Working on an international project can be very rewarding, prestigious and marketable for your company if done successfully. However, if done poorly you may never be given another chance.

More and more Australian architects are working overseas and it is vital that they have an understanding of the local market, protocols and procedures. When overseas Australian firms are often required to work with local practices, and indeed operating abroad can be almost impossible without local knowledge, expertise and political contacts. When producing documents for buildings abroad, particular attention should be paid to language and law, codes and standards, local protocol and design responsibility. Other factors including climate conditions, levels of workmanship and testing procedures should also be researched and taken into consideration. If the above questions and considerations are taken into account, working overseas should not hold any illusive secrets or surprises.

Davis Langdon, which operates in 28 countries around the world, has the knowledge and experience of working in overseas markets and can advise Australian architects on how best to tackle documentation all over the globe. We can even advise on local practices who would be good as collaborative partners.

We have developed and delivered baseline specifications that reflect local practices in other countries and protocols for their market. We use the local standards, materials and building codes so the our client can be satisfied that the documents will work and be accepted by local contractors. This ensures that the local construction industry understand the design and delivers the project to the required standards.