---
title: Design Consultancy | CI Design, Christchurch
description: Independent design consultancy for councils, developers and project teams across New Zealand — feasibility, peer review and strategic advice from a landscape architecture specialist.
image: https://cidesign.nz/hubfs/Images/Logo/CI.Logo.png.png
---

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Service 05 · An outside perspective, on your terms

# An independent view *before* you commit

Design consultancy is standalone expert advice — feasibility studies, peer review, expert opinion and strategic guidance on a project, a design, or a decision. Not tied to any one discipline, and not dependent on commissioning further design work.

[Talk to us about your project](https://cidesign.nz/contact?hsLang=en) [See all services](https://cidesign.nz/service?hsLang=en)

05

Independent advice, scoped to the question at hand

1–1

Direct access to a senior consultant, not a junior reviewer

No lock-in

Stands on its own — no obligation to continue into further design work

What it is

## The right question, answered before you spend on the wrong one

Design consultancy is advice scoped to what you actually need — a feasibility study before land is purchased, a peer review of another team's design, or strategic guidance on a decision a board or council has to make. There's no requirement to commission full design work alongside it.

It's a standalone engagement, sized to the question rather than a full project. What it covers depends entirely on the brief — the point is an independent, considered opinion, delivered clearly enough to act on.

![Design consultant reviewing site plans and feasibility options with a client](https://cidesign.nz/hubfs/Images/Site%20Photos/English_Garden.jpg) Specialist advice scoped to the decision at hand, not a full design commission

Who it's for

## Wherever a decision needs an expert eye on it

Consultancy comes up most often before a commitment is made — land purchase, design sign-off, or a direction that's hard to reverse once it's set.

Councils & public bodies

Independent peer review of proposals, or expert opinion to support a committee or consent decision.

Residential & commercial developers

Feasibility studies on land before purchase or investment, testing what a site can realistically support.

Architects & planners

Specialist landscape input on a project already being led by another design team.

Boards & community organisations

Independent advice to support a funding case, a strategic decision, or due diligence before commitment.

Schools & education

A second opinion on a masterplan or concept before it goes to the board for sign-off.

Why it's worth doing properly

## What good consultancy actually buys you

Not a formality — an independent check that can save far more than it costs, before a decision is locked in.

01

Risk caught early

Site or design issues flagged before budget, time or reputation are committed to them.

02

A genuinely independent opinion

Advice that isn't shaped by an existing stake in the project's direction.

03

Faster, more confident decisions

Clear, evidence-based recommendations a board or committee can actually act on.

04

Senior expertise on tap

Direct access to an experienced consultant, without the overhead of a full design team.

05

Scoped, not open-ended

A defined piece of advice with a clear brief and cost — no scope creep into full delivery.

06

A clear path forward, if you want it

Findings that can become the brief for full design work later, with no obligation to continue.

How we work

## A four-step approach, scoped to your question

01

Brief & scope

We agree exactly what question needs answering, what's in scope, and what a useful outcome looks like.

02

Review & analysis

We assess the site, the design, or the material provided, drawing on relevant experience and evidence.

03

Findings & recommendations

A clear, plain-language report or briefing your board, team or council can actually act on.

04

Presentation & next steps

We present findings to your team or stakeholders, and set out what — if anything — should happen next.

In practice

## Where this shows up in our work

Consultancy engagements sit outside our regular project delivery — a feasibility study ahead of a land purchase, a peer review requested by a council or board, or strategic advice on a decision that hasn't yet become a design brief. Each one is scoped on its own terms. See our [full project portfolio](https://cidesign.nz/project?hsLang=en) for the design work consultancy sometimes leads into.

Common questions

## Design consultancy, explained

What does design consultancy actually involve?

It's independent, expert input into a project without necessarily delivering full design work — feasibility studies, peer review of another team's design, strategic advice on land use or staging, or expert opinion for a board, funder or council process.

How is consultancy different from engaging CI Design for full design services?

Full design services take a project from concept through to construction documentation. Consultancy is narrower and often shorter — a specific question answered, a design reviewed, a feasibility assessed — useful when you need expert input but not a full design team.

Can consultancy include a feasibility or peer review?

Yes — feasibility studies and peer review of another consultant's design are common consultancy engagements, particularly where a board, funder or council needs an independent opinion before committing to a direction.

Is design consultancy billed differently to design delivery?

Usually, yes — consultancy is often scoped as a fixed piece of advice or a set number of hours, rather than a fee tied to construction value like a full design commission. We'll always confirm the basis for a specific engagement before starting.

Can consultancy work lead into full design engagement later?

Often, yes. A feasibility study or strategic review frequently sets up the brief for full design work that follows — but there's no obligation to continue, and consultancy engagements stand on their own.

Every consultancy engagement is led directly by a senior member of the team — no handoff to a junior reviewer.

[Meet the team](https://cidesign.nz/team?hsLang=en)

## Need an independent view before you *commit*?

Bring us in for a scoped piece of advice — feasibility, peer review, or strategic guidance — with no obligation to continue.

[Get in touch](https://cidesign.nz/contact?hsLang=en) [Explore all services](https://cidesign.nz/service?hsLang=en)

![CI Design logo](https://cidesign.nz/hubfs/Images/Logo/CI.Logo.png.png) CI Design

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