WHAT’S IN A CHARLIE REPORT?
50 or so pages of goodness, covering things like …
The game changers - Think problematic overlays (like Biodiversity, Flood, Traditional Building Character), problematic neighbourhood plans (the ones that impose weird and wonderful rules like “your front eave can’t be more than 4.8m above the ground” or “thou must not have rear lots in a subdivision”), protected vegetation, registered boarding houses, and TLPIs (aka emergency interim rules).
The rules - Things like the zoning (which tells you what uses, heights and lot sizes Council wants to see), and state triggers (regional plans and referrals).
The site itself - Site area, contours, easements, aerials, town planning history.
Looking ahead - Aka future infrastructure upgrades.
Building approval bonus bits - Bushfire, noise mapping, services … aka the stuff that will add to build costs.
… and much much more.
Most industry professionals wait until they are formally engaged to dig into this stuff, by which point the client is already emotionally attached to a design that may not fly. Or worse still, some think “she’ll be right” and come unstuck when the certifier asks, “Where’s your town planning approval?”
Read on to see why getting a Charlie site report early (ideally before you meet with the client to discuss the brief) pays off.
WhAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
Take the boring admin off your plate - No more wasting your admin team’s time (or worse still, your own) on Council searches. Ain’t nobody got time (or the patience) for that! Charlie runs them all, plus a few you probably don’t, and hands them over to you in a neat little package, ready to run with.
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Impress your clients - Turning up already across the site’s constraints (and the options they leave open), with a flashy detailed booklet to boot, shows two things … you know your stuff, and you care about the outcome. That’s the kind of first impression that builds trust and boosts your chances of winning the job.
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Help avoid the dreaded unpaid rework - When you design around the deal breakers from the start, your best energy and creative juices go into the design that carries through. You aren’t left dealing with a watered-down second attempt that never quite measures up to the first.
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Designs that see the light of day - Let’s be real, nobody gets into this industry to watch their designs gather dust on the shelf. The magic comes from seeing designs come to life, and the way built form can change how people live (for the better). Charlie boosts your chances of getting the green light on both the approval and cost front … and getting built.
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Happier clients (and more referrals) - In the town planning world, there is usually more than one way forward … if you ask the right questions early enough. You might design to avoid a planning application altogether (go the straight and narrow path), align with Council’s expectations (the slightly windy road), or push for an out-of-the-box outcome (the rollercoaster). In our experience, the happiest clients are those who were given a choice at the very start, not those who were forced down a particular path partway through the process. They are also the ones who come back, and send their friends your way.
Charlie site reports are free for building designers, architects and builders.
What’s the catch, you ask?
Honestly, there isn’t one. Spotting issues early saves headaches down the track for everyone … us included. Also, every report doubles as a mini branding ninja, spreading the BTP name one job at a time. So really, you are doing us a favour! Scroll down to find out how to request a site report.
How to request a site report …
Grab an access code - Fill in this form to request your unique access code.
Pop in the site details - Log in to the Charlie portal with your code and enter the site address.
Sit back and relax - Charlie gets to work, then sends her report to Peta for a quick once-over. Peta adds any insider tips a computer program wouldn’t know (like local quirks or political sensitivities in the area), then forwards it to your inbox within 1-2 business days.
Three quick things to note before requesting a Charlie site report (aka the rules of engagement).
Firstly, Charlie is an initial check. She doesn’t replace a detailed, site-specific review by a human town planner.
Secondly, her magic powers (like ours) only work in the Brisbane City Council area.
Thirdly, there is no limit to how many reports you can request. That’s the beauty of automation … it can go on and on and on and … you get the idea.
Of course we think Charlie is pretty cool, but we are a little biased.
Scroll down to see what other industry pros think of her magic reports!
Charlie lovers
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