• 14th May 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

      End of week 15. Approaching lock up stage with windows to original section of home installed, windows to new section installed this week to be followed by cladding. Hopefully this time next week the exterior shell will be predominantly complete and ready to begin fitout.

      Know what you are specifying
      Every builder works differently, some like everything to be detailed and described to the last screw and nail, some prefer minimal documents and the ability to 'develop' the design with the Architect and owner during the build process. My advice to clients has always been the former, generally because it tends to result in less confusion, a more accurate price and a better understanding for the client before they begin of the eventual design outcome.

      For this method to be successful however you need to know 'what' to specify and 'how' to specify it if a specific product or detail is important to the design outcome. For any specific product or material your builder will need to know, in order to supply the correct item, the following as a minimum. What is the material? What dimensions, product code does it have? What finish is requested? How is the product/ material to be fixed? What colour is required?

      As an example, our external lightweight cladding on the project has been specified as follows: "External grade 170mm Baltic Pine classic profile weatherboards. Prime on site and nail fix in accordance with Australian Standards to 35mm batten substrate. Block in and mitre external corners. Apply two finish top coats of Dulux Weathershield (colour to be determined) in a low sheen finish. As you can see, little room for interpretation, meaning a known outcome for the owner and Architect.

      Had we been more general, and specified 'timber weatherboards' the choice would have been the builders as to what he supplied, as long as he supplied 'timber weatherboards. How big, how they are fixed and finished...entirely up to them which takes the design control away from the owner.

      Primed weatherboards ready for install



      7th May 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

      End of week 14. Beginning to start on the detail works now. Last week saw most of the plumbing, electrical and gas roughing in completed. Cladding has been delivered to site, windows arrive this week and we should be at lock up stage within a week or two from here. Also giving us some peace of mind, our retaining wall is now back filled and the neighbours site is back to normal. Good to have some dry weather.

      The value of a resolved design
      Many people who have not worked with Architects before often ask us to demonstrate to them what value an Architect will bring to their project. Unfortunately we rarely win work when this is one of the first questions asked, not because we can't demonstrate our value of course, but because I believe people asking this question have already made up their mind that the service is a nice to have but not essential. I am a realist when it comes to the involvement of an Architect on a project and agree that not every design project requires the services of an Architect. I also note however that not everybody needs to drive  an Audi A5, because a Hyundai Getz does the same thing...right?

      My point being, it comes back to what the brief is and what the clients expectations of their finished project is. Do you want a fully integrated solution where eveything has been coordinated and responsive to your brief, or do you want the 'industry standard' because that will get you 70% there and that's good enough. Only the client can answer that question. We find it much easier to work with clients who have built before, or have worked with an Architect before as they have seen the process at work and the benefits of the consultancy. So remember a complete, resolved and integrated design solution specific to your needs is the value your Architect should add. If you don't require that, buy yourself a basic small car.

      View from extension through main hallway of existing home.


      30th April April 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

      End of week 13. We have reached the halfway mark! 13 weeks down, 13 weeks to go. When we first began our builder was aiming to give himself 1/2 the program to get to lock up and the other 1/2 to concentrate on internal works. We are probably about a week behind this schedule but still plenty of time to catch up. It has been a fairly smooth run to date, excepting one or two hiccups and some horrendous weather to start but nothing catostrophic.

      The Builders Program
      It can often be frustrating over the course of a build when you notice from time to time that the builder is not on site, or it is raining and you are wondering why can't they be working inside or things generally may seem to be going slow? We have been asked these questions from some of our clients in the past, and typically our response is that is remains the builders responsibility to organise and manage how your home is to be built. The most important things are that he/ she builds in accordance with the documents and finishes when they are due to finish. How they get there is generally up to them.

      You may find your builder not present each day of the week as they are generally running a few projects at once to keep their cashflow consistent, and are most likely organising a fleet of subcontractors to ensure they will attend site when required to complete their various components, and very importantly, their various components in order. If you start to instruct a builder to 'forget about finishing the walls, start inside until it stops raining' you could be opening a can of worms that leads to problems down the track.

