Frequently asked questions · CONIKA for companies

01 · The scope

What exactly does the design package deliver?

The full architecture: floor plans, sections, elevations and construction details. The BIM model at LOD 300. The renders of the finished project: three up to 200 m² and six from there on, with each extra image at USD 100. And the plumbing and electrical layouts drawn as a guide on that same model.

In which formats is it delivered?

The model in IFC, the drawings in DWG and PDF, and the quantity schedules exported from the model. The engineering layouts are drawn on the same architectural base, and reviewed by the same person who drew the architecture before delivery.

Do you deliver the model in native Revit?

We work in ArchiCAD, so the package delivers IFC, the open format, which Revit reads. The native .rvt file carries a separate fee, which depends on the complexity of the project. If your BIM management needs it, say so when you book and it goes into the commercial proposal.

What is LOD 300 and why does it come up everywhere?

It is the level of detail of the model: every element carries its real size, shape, location and orientation. That is why quantities come out measured from the model, rather than counted by hand off a drawing.

Do the quantities come priced?

No. You get the quantities measured from the model. Putting unit prices on them is separate work, because it requires researching market prices in your area, and it falls outside the package. If you need it, it is quoted separately.

Is structural engineering included?

No. The package covers architecture, the BIM model, renders and the plumbing and electrical layouts. Structural is not included, in Colombia or anywhere else.

What do you need from our side to start?

The site survey and the brief. It does not include soil studies or gas networks: you provide those, or we coordinate them with a consultant.

Do you work with construction companies and developers?

Yes. The companies line is built exactly for that: builders and developers repeating the same project type. There is a discount scale for identical units, detailed in the price section.

Do you do commercial projects, like retail or offices?

Yes: retail spaces, offices and commercial spaces. The rate is the same per square metre as for housing.

02 · The seal and the code

Who signs the architecture in Colombia?

Sofía Solarte, co-founder of CONIKA and an architect with a current licence. She leads the architecture and the model, so she signs what she actually produced. That signature is included in the price.

And who does the plumbing and electrical work?

Sofía as well, as a guide drawn on the same model. That guide exists so the specialist engineer in each field can run the calculation to code and sign it without starting from scratch. Those specialists work with us and we coordinate them.

Why is the price for engineering calculation and sign-off not published?

Because it is not a fixed number: it varies with the project. It is quoted once the architectural design is approved, which is when it is clear what has to be calculated. We say so from the first conversation, so it enters your budget.

What if the project is not in Colombia?

We deliver the architecture, the model and the engineering layouts as a base, ready for a licensed professional in your country to calculate to local code, sign and seal. Licences are national, so the local seal is theirs to put.

So nothing is signed outside Colombia?

Nothing is signed by us, and that is not a limitation on our side: a professional licence has no validity outside the country that issued it. We say it up front so that cost sits in your budget from the start.

Who will we be dealing with?

With Sofía Solarte and Juan José Lima, the two co-founders, directly. Every project passes through their hands in full. When the build calls for it, they bring in the specialists needed.

03 · The price

How is the price calculated?

A base of USD 1,500 covering the start and the first 80 square metres. From there the metre is charged in bands, from USD 12.50 down to USD 4.50 on the largest projects. Each band is charged at its own rate, not the whole area at the last one, so the price per metre comes down from the very first metre: at 200 m² it is 15.00 and at 5,000 m² it is 10.06. The scope you choose is applied on that total. The full ladder is under "price in detail" on the page.

Why this price and not a lower one?

Because it is not put together per project, and it does not depend on who is asking: it is a fixed, published rate you can verify before calling us. What holds that value up is the BIM model, which is where the measured quantities of your build come from.

Which area is charged?

Covered built area. Terraces, patios and voids do not count. Parking and basements count at 50%.

What if the project grows midway?

The excess is re-quoted before carrying on, and it is put in writing. It never shows up as a charge at the end: if the scope changes, it is discussed when it changes.

Is it worth it if we are going to repeat the same type?

Yes, considerably. The first unit is at 100%, the next four at 40% each, the following five at 30%, the next ten at 20%, the following thirty at 10% and 7.5% from there on. With sixty identical units, sixty cost what ten cost, 16.4% each.

Where does that repetition scale come from?

From the serial construction scale recognised in Colombia since 1989, taken as a methodological reference. It is not a discount invented to close a sale: it is a published rule anyone can look up.

Does remodelling cost more than designing from scratch?

No, it costs less. The structure, the envelope and the siting already exist and are not designed. What is added is bringing the current state into the model, and that is not needed on a new build.

Who surveys the existing building on a remodel?

You provide it, in DWG, IFC or a drawing from a surveyor in your city. We spot-check it and model it in BIM, charged at 35% of a full survey. If the project is in Nariño, we can measure it ourselves.

We already have an architect and only need the images. Is that possible?

Yes. Each image costs from USD 125, with a minimum order of six, and it comes down if you order more: USD 115 from image 12 and USD 110 from image 20. It is done on your three-dimensional model. If you only have two-dimensional drawings, the modelling is added once: USD 250.

Does the price change depending on the country?

It depends on where the project is, not where you are. Colombia and the rest of Latin America pay the same. The rest of the world is quoted at the full rate, because architectural design is paid at another level there.

Do the values include taxes?

No. The values on the page are before taxes and do not include VAT or any applicable withholding.

The values in this section are informative and do not constitute a commercial offer. The final value is set in a signed proposal. Estimate valid for 30 days.

04 · The terms

What is the process once we book?

Four steps. You book a conversation, we talk through your project, we send you the real quote for that project or those projects and, once the contract is signed, access opens to your private portal so you can follow progress.

How long does it take?

Four to ten weeks, depending on the area and the complexity of the project.

How many revisions are included?

Two rounds per stage. Any beyond that are quoted separately.

What are the payment terms?

A 50% advance to start, 30% on delivery of the preliminary design and 20% against final delivery.

In which currency is it paid?

Values are expressed in US dollars as a unit of account. Between Colombian residents, payment is made in pesos at the rate of the invoice date.

How is the work coordinated if we are in another country?

Colombia shares working hours with almost all of the Americas: you ask in the morning and you are answered in the morning, not the next day. And on our side it is always the same two people, not a help desk.

Who owns the design?

The project is yours to build, once and on that plot. It is not assigned for replication in other developments or for resale. If your plan is to repeat the type, that is contracted from the start under the repetition scale, which also works in your favour.

Do you sign non-disclosure agreements?

Yes. If your company works with its own agreement, it is signed before you hand us any project information.

Is the contract in our company's name?

Yes. The contract is signed between your company and CONIKA, not with an individual in a personal capacity. On your side it is signed by whoever is authorised to represent the company; on ours, by Juan José Lima, who operates the studio under that trade name.

What document do we receive to support the payment?

We do not issue Colombian electronic invoices today. For a Colombian client the supporting document is agreed with your accounting team before signing, and we provide the tax ID and whatever details the rules call for. Outside Colombia a commercial invoice is issued, which is what is used to deduct a foreign supplier's expense.

What will our country withhold on what you invoice?

That is set by the law of your country, not ours, so your tax team reviews it. Colombia has double taxation treaties with several countries, which usually reduce that withholding. We provide the documentation your accountant needs in order to apply them.