Services
Architectural services are bought in stages. Below we set out what is finished at the end of each stage, what you receive, and the point at which you may stop.
01
Brief Feasibility Study
A check of the zoning and regulatory limits on the plot, then a calculation of how much building can actually stand there.
- Output
- Duration
02
Architectural Design, Full Service
Ten stages, from the first conversation to a post-occupancy visit six months after the house is lived in.
- Output
- Duration
03
Design to Construction Documents (No Supervision)
The work stops once the working drawings and permit documents are handed over. We set out the risks of that openly on this page.
- Output
- Duration
04
Renovation & Adaptive Reuse
Survey of the existing building, as-built drawings, structural inspection, then a calculation of the footprint allowance still left.
- Output
- Duration
05
Architectural Interior
The first question is whether the building may be cut into, not what colour to use.
- Output
- Duration
06
PBG Permit Support
Preparation of the technical design documents, filing, and support through to approval being issued.
- Output
- Duration
07
Periodic Site Supervision
Scheduled visits during construction, written illustrated reports, and answers to questions from site.
- Output
- Duration
Individual service pages are available in Indonesian. The stages below apply to Service 02.
Work stages, full service
Applies to Service 02. Other services stop at the stage named on their own page.
Stage 00
First conversation
A meeting online or at the studio to discuss the site, the rooms needed, and the budget range. No drawings are made at this stage.
- Duration
- Output
- Fee
Stage 01
Site visit & survey
Direct observation, photography, recording of sun and wind direction, checking access, noting the condition of neighbours and drains.
If there is no land survey data, we recommend engaging a surveyor first. Drawing on top of the wrong dimensions is the most expensive mistake to correct.
One of the two principals always attends the first visit. Never delegated.
- Duration
- Output
Stage 02
Room schedule & feasibility
The schedule of rooms is drawn up together, then tested against the regulatory constraints of the site. The construction budget range is agreed here as well.
- Duration
- Output
Stage 03
Concept design
Form and the arrangement of rooms are settled at this stage. Once it is approved, changes to the brief are counted as additional work.
- Duration
- Output
- Revision rounds
Stage 04
Design development
The design is taken up to a scale that can be costed. The structural and MEP engineers come in here, not after the architectural drawings are finished.
- Duration
- Output
- Revision rounds
Stage 05
Construction documents
A set of 60 to 120 sheets depending on the scale of the project: plans, sections, elevations, 1:20 details, structural drawings from the engineer, MEP drawings, joinery schedules, ceiling and floor layouts, and material schedules.
Plus a specification and a bill of quantities for tendering.
- Duration
- Output
Stage 06
Permit documents (PBG)
The technical design documents are prepared to the required standard, the submission is filed, and support continues until approval is issued. The authority’s processing time is outside the studio’s control; we record the actual time for each project on its own page.
- Duration
- Output
Stage 07
Contractor selection
Tender documents are prepared, then tenders from two to four contractors are compared and the differences explained.
The studio takes no commission from any contractor.
- Duration
- Output
Stage 08
Periodic site supervision
Fortnightly visits, written illustrated reports, answers to questions from site, checking of material samples, and issue of revised drawings where required.
- Duration
- Output
Stage 09
Handover & post-occupancy visit
A snagging list is drawn up, as-built drawings are handed over, and one visit is made six months after the house is lived in to check the things that can only be known once it is occupied: leaks in the first rainy season, the actual wind direction, rooms that turn out not to be used.
- Output
How fees are calculated
A rate per square metre sounds practical, but it hides what actually determines the cost: the condition of the site, the level of complexity, how many stages you take, and how long the project runs. A 150 m² house on flat land with wide access and a 150 m² house on a slope reached by a two-metre lane are not the same piece of work, even though the area is the same.
Basis of calculation
Fees are calculated as a percentage of the agreed construction value, within a range that depends on typology and scope.
| Type of work | Range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| House, full service | mid range | The smaller the construction value, the larger the percentage |
| Renovation & adaptive reuse | higher than new build | Because of the survey, the as-built drawings, and the uncertainty of what is found |
| Small-scale commercial | follows the complexity of the building services | — |
| Design to construction documents only | about three quarters of full service | — |
| Brief feasibility study | fixed fee | Credited against the fee if the work continues |
The exact figure is given once the scope is clear, not before. The studio applies a minimum fee so that projects too small to do properly are not done half-heartedly.