      As an example we have had some rain recently which has slowed the installation of our retaining wall. Without our retaining wall we cannot backfill, and without our backfill our neighbours yard is not completely usable as it was before we started work. Based on this we were a little anxious, due solely to the inconvenience to our neighbour (who has been fantastic). We had the opportunity to waterproof the wall before it was core filled and to backfill a day later. Although we may have saved a week, not a good idea. Waterproofing before core filling can breach the waterproofing, and backfilling before the concrete has set could result in a structural breach of the wall. So remember let your architect 'design' your project, but let the 'builder' manage the timing and coordination its construction as this remains their responsibility.

      Sunny morning view across the rear yard from the upstairs main bedroom.



      23rd April 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

      End of week 12. This week has been one I'd rather forget. Torrential rain, site erosion, concerned neighbours, further delays, waterlogged site and tired builder.....need I say more. Good news is no real disasters.

      The Emotional Roller Coaster that is building
      We mention to all our clients prior to a project starting on site that the following months are likely to be exciting and filled with expectation, but at the same time stressful, anxious and frustrating in some form or another. It sounds quite nihilistic, but very realistic in our experience.

      What we are finding on our own build is that it is the things that you cannot control that tend to cause these feelings. Weather for one, neighbours for another and builders subcontractors to complete the picture. As hard as it can be I was once told to 'worry about the things you can control, and not about the things you can't'. Easy thing to say, but good advice to take. Also, don't take on any stress that is not your own, that's the very reason you have an Architect and a builder to manage the issues as they arise.

      Remember once all is complete and you are enjoying the project on completion, all those minor hiccups along the way will be forgotten and the benefits on all the hard work and anxiety can be enjoyed. Prepare yourself for an emotional roller coaster, but also prepare yourself to enjoy it all at the end.

      PS. Pretty sure this weeks blog is as much a note to self as it is to those following our progress......let's hope for blue skies ahead!

      Rear yard retaining wall/ boundary fence ready for filling



      16th April 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

      End of week 11. All superstructure now complete, its amazing how much a new roof finish will change the look of a property. Retaining structure to rear yard being poured and laid this week, with a new stair access to cut in from the street the only structural site works left to be completed.

      Proportion vs Size
      We often get asked the question by potential clients what principles govern the way we design. Through 9 years of practice we have found, apart from the sound design pillars of environmental efficiency and rational use of space, that a concentration on proportion permeates throughout our work. I am a strong believer that spaces can be too big. With the trend to open plan living many people take the approach that if I'm going to do a combined living/ dining/ kitchen that it should be as big as I can make it. This approach often results in our experience in soul-less spaces where furniture looks out of scale and that sense of comfort can be lost. We prefer to concentrate on the proportion of a space when designing, ensuring there is thinking along the way as to how the space is to be furnished, what its use will be and what sort of atmosphere we are looking to create.

      In the case of our own renovation we could have made our living area alot larger in footprint, but instead chose to restrict its size to suit what furniture we wanted to put in the space. In doing this we have also made the ceiling heights slightly higher (consistent with the proportion of the old part of the home we are retaining) which maintains a 'sense of space' without having sparse and cold areas. Remember, bigger is not always better, correct proportion can be a far more influential design tool in creating an atmosphere.

      Site levelled, blocks delivered for retaining wall, new roof tiles in background



      10th April 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

      End of week 10. All roof coverings now on which is a great milestone to reach with the start we had weather wise. Most of the site works now also complete. Had a good chance over the easter break to spend some time on site with the family looking around. Its amazing what sort of things you find in the subfloor of a 1920's home with 6 and 7 year old explorers.

