT CONSULTATION
Construction is not part of the design service. Project Consultation requires overseeing the work by tendering the construction out to selected contractors and monitoring the landscaping process for you. Involvement ensures design plans are being adhered to. This provides you with ease of mind, continuity of the project and a single contact person. Deb will liaise between yourself and the contractors. You pay your landscape contractor directly. An additional fee is charged for this service and is dependant upon other project commitments and time constraints.
ONLINE DESIGN
Design services online excluding site survey and construction
WORKSHOPS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Environmental Education. Free initial consultation to identify involvement required based on horticulture, landscape design, environmental education aspects and/or eco-art exercises considering aspects of a curriculum, school/centre ethos or specific centre requirements.
Location: On site. At your school or centre. Garden or park for some activities.
Fees: contact for quote
Inclusions: May include hand-outs, activity plan, some materials and plants/a materials list. Health and safety (Precautions, responsible tool use, etc)
Exclusions: Materials may not included with quote, sourcing and purchasing time (Materials may be purchased or by GreenSong and reimbursed as negotiated)
Please see Workshop examples and Portfolio for more information
A visit to your property gathers information and identifies your site potential to create a design brief. Your individual needs and preferences are noted while taking into consideration the practical elements including property layout, style, size, geography, soil and weather conditions, sustainability and your budget. Following this initial 1 ½ -2hr consultation and acceptance of Design Services, a Design Brief is created. A quote may be able to be given at this meeting or sent within 10 days if requiring further analysis. (*For on-line Design Process, please see ON-LINE)
2. Site Survey
Accurate measurements and other information are gathered to create the Site Analysis. If the site is large and complex a professional surveyor and/or structural engineer may need to be engaged at an additional cost. The Site Survey, Site Analysis and Design Brief are evaluated and from this a draft concept design is created which is tailored to your individual needs and the site’s elements.
3. Concept Design
An initial draft concept design is completed within 4 weeks of the Site Survey and presented to you. This plan illustrates the proposed garden but excludes planting, detailed drawings or construction particulars. During the presentation, minor adjustments may be made to ensure you are completely satisfied with the design. Creative and effective solutions are found, the plan is refined and a second concept plan presented.
4. Plan-set
The final Plan Set is completed 8 to 10 weeks from the date of the Site Survey. On completion of the design process you will be presented with either the final Plan-Set as below or a Master Plan. Depending on the complexity of the project, some plans may be combined to create a Master Plan. Your plans are detailed and technically accurate using a computerized drafting program. You are now ready to begin construction work yourself or hand over to your Landscape Contractors.
The Plan-Set includes the following plans and documents:
-Concept Plan. A detailed, scaled technical plan combining and explaining plants, hardscape materials and design elements.
-Hard Landscape Plan. Details, levels, layouts and dimensions of materials for paving, decking, etc.
-Planting Plan and Plant Schedule. Detailed plan and document showing the plant specifics, names, types, sizes and exact locations for new and existing plants. Plants are chosen with your preferences in mind and also for their aesthetic, practical, ecological and therapeutic benefits.
-Plant Maintenance Plan. A maintenance schedule produced specifically for your plants to ensure their success and that they look their best year-round. This enables you to tick off monthly duties or provides your Garden Maintenance Contractor with a program to follow.
Your Plan-Set may also include some or all of the following:
-Elevation and cross-sectional drawings. These drawings assist with visualization of the new garden and provide some construction details.
-Short-form Specification. Document regarding materials and construction. This is useful for tendering for landscape construction.
OTHER...
DESIGN PROCESS FEES
Costing is based on the site size, project complexity, number of plans commissioned and hours estimated for the design process.
Example: Balconies and small courtyards or gardens would usually cost between $300 for a hand-drawn not-to-scale sketches to $2400 for the Plan-set or Master Plan to scale professional cad plan. Naturally, the larger the garden the more hours work required and therefore a higher fee is quoted. Please contact for fee structure or further information.
ADDITIONAL COMMISSIONED PLANS & SERVICES
Commissioned upon request. Please contact for fee structure.
PROJECT CONSULTATION
Construction is not part of the design service. Project Consultation requires overseeing the work by tendering the construction out to selected contractors and monitoring the landscaping process for you. Involvement ensures design plans are being adhered to. This provides you with ease of mind, continuity of the project and a single contact person. Deb will liaise between yourself and the contractors. You pay your landscape contractor directly. An additional fee is charged for this service and is dependant upon other project commitments and time constraints.
ONLINE DESIGN
Design services online excluding site survey and construction
WORKSHOPS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION
Environmental Education. Free initial consultation to identify involvement required based on horticulture, landscape design, environmental education aspects and/or eco-art exercises considering aspects of a curriculum, school/centre ethos or specific centre requirements.
- Professional Development Workshops for staff - Practical horticulture activity and values of children working with and in nature
- Environment Workshops for students
- Adult workshops
Location: On site. At your school or centre. Garden or park for some activities.
Fees: contact for quote
Inclusions: May include hand-outs, activity plan, some materials and plants/a materials list. Health and safety (Precautions, responsible tool use, etc)
Exclusions: Materials may not included with quote, sourcing and purchasing time (Materials may be purchased or by GreenSong and reimbursed as negotiated)
Please see Workshop examples and Portfolio for more information