Payment stages
| Stage | Share |
|---|---|
| On signing the agreement | 10% |
| End of concept design | 20% |
| End of design development | 30% |
| End of construction documents | 25% |
| Delivery of permit documents | 15% |
| Total | 100% |
Periodic site supervision is invoiced separately, per month, for the duration of construction.
What is not included
Stated openly so that it does not come as a surprise.
- Official permit charges paid to the authority
- Land surveyor fees
- Soil testing, sounding or boring
- Structural and MEP engineer fees where the scale of the project requires separate appointment
- Physical model making
- Professional architectural photography after completion
- Travel and accommodation for projects outside Yogyakarta
An explicit list of what is not included raises trust rather than lowering it. A studio that has never written one is a studio that has never had the argument — and after ten years that is not possible.
Frequently asked questions
Can we have the design only, without supervision?
Yes. The service stops once the working drawings and permit documents are handed over. We explain openly what usually happens when construction runs without the designer present, and we offer limited supervision of four to eight visits at the critical stages only. You are not obliged to take it.
Does the studio provide a contractor?
No. We have no construction arm and take no commission from any contractor. We keep a list of builders we have worked with, are willing to prepare tender documents, and will help compare two to four tenders. The decision rests entirely with you.
My own contractor will build it. Is that possible?
Yes, and it happens often. Our working drawings are prepared so that any builder can read them, complete with details, material schedules, and a specification. What we recommend is providing a route for questions: there is always a site condition that cannot be read from the drawings, and answering it over the phone is cheaper than taking work down.
How long until I can start building?
For a house on full service, from the first meeting to working drawings and permit documents being ready is usually four to six months, depending on how quickly decisions are made on your side. Processing time at the permit authority is outside our control; on each project page we record the time it actually took.
Do you help with the PBG permit?
Yes. We prepare the technical design documents, file the submission, correct it if there are comments, and support it through to approval. Official charges paid to the authority are not included in our fee.
I have not bought the land yet. Can you help assess it?
That is precisely the best time to ask. Our brief feasibility study checks the zoning, KDB, KLB, KDH, and GSB, then calculates how much building can actually stand there and whether your room schedule fits. Some clients cancel the purchase after this stage, and that is a good outcome.
How many revisions?
Revisions are not counted per drawing but per stage. Each stage has two rounds of adjustment. What counts as additional work is a change to the brief after a stage has been approved — adding a bedroom once the working drawings are underway, for instance. The value of additional work is agreed in advance, not invoiced at the end.
Do you take requests for a particular style?
We will ask what you like about that style. Usually the answer is not about style at all: shade, a sense of space, a particular material. Those things can be reached in ways that work in this climate. What we do not do is apply a look with no reason that can be argued from the site.
Do you take small renovation projects?
It depends on the content of the work. Renovations that touch structure, openings, or the arrangement of rooms are within what we handle. For work that is entirely about replacing finishes and furniture, you will be better served by working directly with an interior designer or a builder.
Do you take projects outside Yogyakarta?
Yes, with two caveats: periodic supervision becomes less frequent and more expensive because of travel, and checking the regulations takes additional time because provisions differ between areas. We have worked outside the region and will say plainly if we think the distance would harm your project.
Do the working drawings become mine?
You receive the right to use the drawings to build the project on the site in question. Copyright in the design remains with the studio, and we set this out in the agreement from the beginning. If you want to build the same design on another site, that needs to be discussed separately.
How are fees calculated?
As a percentage of the agreed construction value, within a range that depends on typology and scope. We do not publish a rate per square metre because that figure hides the things that actually determine the cost. The full explanation is on this page.
Can we correspond in English?
Yes. The website is available in two languages and some design documents can be prepared in English. The working drawings stay in Indonesian because the people reading them are the builders on site.
Tell us about your site
Send us the location, the plot area, and the rooms you need. We reply within two working days with an initial assessment — including if we think another practice would serve your project better.
We take on a maximum of six new design projects a year. Replies during working hours, Monday to Friday.