      Keeping the neighbours informed
      Living and renovating in any suburban area ultimately involves neighbours. In our case we are reasonably lucky being on a corner we only have 2 close neighbours, with only one of these sharing a boundary with us. Our experience working for our clients on other projects notes that the smallest of things can really annoy some people. All building processes are messy, noisy and involve the management of many people making it almost impossible to ensure everybody does the right thing and nobody gets upset by those who don't.

      Our neighbours have been great with us and very accommodating, especially our closest neighbour who has allowed us to cut back part of their land to ensure our retaining wall is properly waterproofed and founded. Because of this understanding we will be taking the time to replant along this boundary at our cost to ensure the finished product is a good outcome for all. We believe our neighbours want to do the right thing, is due in a great part to our open communication with them and our builders attitude to listening to their concerns and any particular reasonable requests they have. Remember, you may be living next to these people for a long time, last thing you want to do is get off on the wrong foot before you move in.

      Where the new meets the old. The location of our new kitchen.


      2nd April 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

      End of week 9. Things continue to progress to program, which at this stage of the job is ideal. Most of the old roof has now been stripped and re tiled with only some minor tiling, capping and finishing to be completed. Rear yard is being levelled today.

      Services intergration
      One thing that often gets missed during detail design is the integration of services, or atleast the successful integration of services. Plumbing routes, electrical supply, gas lines etc all need to be pre planned, during the design process, to make sure that once construction starts they have been thought about, by your Architect, and therefor integrated into the works. Many of these services need to be laid out and points decided upon before your slab is poured or your walls and roof framed up. It is always a good idea to maintain some flexibility with things like gas and power point locations for example, but equally you would be well served to have thought about where televisions are likely to be located, where you need your heaters and how you intend on planning your kitchen. With plumbing, things are less likely to change. To avoid unsightly bulkheads (to hide plumbing for example) make sure your design allows for things like plumbing stacks from levels above, and the ability if needed some space within your roof for plumbing to be redirected to a suitable point for stacks to be located on the levels below. In our case we have hidden a vertical plumbing stack from our ensuite on the first floor behind space we had available in the kitchen joinery below.

      Steel beam spanning location of rear door suite in place



      26th March 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

      End of week 8. Another week of good weather has seen the project progress well. An exciting week awaits with the rear yard to be completely levelled and the old section of the home having its roof replaced. Now that will make things look a bit different!

      The importance of Documenting the detail
      This week we have started to discuss a few of the finer details with our builder including works to a new staircase that I am quite particular about the detailing of. The contract drawings note details of this stair to a point. Enough for the 'general intent' of the stair to be understood by the detail carpenter, and enough for the pricing to be established. Further to this, I have spent a few hours on site with the carpenter discussing those details that are difficult to draw, unless you want to document everything at a scale of 1:1 that is.....Things like connections, shadow lines, fixings to be used, grade and species of timber...and the list goes on.

      To deal with these issues we usually note our documents to state that 'shop drawings' (dimensionally accurate technical drawings) need to be supplied by the contractor/ supplier for the architects approval prior to manufacture, which is exactly what we have done here. Coupled with this is a written specification that governs the quality of the install. Always give yourself the chance to review design decisions on the things that you are likely to be particular about by meeting regularly with your builder, documenting accordingly and having a clear specification as part of your contract documents. Dont rely on the drawings alone and/ or your builders interpretation of what they 'think you meant'.

      Framing for upstairs bedroom looking out cross the golf course



      19th March 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

       

      End of week 7. Another good week of weather has seen some real progress on site. Although it has taken close to six weeks to get ourselves to the ground floor slab level, it has only taken 2-3 days to have the entire rear extension timber framework erected. The volume of the home is now apparent as is the scale of the building.

