Planning guides / Studio Karyashala
Your first meeting with an architect: what to bring and ask
Bring the information you have about the site, the spaces you need and the decisions you want help with. Useful starting points include plans, photographs, priorities, a comfortable budget range and target dates. You do not need a finished design; the first meeting should clarify the brief and what needs checking next.
Bring useful information, even when it is incomplete
For a new building, share available plot information, surveys and photographs. For interiors or renovation, bring floor plans and images of the existing rooms. Explain where the information came from and whether dimensions, boundaries or levels have been verified.
You do not need to fill gaps by guessing. Label unknowns and ask which ones matter before design can begin. A clear distinction between checked information and assumptions helps the conversation stay focused.
Describe how the place needs to work
- Who will use it and which routines or activities need space.
- The rooms, storage and equipment you need.
- Privacy, access and any accessibility priorities.
- Furniture or building elements you want to retain.
- Future changes you would like the design to consider.
Bring a few references and explain what attracts you: light, room relationships, atmosphere, storage or material character. References work best as prompts for discussion rather than instructions to reproduce another project.
Discuss the budget without pretending it is a quotation
Share a comfortable budget range and explain whether it includes design fees, construction, interiors, furniture and other costs. If you have an existing estimate, bring its scope and exclusions as well as the headline figure.
Ask which decisions have the greatest effect on cost and what further information is needed for a tailored estimate. The first conversation can clarify priorities, but limited site information cannot establish every quantity, specification or unknown condition.
Ask about the working relationship
| Ask about | What you need to understand |
|---|---|
| Deliverables | Which drawings, studies and decisions form part of the appointment |
| Review stages | How you give feedback and approve the design |
| Consultants | Which specialist inputs are needed and who appoints them |
| Site involvement | The purpose and scope of visits and coordination |
| Execution | Who procures, coordinates trades and checks completion |
| Fees and changes | The fee basis, exclusions and how additional work is agreed |
Explain your timing and constraints
Share any intended move-in, opening or construction date, along with the reason it matters. Tell the studio about access restrictions, ongoing occupation, existing contractors or decisions already made. Ask which milestones can be planned and which depend on information, approvals or procurement.
A target date is a useful part of the brief, but it becomes a project programme only after the scope and dependencies are reviewed. Do not assume that the design phase, approval process and execution all share one fixed duration.
Leave with a defined next step
Summarise the brief, the information still needed and the scope to be proposed. Confirm who will provide each missing input and which decisions can wait. Before appointment, review the written deliverables, responsibilities, fee basis and exclusions so both sides share the same expectations.
Before your first conversation
Questions worth asking.
Do I need drawings before contacting the studio?
No finished design is needed. Bring available plot or floor plans, photographs and a description of how you want to use the space. Identify missing or unverified information, including measurements. The first discussion can establish what needs checking before the design scope and next steps are agreed.
Should I bring inspiration images?
Yes, if you can explain what you like about them. Describe the light, layout, material character or storage idea that interests you, rather than asking to copy a room. Include practical dislikes and daily routines so references support your brief without fixing the design prematurely.
Should I share a budget range?
Yes. Explain what your budget range is intended to cover, including whether it must accommodate design, execution, furniture or other costs. Identify priorities and items you can phase. This helps define an appropriate scope, while a confirmed quotation still requires the project information and specifications to be reviewed.
Can I ask about design only and turnkey together?
Yes. Discuss both if you are unsure who will arrange execution or procurement. Compare the proposed drawings, material decisions, contractor coordination, site involvement and handover responsibilities. Ask how fees and exclusions differ for the same brief before choosing the appointment that fits your available time and coordination capacity.
What should happen after the meeting?
The next step should identify the proposed scope, missing information and decisions needed before design work proceeds. Review written deliverables, responsibilities, fee basis, review stages and exclusions before appointing the team. If a survey, consultant or further site review is needed, clarify who arranges it and when.
Useful next steps