DRAFTY DREAMS WITH LEVAN DESIGN

A CHAT WITH NATASHA LEVAN

When you’re first embarking on your renovation journey, it can be tricky to decide whether you need (or can afford) an architect to bring your reno to life, or whether a draftsperson will do the job. Our guest today, Natasha Levan from Levan Design has managed to bring these two roles together to create a design firm that suits a wide range of clients.

Natasha’s services are unique, incorporating a blend of draftsperson and architectural design elements. She works closely with her clients to ensure that their goals can be achieved, or given a clearer direction where needed. Natasha has had extensive experience within the building and design industry for the last 18 years. She began her career with a medium-size architectural firm in South Melbourne in 1994. Since then she has gained a wealth of experience on many types of building projects ranging from commercial and institutional work through to residential, multi-storey apartment projects and interior design. After working at Englehart Homes for five years she discovered her passion for residential design and since 2003, Natasha has been operating Levan Design as a small and personalised residential building design service.

Natasha has a real passion for art and architecture and has achieved some truly incredible results for her clients. Go and check out her website for a look at the stunning projects she has helped bring to life.

If you have a topic or question you’d like us to cover, contact us here.

SOME TOPICS THAT WE COVER:

  • [3:10]: How Natasha’s unique skills have allowed her to be able to offer a unique architectural draftsperson service
  • [4:55]: A large percentage of Natasha’s clients have a good idea of what they need and require Natasha’s design skills to translate into building requirements
  • [6:05]: What it looks like to work with Natasha
  • [8:18]: How many stages of concept design that are normally involved when beginning work with Natasha
  • [10:00]: The fee structure involved when working with Natasha which generally involves a fixed price
  • [11:20]: Working with the council in the planning and design phase and the benefits of meeting with the council prior to submitting your design proposal
  • [13:20]: The different stages of design and approval
  • [14:00]: Whether or not Natasha will include specifications within the design
  • [15:00]: How Natasha differs from an architect – working with the client more directly to guide them throughout the process and picking their own elements
  • [16:30]: The client has to decide what level of documentation and input that the client needs to go through the journey as smooth as possible
  • [17:10]: The importance of educating the client so that they’re across the different aspects they will need to be aware of
  • [18:15]: The type of budget required to work with Natasha
  • [19:30]: Why it’s so important to understand and be aware of your budget
  • [20:40]: The timeframe you can expect for a design process from start to ready to go!
  • [22:00]: Why it’s a good idea to take the time to think about and live in the home before deciding to renovate. If you can afford to take your time, do it!

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

We have several Facebook Groups at BuildHer Collective.

MEMBER ONLY FACEBOOK GROUPS

BHC DevelopHers Circle and BuildHer Collective Members Only – these are closed groups for women who are doing our Build Like a BuildHer course or who have joined our DevelopHers Inner Circle.

FREE FACEBOOK GROUP – Join Us!

Anyone is more than welcome to join our Women who Design, Decorate, Renovate & Build group. You will note that it’s a closed group but ask to join and if you’re into building and renovating, this is such an amazing and supportive FREE community, so come on and join in the building goodness!