Checks and Balances: How Town Planners, Architects and Clients Form A Crucial Triangle of Trust

Land development is a big undertaking with a lot of moving parts.

Because of that, a successful land development project will require the input and expertise of professionals from multiple disciplines, be they architects, legal professionals, land surveyors or town planners.

As a multi-disciplinary firm, Terrain Consulting Group offers expert town planning and land surveying services to our clients, and can play a major role in assisting developers from the start of the project right through to the very end.

In the trenches of any development, the crucial planning work is often taken on by town planners, architects and the client.

Terrain Consulting Group director recently explained this important circle of trust in a presentation he delivered.

“There’s an old saying that planners know a little bit about a lot, and what they don’t know they have contacts they can introduce as appropriate sub-consultants,” he said.

“I’d like to think that planners are the check and balance in the design process and from a private consultancy perspective the planner helps to bond the world between the architect and the client.

“You get a three-point triangle and every point is just as important as the other.

“The client, the architect and the town planner are at the points and they’re all working towards the goal of the approval.”

As town planners, Terrain sees itself as the guide that helps the architect create a design in line with the dreams and goals of the client that will also satisfy all the relevant planning requirements.

This is a time-saving and crucial element of the work we do as town planners, because by being actively involved in the design process, we can precent unnecessary delays.

We communicate with both the architect and the client throughout the process, so that we understand the client’s end goals, the architects vision and help find a suitable path forward that will allow the designs to be approved as part of a planning application.

At Terrain, we have a strong track record of helping clients with a wide range of projects and this is only possible thanks to our collaborative approach that collects information from all the key stakeholders.

Our experience is in working with clients, other consultants and experts, such as architects, to guarantee that all stakeholders operate cohesively and complementarily.

Your architect understands the architecture of your building, your arborist understands the effects of your construction on the existing trees on your site, and your traffic engineer understands the traffic surrounding your project.

However, it is the town planning expert that collects all of this information to ensure that all of the jigsaw pieces fit together for a wonderful final result.

If you are an architect looking to partner with a town planner you can rely on to provide proactive advice and assistance during the design process, or a client seeking assistance with a development and wanting to work with a town planner who can distil information from a variety of sources, you’ve hit the jackpot.

Contact Terrain Consulting Group to organise an initial consultation today.