Architects in Zanzibar: design from plot survey to working drawings
We handle architecture and design for new houses, villas and small hotels in Zanzibar, from a written brief to drawings a builder can work from. If you are comparing architects in Zanzibar, ask what the set contains: ours covers the plot survey, working drawings and a bill of quantities. We work in Zanzibar only.
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What we do when you need architects in Zanzibar
We design the building and draw it in enough detail to be permitted, priced and built. Structure, water, drainage and power are worked out with the plans, not added at the end.
Work starts on the plot itself. We take levels and note the access road, views, orientation and neighbouring walls, because these decide where bedrooms, terraces and windows go. For Swahili details, our guide to Swahili house design helps you gather references.
Structural design is part of the drawing set, and the quotation states who prepares and signs each drawing. Who may prepare and sign permit drawings is a legal question, covered in our guide to the building permit in Zanzibar.
If you also ask us to build, the same drawings go to the site manager for villa construction or house construction, with no redrawing. For what a dated stage record looks like, see a villa site photographed stage by stage.
What is included, from plot survey to working drawings
This is the full scope when the work is taken through to construction.
Included
- A written brief, agreed before the first sketch
- A measured plot survey with levels, access, trees and neighbouring walls
- Layout options with simple three-dimensional views
- Plans, sections, elevations and a roof plan of the chosen option
- The drawing set for your permit application
- Structural, plumbing, drainage and electrical drawings, coordinated with the architecture
- Working drawings, door and window schedules and a bill of quantities
Not included
- We build on a plot you already hold.
- Construction, unless you also ask us to build
- Interior design and loose furniture: a separate service
- Work on sites outside Zanzibar
How the design work goes, from brief to working drawings
The work runs in seven steps, and you approve each one before the next begins.
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Design brief
We go through rooms, storeys, guests or staff, outdoor space and the budget you set.
You receive: A written brief you confirm before any sketch.
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Plot survey
We measure the plot, take levels across the slope and record access, trees, neighbouring walls, orientation and views.
You receive: A survey drawing with levels and notes.
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Layout options
We sketch more than one arrangement of rooms, with simple three-dimensional views to compare.
You receive: Sketch plans and views, with notes on each option.
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Design development
The chosen option is refined: room sizes, openings, roof form, levels and landscape.
You receive: Plans, sections, elevations and a roof plan to approve.
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Permit drawings
From the approved design we prepare the set a permit application needs.
You receive: A permit drawing set ready for submission.
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Structure and services
Foundations, beams and the roof slab are sized, and water, drainage and electrical layouts are checked so pipes and beams do not clash. Who signs the structural drawings is stated in the quotation.
You receive: Structural and services drawings that match the plans, as part of the drawing set.
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Working drawings and quantities
Walls, slabs, stairs, doors and windows are detailed for construction, then every item is measured.
You receive: Detailed drawings, schedules and a bill of quantities.
How design fits into the whole build, up to handover, is set out in our process.
What decides the time and cost of architectural design
The design fee and time follow from how much has to be drawn, checked and redrawn.
| Factor | Why it matters | What we need from you |
|---|---|---|
| Size and number of buildings | Each extra building or storey adds plans, sections and engineering. | A rough room list and the number of buildings. |
| Slope and shape of the plot | A sloping or narrow plot needs more levels, steps and retaining walls to draw. | The plot location and any survey you hold. |
| Roof form to draw and detail | Each roof form adds its own structural drawings and edge details to draw and check, and mixing forms on one building adds both. | Your preferred roof form, or example pictures. |
| Redrawing after the layout is agreed | A late change is redrawn through plans, structure and services, checked again, and the quantities are measured again. | Decisions on rooms and budget before the layout is fixed. |
| How far the drawings go | A permit set alone is less work than a full working set with quantities. | Permit stage only, or through to construction. |
For the build itself, see how a building estimate is made up.
What we need from you to start the design
Your plot location, a few photos of it and what you want to build are what the design brief starts from.
- Plot location: a map pin or the name of the area
- Plot size and any survey or drawings you have
- Photos of the plot from each side and from the road
- What you want to build: rooms, storeys, pool, guest or staff areas
- Pictures of buildings or details you like
- Design only, or design and build with us
- A budget range, if you have one
Questions about architects in Zanzibar
Can I hire a ZNZ architect for drawings only and build with someone else?
Design can be ordered on its own: the service ends when you receive the drawing set and the bill of quantities. The people who prepare and sign the drawings are named in our quotation. Any builder can price from the same quantities, so quotations are easier to compare.
How much do Zanzibar architects charge to design a house?
We do not publish a design fee. It depends on the size of the building, the plot and how far the work goes: permit set only, or full working drawings. Send the location, a rough room list and pictures you like, and we reply with a written fee proposal for each stage.
How long does it take to design a villa in Zanzibar?
The rounds of drawings set the pace: layout options, each revision of the chosen design and the structural check behind it all wait for your comments before the next round. A brief settled early and quick approvals shorten it. No standard period is given before the brief is confirmed; then we agree a stage-by-stage schedule in writing.
Can you work from drawings I already have?
Yes. We check them against a site survey and list what is missing, such as levels, structure, drainage or schedules. You get that list with a quotation to complete it. If the set is complete enough to build from, we prepare a build estimate instead.
Do I need to be in Zanzibar while the house is being designed?
No. The brief and each review can run by video call and WhatsApp, with drawings sent as PDF files you can mark up. We carry out the plot survey on site without you. A visit to walk the plot together helps, but the work can go ahead without one.
Send the location, a few photos and the rooms you have in mind, and we reply with questions on the brief.
Request an estimate