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Services

Before anything is built, someone has to be accountable for it.

We are architects in Brunei, appointed by our clients as their professional consultant. That means designing the building, preparing the drawings for approval and construction, and — once work starts on site — administering the building contract fairly between client and contractor.

We stay with a project from the first conversation to the final certificate.

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What we do

Urban Design

Masterplans and site layouts for kampong areas and housing developments — how plots, roads and shared spaces are arranged, and how a development can be built in phases.

Interior Design

Interiors for cafés, commercial units and homes: layout, finishes, lighting and fittings, designed together with a new building or as a fit-out of an existing space.

How a project runs

Five stages, one architect throughout

We work in line with Brunei’s Ease of Doing Business Plan of Works, BAPEQS/PBD12 and other guidelines. Every project moves through the same five stages, although smaller projects may pass through some of them quickly.

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  1. Feasibility / Briefing

    We talk through what you need, your budget and your timing, and look at the site, the land title and any planning constraints.

    You provide
    Land title or lot details, any existing survey, your budget and a list of what the building needs to do.
    You receive
    An agreed written brief and a letter of appointment setting out our services.

  2. Concept Design

    We explore layout and form, test options against the brief and the site, and develop a preferred direction with you.

    You provide
    Feedback and decisions on the options.
    You receive
    Concept drawings of the preferred option.

  3. Detailed Design

    The design is developed in full — plans, elevations and sections — with the engineers brought in. Drawings are prepared for the planning (TCP) submission.

    You provide
    Decisions on materials, finishes and any changes to the brief.
    You receive
    Detailed design drawings and the planning submission.

  4. Technical Design

    Construction drawings and specifications are completed and coordinated with the engineers and quantity surveyor. Drawings are prepared for the building plan (ABCi) submission, and tender documents are put together.

    You provide
    Final approval of the design and the tender approach.
    You receive
    Construction drawings, specifications and tender documents.

  5. Construction Contract

    Tenders are invited and assessed, the contractor is appointed, and we inspect the works and administer the building contract through to completion and handover.

    You provide
    Timely decisions on site and payments as certified.
    You receive
    Site inspection records, certificates under the contract and a completed building.

Approvals and coordination

Getting a building approved in Brunei

Most buildings in Brunei need two main approvals before construction can start.

Planning approval — TCP

The Town and Country Planning Department (TCP) considers whether the proposed use, layout and scale of a development suit the land and its surroundings. The architect prepares and submits the drawings and responds to any comments.

Building approval — ABCi

The Authority for Building Control and Construction Industry (ABCi) checks the building plans against the building regulations before construction, and is involved again as the building nears completion. The architect coordinates the submission with the engineers’ drawings and calculations.

Working with other consultants

We are an architectural practice. We coordinate with civil and structural engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers, quantity surveyors and contractors, who are appointed for their own disciplines.

Approval decisions and timescales rest with the approving authorities. We cannot promise an outcome, but we prepare submissions carefully and follow them through.

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Solutions by situation

Where most projects begin

  1. Building your family home

    Most people build a home once. We start with how you live and what your land allows, then take the design through TCP and ABCi approvals and on to site, so you have one architect accountable from the first sketch to handover.

    Stages 1–5See examples

  2. Fitting out a shop unit, café or commercial space

    For a café or commercial unit the building usually exists already. The work is in the layout, the finishes and the fittings — and in working to the landlord’s requirements and the timetable for opening.

    Usually stages 2–5

  3. Public, religious and institutional buildings

    Mosques, schools, activity centres and laboratories serve many people and involve several consultants and approving bodies. Our role is to lead the design team and keep the project consistent from brief to completion.

    Stages 1–5See examples

  4. Housing developments and masterplans

    For larger sites, the first question is how the land should be laid out and phased. A masterplan sets that framework before individual buildings are designed.

    Stages 1–3 for the masterplan; then per phase

Have a project in mind?

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