One question that can come up when people start planning a renovation, extension or new home is whether they need to find a builder first, or whether they can approach a builder after they’ve already started working with an architect or architectural designer.

The short answer is: either approach can work.

At Bang Bang Building, we’re not tied to an in-house design studio. If you’re looking for a builder in Southland, we’re happy to work with your chosen architect or architectural designer and take an independently designed project from plans through to construction.

In fact, some of the projects we’ve been involved with over the years started well before Bang Bang Building entered the picture.

Already Have Plans Underway?

No problem.

If you’ve already engaged an architect or architectural designer and are looking for a builder in Southland, we’re happy to join the project at the appropriate stage.

Our role isn’t to take over the design process. It’s to work alongside the people already involved and bring the practical construction side into the conversation.

That can include looking at buildability, discussing likely construction costs, identifying details that may need further consideration and helping everyone understand how the project will actually come together on site.

Getting the Builder Involved Early Can Help

While we’re happy to price and build from completed plans, there can be advantages to involving a builder earlier in the process.

A design may work perfectly on paper but still have different ways it could be constructed, detailed or sequenced.

Having the designer and builder talking early can sometimes identify opportunities to simplify construction, discuss material choices or flag areas where particular design decisions could have a significant effect on the budget.

That doesn’t mean compromising the design.

It means having the design and construction sides of the project talking to each other before decisions become expensive to change.

Different Projects, Same Collaborative Approach

Southland has a strong network of architects, architectural designers, builders and specialist trades. We’re comfortable working as part of that wider project team, whether we’ve been involved from the beginning or join the project once the design is already underway.

We’ve worked alongside a number of architectural and design practices over the years, including MAS Architecture, Marstech Design, Blacktan Design and Fat Hippo Design.

The projects themselves can be very different, but the principle remains the same: good communication, respect for everyone’s role and a shared focus on getting the finished result right.

Fox Street — Bringing Old and New Together

Our Fox Street project, designed by MAS Architecture, involved the construction of a substantial two-storey addition connected to the existing home.

While much of the project was effectively new construction, an important part of the build was bringing the new and existing parts of the property together successfully.

It’s a good example of architectural design and practical construction working together — particularly around the junctions between old and new and the realities of building alongside an existing home.

Designed by MAS Architecture. Built by Bang Bang Building.

Bluff Highway — Starting From the Ground Up

Our Bluff Highway project, designed by Marstech Design, shows the same collaborative approach applied to a complete new home.

Starting from the ground up gave the project a very different set of challenges to Fox Street. Our role was to take the architectural design through construction, working through the practical detailing, sequencing and coordination needed to turn the plans into the finished home.

It’s another example of how the relationship between designer and builder carries through the construction process — taking the design intent and making it work in the practical realities of the build.

Designed by Marstech Design. Built by Bang Bang Building.

Renovations and Extensions Bring Another Layer

Renovations and alterations can be particularly collaborative because we’re not starting with a blank sheet — we’re working with an existing house.

That can also make understanding likely renovation costs and allowing an appropriate contingency particularly important, as not everything can be known before work begins.

Once work begins, we may uncover framing, previous alterations, services or other details that weren’t completely visible during the design stage.

When that happens, good communication between the homeowner, designer, builder and relevant trades becomes particularly important.

The goal isn’t to point fingers at something nobody could reasonably have known about.

It’s to understand what we’ve found, work through the options and find the best practical solution to keep the project moving.

Already Have Your Own Architect or Designer?

That’s absolutely fine.

We’re happy to work with the people you’ve already chosen, whether your project is at the early concept stage, progressing through detailed design or already has completed construction drawings.

Likewise, if you’re still at the ideas stage and aren’t sure where to start, we’re happy to have an early conversation about what you’re trying to achieve, your likely budget and what the next steps might look like.

Where appropriate, we can also point you toward designers we’ve worked successfully with previously.

There’s no single pathway every project needs to follow.

Sometimes the designer comes first. Sometimes the builder does. Sometimes everyone gets around the table early.

What matters is getting the right people involved and making sure they’re working toward the same result.

Bang Bang Building
Focus on quality, not quantity.