The Novo Investment Guide
A plain-English guide to our Architect-Developer process, our design fees, and the Passivhaus standard behind every home we build in the Scottish Borders
Designing and constructing a home is a significant investment. For many, it is the largest financial commitment of a lifetime. Yet, it is also an emotional investment—an intimate process of creating a sanctuary that reflects your aspirations and respects our planet.
At Novo Design Studios, we believe there is a higher holistic calling than simply designing functional buildings. Our goal is to design shelter around You—improving well-being in a calm, restrained, and confident manner that enhances a sense of place.
To help you navigate the complexities of this journey, we have created the Novo Investment Guide.
What You Will Discover
This guide is not merely a brochure; it is an educational resource intended to empower you to make informed decisions about your future home.
Included
Our Six-Stage Process
We walk you through the journey from the initial Preparation + Brief—where we tease out your aspirations and dreams—through to Manufacture + Construction and the final Handover of your dream home. We outline exactly what is required of you and what you can expect from us at every step.
The Architect-Developer Advantage
We explain how bringing a high end developer’s mindset to the architectural process allows us to reject the "race to the bottom" mentality of volume house builders. Instead, we deliver assured, beautiful and innovative homes that are collaborative and personal.
A Focus on Sustainability
Learn about our commitment to Passivhaus standards—creating homes that excel in quality, energy efficiency and indoor comfort without compromising on aesthetics. We explain how we use "Cool Outside, Warm Inside" design principles to connect you with the landscape while ensuring a cozy, healthy interior.
Financial Transparency
For many a new home is the largest financial commitment that you will make. To support this commitment, we believe that the most important investment you will make is in design fees. We provide a clear breakdown of our fee structure and demonstrate how investing in high-quality information upfront saves significant sums during construction.
We prefer not to be locked into a "style," but rather an approach that is of its time. We want to build a relationship with you, teasing out what "Home" means to you emotionally.
If you would like a personal introduction to our philosophy before diving into the document, please watch the short video below. Our Founder and Director, Scott Wardlaw, walks you through the guide and explains how we merge architectural excellence with environmental sustainability.
Designing a home is an intimate process of creating a sanctuary. We created the Novo Investment Guide to peel back the curtain on our studio and help you navigate this journey.
Whether you are looking to retire responsibly in a rural location or seeking a home that enhances your health and connection to the outdoors, this guide is your first step.
We invite you to download the Novo Investment Guide today. Let us show you how we can help you realise a home that is not only a testament to architectural excellence but also a wise financial decision.
“Trust, inspired, care, considered, holistic…..just some of the words I would use to describe our experience of working with Novo to deliver a home that exceeded our expectations.”
– House 2, Owner
Clarity Backed by Expertise
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Passivhaus is a German building performance standard. It delivers a super-insulated, low-energy home with excellent air quality and thermal comfort — without relying on expensive bolt-on technology.
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Homes of the quality we design typically cost upwards of £3,000/m² to construct, on top of design fees, local authority costs and site acquisition. Every site and brief is different — our Investment Guide sets out a full worked example.
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We agree a lump-sum design fee, typically 15–20% of construction cost, covering all six stages from Preparation and Brief through to Handover. It excludes expenses such as travel and printing, and is quoted exclusive of VAT.
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Yes — strongly advised. We're intimately engaged in the detailing of a project we've spent a year or more developing, and that involvement protects your budget from the costly changes and delays that come from decisions made without us on site.
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Typically at least a year from inception to starting on site, then a further build period that depends on complexity. We use offsite construction methods to minimise time on site itself.
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Item descriptionou can, but we wouldn't advise it. Your Main Contractor's job is to sequence and coordinate the build; our role is to protect your design intent and budget throughout. Trusting the process, with us and your contractor each doing what we do best, is what our clients tell us works.
Get In Touch
If you're interested in working with us, click on the button below to complete a form with a few details about your project. We'll review your message and get back to you within 48 hours.