XENO-URBAN
ARCHITECTS
SERVICES
We offer multiple individual services and combined packages to suit the unique needs and budgets of all our clients.
We can provide everything from initial design services, through to obtaining building permits and even on site support & quality control during construction.
SET SERVICE PACKAGES
Xeno-Urban Architects offers different service packages and fee structures for different types of projects. The best way to find out about the appropriate combination of services and fees for your project is to contact us today via any of the methods listed on our "Contact" page, or fill out the form via the "Get a Quote" button above. You can also book a free consultation with us to discuss your project.
For all non-residential or development projects (including multi-unit residential) we negotiate custom service packages based on the unique needs of the client and project.
For all projects below R5 million in construction value, we work on time-based fees (hourly rates). This gives us maximum flexibility to provide all the necessary services to ensure the success of the project, but cut out any unnecessary services to keep costs as low as possible. It also removes the friction that comes with changes in scope that commonly cause large shifts in the construction value of such small projects which makes other forms of professional fees unsuitable.
For all residential projects above R5 million in value, we have created a set of three unique service packages that include everything necessary to ensure project success with exquisite quality design. Pricing is based on estimated project value at the outset, but the different packages have different price points and inclusions to suite the unique needs and budgets of all our clients. The included services are also sometimes customised based on unique project factors, but the typical packages are outlined in more detail below:
List of Services Included | Essential Package | Enhanced Package | Elite Package |
|---|---|---|---|
A high quality custom building design | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Complete Vision Discovery Process | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Sketch Plans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Unlimited exterior 3D Renders & flythroughs (Concept Stage) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Unlimited Revisions during Concept Stage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Limited number of hours of free revisions included | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Indicative interior renders of 3 select spaces | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Elemental Estimate from professional Quantity Surveyor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
BOQ from professional Quantity Surveyor | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assistance in appointing other consultants | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Liaise with and direct Structural Engineer | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Liaise with and direct Quantity Surveyor during construction | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Liaise with Interior Designer | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Energy Efficiency calculations | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Energy Efficiency compliant glazing schedules | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Everything necessary for council approval | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Submission to & Liaising with Estate HOA (if applicable) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Submission to & Liaising with Municipality | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Basic construction drawings | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Ceiling & Hot Water Layouts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Lighting Layouts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Electrical layouts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Sewer Drainage Layouts | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Detailed construction drawings & specifications | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Detailed Door & Window schedules | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Issueing additional information/drawings during construction | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Co-ordinate other consultant's changes during construction | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
General advice on contracting and disputes | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Regular site inspections & quality reports | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Liaise with main contractor as needed | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Attending construction progress meetings | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Lead, record & minute all site meetings | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Check sub-contract shop drawings for design intent | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Qualifying and vetting contractors for inclusion in tender process | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Formulating & issuing tender documentation | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Obtaining, assessing and advising on tenders for the construction | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Drawing up & arranging signing of Construction Contract | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Administration of construction contract as the Principal Agent | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Reviewing and approving payment valuations | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Reviewing & adjudicating contractual claims | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Mediating contractual disputes | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Issueing completion lists and certificates | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Preparation of documentation for handover & operation | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
Which package is right for your project?
Essential Package
The Essential Package covers everything needed to get a well-designed home approved and ready to build. It includes our complete Vision Discovery Process, sketch plans, unlimited exterior 3D renders and flythroughs during the concept stage, unlimited concept revisions, and an elemental estimate from a professional quantity surveyor. On the technical side you get energy efficiency calculations and compliant glazing schedules, basic construction drawings including ceiling, hot water, lighting, electrical and sewer drainage layouts. We cover everything necessary for council approval, including submission to and liaison with both the municipality and your estate's HOA where applicable. We assist in appointing your other consultants and direct the structural engineer.
The Essential Package ends at municipal approval, but if you want further involvement like site inspections and resolving changes the occur during construction, we can still assist where needed at hourly rates. It suits clients who have a trusted builder, are confident managing the build themselves, or just want to reduce costs on architectural fees.
Enhanced Package
The Enhanced Package includes everything in Essential and adds the documentation and oversight that protect the design once building starts. You get detailed construction drawings and specifications, detailed door and window schedules, and a full bill of quantities from a professional quantity surveyor — which gives contractors a far more accurate basis to price from and removes much of the guesswork that causes cost disputes later.
During construction we issue additional information and drawings as needed, coordinate changes made by other consultants, carry out regular site inspections with written quality reports, liaise with your main contractor, and provide general advice on contracting and disputes. Enhanced is the right choice for most clients building a home they intend to live in if they really care about protecting the quality of the design all the way through execution.
Elite Package
The Elite Package includes everything in Enhanced and adds full contract administration, with Xeno-Urban acting as Principal Agent. We handle the tender process end to end: qualifying and vetting contractors, formulating and issuing tender documentation, and obtaining, assessing and advising on the tenders received. We then draw up and arrange signing of the construction contract and administer it throughout the build. On site we attend all construction progress meetings and lead, record and minute them, check sub-contractor shop drawings against the design intent, and direct the quantity surveyor during construction. We review and approve payment valuations, review and adjudicate contractual claims, and mediate contractual disputes. At the end we issue completion lists and certificates and prepare the documentation for handover and operation. The Elite Package suits large or complex projects, clients who are not on site regularly or live elsewhere, and anyone who wants a single professional accountable for the entire process from tender to handover to ensure maximum quality control while reducing the stress and workload for the client to the greatest extent possible.
