It’s ironic when your business is called ‘Spreading Roomers’, yet you have been sitting on the knowledge that Evolution x Seau Studio were about to launch a much needed collaborative solution into the Perth housing market, and could say nothing!

Talk about gag order, and it’s been one of the hardest secrets to keep on the quiet because I see the dilemma regular Perth home owners and #designlovers are facing each day. When considering where to turn to when researching, building or renovating your new home - where are the options that take the confusion out of the process?

Recently there has been the improved, slow drip, slightly more human and accessible education around the benefits of hiring a designer or an architect filtering into our social media. So if you know who to follow (hello Spreading Roomers) and where to look, it can help reassure you that #gooddesign is of high value. But building trust isn’t a quick process.

Then in back of your mind, the anxiety of securing a premium builder to do the project justice is akin to me asking you to do your taxes using long division (yeah, nah). It all requires an army standard of due diligence before you can even start to pull this all together. The question you must ask yourself is “Is this my job?”.

The answer is no.

So who’s is it? (this is where the trust comes in). Who you pick first, the chicken (the builder) or the egg (the designer) will likely shape the quality of:

a) relationships (notice I placed this one first #deliberate)
b) design,
c) scope, and
d) the team of professionals brought in to assist.

It’s quite the dilemma.

But fear not, I have found the solution to your problems. Perth’s holy grail for design meets build has finally been unearthed.

In today’s article, I chat to Emily Rousseau from Seau Studio about this welcome, new addition to the residential home market here in Perth and how, with Simon and Rob from Evolution they plan on changing all that with immediate effect!

“Em, this has been such a long time coming, so how do you see ‘Evo and Seau’ filling the current gap in the market?”

We were constantly receiving feedback from clients about the custom home/ build process being overwhelming and daunting. There is confusion around knowing where to start e.g. designer/ architect or builder or both and about how to choose the right designer/ architect and builder for the project.
We could see the natural synergy between Evolution and Seau e.g. values, communication, combination of skills and how the clients would benefit from this.

Actually - I’ll go one step further. These three almost finish each other’s sentences. When you sit collectively around the table with Emily, Simon and Rob, it’s clear they share the same vision to make this a much easier process than we’ve have currently had access to.

“What are the added advantages for someone wanting to build or renovate by using Eveau?“

Evolution x Seau connects you with a consistent team of interdisciplinary experts from the outset of your project. From the beginning of the project through to concept design and handover, you can be confident that your designer and builder truly understand each other. This results in better management of your budget, as communication and feedback is provided from day one.
While a builder and designer both sit within the construction industry and understand one another's field/skill/craft, a builder and a designer have different specialised training, skills and knowledge. Access to a full team of experts from day one means the project has the best chance of success as the knowledge and skills are on board from day one.
Working with Evolution and Seau Studio, the Clients are dealing directly with the owners of the businesses directly - personalised, custom service.

Meet the team.

“What are the important factors that every homebuilder or renovator should be taking into consideration before they contact a builder or designer?”

We’ll be working together for while so we believe it’s critical to get the right mix of personalities and working styles between client, builder and designer/architect before anything else. This creates the foundation of trust, open communication and ultimately a strong team environment to work together to achieve the best possible outcome for the clients.
Is your budget realistic for the project?
If you’re unsure if your budget & scope align we can discuss this at the beginning of the process. Typically, custom homes range from $500k – $2m and renovations or extensions from $300k – $1m.

Considerations for Builder:

1. Do they have experience working with designers/ architects on custom designed homes? Evolution is a true custom builder with extensive experience in a range of custom home and renovation/ addition projects. Each project is as individual as the clients we work with.

2. How much can I actually customise? E.g. does the builder have their standard specification? Every project, from design down to the selections and finishes, is completely customised to suit the needs and wants of each of our clients.

3. How does the builder resolve any issues throughout the building process? We understand the value of strong communication and resolving any potential issues quickly. Any issues that may arise are discussed between client, builder and designer (if applicable) and an solution agreed on to avoid any unnecessary delays.

4. Does the builder have references or reviews? Our measure of success is the satisfaction of our clients. We are able to provide reference from past clients, and in many cases, you can give them a call to chat about their experience with Evolution.

Considerations for Designer:

1. Budget & Design Brief: Does the budget match the design brief? Often clients want to double the size of their house (without realising it until it’s drawn on paper) and unfortunately there isn’t always the budget to do this. Be realistic with what you want and need for your home. Write it down - keep the end goal in sight. This is where a designer/ architect is so valuable as we can custom create a space that matches your lifestyle and ‘end goal’ perfectly.

2. Timeline: What is the project timeline? This needs to include design, council approval and construction. Often clients aren’t aware that the design and council approval process can take up to a year.

3. Trust: As a designer it’s important my clients trust me and we have an open communication throughout the process. Designing someone’s home is a very personal process. I always say to potential clients that they have to feel comfortable and confident with me before engaging Seau to design their home.

SURVEY SAYS : A new landmark report released by the Australian Institute of Architects - called Stronger Insights for Stronger Practices – 2021 Client Feedback Report provides some interesting reading.

One particular note to make is that - “80.2% of clients surveyed indicated they did not use architectural practices for project management services – noting that 13.86% of survey respondents were project managers, and that “one-off residential” clients who accounted for 35.64% of responses were most likely to take on board the role of project management themselves, due to the smaller scale of the project.”

The report suggests that demand for quality design (namely architecture) remains high, and of large value, but many clients continue to worry about the increasing costs to engage an architect from start to finish albeit, the trend is slowly changing.

Because of this, some will favour hiring a building designer (or graduate of architecture like Em) feeling that it a more accessible option, but either way choosing to undertake your own project management is a scary prospect and can almost directly be aligned to the exact point where the wheels come off ! I understand the reasoning though.

On the outside it does appear to be a smart choice when keeping costs down, but in contrast, having a seasoned builder involved from the beginning to manage the project efficiently in collaboration with qualified designer, is the best way mitigate issues and in turn, stay on budget!

You can read the report for yourselves here via Australian Institute of Architects.

So, the big elephant in the room! What can you expect from a smart, considered design and build approach? In short,

“What key services will Evo and Seau be offering to assist with?”

Everything from concept design through to handover.
This includes managing the external consultants such as surveyors and engineers, and council approval applications. Refer to process on website :)
Streamlining the design and build process for custom homes through strong relationships and communication between client, designer/architect and builder from the beginning of the process. Work together to iron out potential challenges early in the process meaning a smoother build process.

“How should a client reach out to you?”

Potential clients should reach out to us via phone or email. From here we will organise a meeting to introduce ourselves, run through our process in more detail, and get to know the client and understand what they want to achieve and if we are a good fit for their project.
The sooner you contact us, the better. The longer we have to work together and get to know each other, the greater the opportunity to make recommendations that will benefit you and your project from early on in your building journey.

Whew! I feel better now. If you’d like to know more or have a personal chat with Emily, Simon or Rob, please follow the prompts below.

Phone on 0412 321 372 or complete the contact form on their website at evoandseau.com.au. Email hello@evoandseau.com.au or follow along on instagram.

I’d love to hear how you went.

Deb xx