Conclusion:
The Architect is there to advise on design, Build Aid are there to keep tabs on the cost but it is up to you as initiator of the building process to lay the ground rules. This you can only achieve through an intimate knowledge of what your needs really are, and what you’re prepared to pay to have them satisfied. By stating definite parameters to the designer from the start, you will improve the probability of getting what you envisage.

The square metre rate can become an efficient tool in controlling the influence of design on building cost if used with care in a Cost plan.

The Cost plan is a statement of the proposed expenditure on each section or element of a new building related to a definite standard of quality. Each item of cost is generally regarded as a “Cost Target” and is usually expressed in terms of cost per square metre of floor area of the building as well as total cost of the element.

The input into your cost planning will depend largely on the quality of the cost research done in investigating building costs and their interrelationships, including maintenance and running costs, in order to build up a positive body of information which will form basic guidelines in planning and controlling the cost of future projects.

We hope, by studying some of the influences of design on cost, we have been able to assist you in understanding some of the elements that play a role in determining the building cost.