Envision

The Envision phase is the exciting “light bulb” moment where your idea takes shape. It starts with capturing your vision as a high-level project brief which can involve consulting stakeholders, visiting potential sites, or meeting with future tenants and users. We may facilitate a professional workshop to draw out priorities and reach a shared understanding.

Once the brief is established, we socialise it with trusted consultants to test initial feasibility from a design and engineering perspective. Our quantity surveyors can provide early cost estimates to ensure the concept is in the right ballpark before investing further. If no major hurdles emerge, we move to creating a full feasibility document.

A feasibility study tests your concept brief in greater detail to establish a reliable capital cost and to assess whether the project is financially achievable.

This typically involves developing concept architectural drawings, obtaining high-level planning and engineering advice, and establishing a programme to understand how long design, consenting, and construction will take.

Once you have a likely capital cost, the next step is understanding what revenue or value the development will generate whether as an owner-occupier or through leasing to tenants. Some developments are assessed differently: community organisations, for example, may measure value through social good rather than rental return.

The key questions a feasibility study answers are:

• Can we raise the funds required to build?
• Can we complete within the timeframe we need?
• Will revenue cover the cost of capital, maintenance, and provide a suitable return?
• Will the completed development hold or increase in value?

Funders understand that construction projects carry real risks – budget blowouts, delays, and unforeseen complications are common without experienced oversight. A professional project manager demonstrates that risks are being actively managed and that the project budget has been rigorously established.

Funders are often unable to provide additional capital if things go wrong. They need confidence that a project will be well-managed through to a successful outcome. Scope has established trusted relationships with many New Zealand funders and is approved as a Bank Quantity Surveyor giving you and your funders genuine assurance of our credibility.

To establish a high-level scope and cost estimate, we need:

• A project brief outlining objectives and aspirations
• An identified site or location
• Concept design sketches or drawings, along with early planning and engineering input

From there, we develop an indicative programme covering design, consenting, and construction to give you a clear picture of how long resources will be required. With concepts and timeframes in hand, our quantity surveyors can provide a meaningful early estimate.

During the Envision phase, we guide clients on how to organise themselves for effective decision-making, and advise on the most appropriate services and consultants for their project.

Depending on the development type, we might recommend:

• A design-and-build contract, where a single contractor manages both design and construction
• A traditional approach, engaging a design team first and procuring a contractor later
• A hybrid of the two, where elements of each are combined to suit the project’s needs

We also advise on pricing models, fixed price, measure and value, or cost-reimbursable to best align with the stages of the project, funding timelines or operational requirements.