Additional services
The following is a non-exhaustive list of additional services which Xeno-Urban Architects can offer:
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An Interactive Virtual Twin of the building
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Virtual Reality demonstrations of the design
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Detailed and specific high quality interior renders
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Detailed tiling layouts
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Detailed paving Layouts
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Detailed design of unusual or intricate interior elements
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Detailed Landscape and garden design
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Detailed joinery design
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Detailed Calculations of Variation Orders (Normally done by QS)
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Detailed BOQ Valuations (Normally done QS)
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Any involvement with Health and Safety work/ consultants
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Liaising with client's direct, nominated and selected subcontractors
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Liaising with Building Inspectors to obtain an occupation certificate
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Building Line Relaxation Application
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Assistance in obtaining OSCA permits
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Assistance in obtaining tree removal permits
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Assistance with applications related to environmental protections.
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Assistance with rezoning applications
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Assistance with consent use applications
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Assistance with other Town Planning related activities
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Assistance with applications for unusual licenses or permits
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Assistance with legal proceedings (eg. Reports, expert witness, etc.)
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Choosing and specifying specific sanitary ware
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Choosing/specifying electrical accessories (eg. plugs, switches & lights)
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Choosing/specifying ironmongery (eg. Handles, locks, etc.)
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Choosing specific products as finishes (eg. Paint colours, tiles, etc.)
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Drawing and obtaining approval on ‘as-built’ structures which deviated from the plans
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Procurement of products from suppliers
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Liaising with heritage preservation authorities
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Wayfinding and signage design
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Creating marketing material
Feel free to enquire with us if you are interested in any additional services at any time.
UNIQUE FEATURES
What Sets Xeno-Urban Architects Apart?
At Xeno-Urban Architects, we don’t just design luxury homes — we’ve created a finely tuned, step-by-step system built specifically for high-end residential projects. Our process delivers the kind of quality, clarity and care that makes the building journey smoother and more successful than clients can get from our competitors.
Our packages include the following unique features:
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Vision Discovery Process
We guide you through a creative, collaborative journey using mood boards, image surveys, 3D mass models and sketch renders — all to craft a design that’s deeply personal and tailored to your style.
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Comprehensive Budget Planning
We help you create a clear, realistic budget from the start. This is followed up with cost estimates of the design in progress, done by a Professional Quantity Surveyor who is an expert in the field of project costing. This is already included in our service packages at no extra cost, meaning our clients automatically get a level of predictability on project costs far beyond what is offered by conventional architectural services.
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Unlimited Exterior 3D Renders & Walkthroughs
See your design come to life before a brick is laid, with full exterior renders and virtual walkthroughs included in the Concept Design phase. We do this in-house at no extra costs and revise the renders as needed too.
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Unlimited Revisions during Concept Design Stage
We will keep revising the concept design stage of the project at no extra cost until our client loves it and is willing to move on to the next stage.
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Personal Attention from Experienced Senior Professionals
We accept only a limited number of projects at a time, so every client is sure to get direct attention from our experienced Principal Architect.
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Exclusive Contractor Network
We connect you with trusted, skilled local builders — a rare advantage in the Garden Route.
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Always Responsive
Every project has more than one assigned team member, ensuring continuity, reliability and quick turnaround times
gUARANTEES
We’re confident in the service we deliver — so confident, in fact, that we offer guarantees you won’t find anywhere else in the industry:
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Satisfaction Guarantee (Design Stage)
If you’re not 100% satisfied with the concept design, we’ll revise it until you are, at no additional cost.
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Money-Back Guarantee
If you’re not happy to keep working with us after getting the sketch design at the end of the “Vision Discovery Process”, we’ll only keep half of the concept-stage payment and pay back everything else, no questions asked. That’s a 90% refund on the full services fee!
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Uniqueness Guarantee
Every design is one-of-a-kind, created specifically for your site, lifestyle, and vision — never copied, never off-the-shelf.
services faq'S
What is the difference between the three service packages?
All three include the full design process, energy efficiency compliance and everything necessary for council approval. The Essential Package stops at approval. The Enhanced Package adds detailed construction documentation, a bill of quantities and regular site inspections during the build. The Elite Package adds full contract administration, with us acting as Principal Agent — running the tender process, administering the construction contract, and managing valuations, claims and handover.
Read more: Service Packages
Can you quote me on more than one of the service packages?
We automatically quote on all of them unless we've specifically determined that this would not be appropriate for the specific project. We do this so you can see the full range of options rather than a single figure with nothing to compare it against. Our Services page carries a matrix showing exactly which services are included in and excluded from each package.
Can I start with a smaller package and upgrade later?
Yes. Our quoting system is structured so you can begin with a less expensive package and move up to a more comprehensive one later in the process. You don't have to commit at the outset to construction-stage involvement you may not be sure you need — the option stays open as the project develops and you get a clearer sense of how much support you want.
Can I start with a smaller package and upgrade later?
Yes. Our quoting system is structured so you can begin with a less expensive package and move up to a more comprehensive one later in the process. You don't have to commit at the outset to construction-stage involvement you may not be sure you need — the option stays open as the project develops and you get a clearer sense of how much support you want.