       

      The Reality of Drawn Dimensions on site

      We have had a couple of issues on site this week where the dimensions as drawn do not match the dimensions as built. With old houses this is not uncommon. For whatever reason walls never seem to be square to each other, and as easy as it is with computer drafting packages to get things millimeter accurate in the office, it is not the reality when you have a concrete mixer pouring tonnes of concrete on a building site! This level of accuracy and 'design contingency' that should be built into any good design changes based on the trade you are working at the time. For instance joinery install has a higher level of required accuracy than concrete pouring does as an example. Either way, it is always good to allow for tolerance in building design to allow for the reality of the site conditions. Your designer should understand the nature of materials (do they expand and contract, will they deteriorate quicker than a material they are in close contact with?) and the process of building to truly do this well. In our case so far so good, a few things built slightly different to the way they were drawn, but importantly still maintaining the practical amenity and design intent.

       

      Rear extension timber framing substantially complete

       


       

      13th March 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

       

      End of week 6. Good to see the sun shine! Today will be our first milestone with the concrete slab for the rear extension prepared and ready for pouring later today. This is the first kind of 'pouring' we are happy about to date!

       

      Perception of Size

      For many, it is very difficult to get a sense of the size of something without seeing it actually built. What is even more confusing is that things tend to seem alot smaller than they actually are until they become enclosed. We have had projects in the past where the slab has been poured and the clients have become anxious about' how small' the building is. Our experience tells us to wait until the space becomes enclosed, only then do you get a real feel for the size and proportion of a space, and on all occasions to date or clients anxiousness has passed. The same looks true for our extension with the slab looking small. I've told myself to wait a few months before passing judgment on the architect!

       

      Provisional Sums in Contracts

      This week we had our first discussion with the builder about costs to deal with an under estimation on their part in the amount of soil that needs to leave the site. This will cost money to remove. From our perspective, the excavation component of the build was not agreed to be a 'provisional allowance' by the builder to be confirmed when known exactly as it was a reasonably straightforward scope to establish. Based on this, this item is a cost for the builder to absorb.

       

      A provisional allowance is an estimate made at the time of the contract signing for a particular trade or item that is not reasonably known at the time. Builders often prefer provisional allowances as it takes some time out of a tender process and some pressure off the builder to get their pricing as accurate as possible. There are of course good and fair reasons for establishing provisional sums. Our experience tells us that provisional sums should be established for things that the client or the architect can reasonably control such as fixtures selections, planting, appliances etc. Our advice would be to try and avoid provisional allowances for labour or work items involving quantities, (quantity of soil to be cut, filled and ultimately removed as an example). It is in the clients interest for the builder to be responsible for this as it is something out of the clients control. Coupled with this, it is important to be reasonable with your builder. If there is a sound reason for the builder to propose a provisional sum (if a particular item of work is difficult to establish due to lack of information at the time of tendering) it would be fair for you to agree.

       

      Reinforcement in and formwork up for slab ready to be poured

       


       

      5th March 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

       

      End of week 5. OK, this 'La Nina' event is really becoming 'La Annoying'. Seasonally unusually precipitation I believe is the term. 5 weeks into a 26 week program and we have lost 6 days to rain which is 20% of our program to date. Luckily we have a great builder who has tried to catch up time on Saturdays where we can. Good news is we are now out of the ground and the back end of the house atleast is starting to take shape. Slab for rear extension is due to be poured this week and from there things should take shape relatively quickly.

       

      Note 5: This week I wanted to talk about the roles during a building process. If you have ever built or renovated before you will understand that buildings don't get built by one person. They are a result of various different trades with various different skills. Your 'builder' is the person who does not necessarily build anything, but, coordinates all these trades to make sure things happen on program and in the right order. This is a valuable and important skill, so choose a person with good people and organisational skills. What your builder will not do however is design anything.

       

      It is almost impossible to predict the series of design decisions that need to be made during your build process. It is also almost impossible for your architect or designer to predict the decisions that need to be made and therefor try and document through drawings a course of action prior. Based on our experience also, we would suggest that there is still a good percentage of a building to be 'designed' even after you have started building. As an example, on our build last week design decisions needed to be made about, finished heights of retaining walls based on slight changes due to site conditions, alignment of walls due to the same reason, finishes to external wall where the old house meets the new....and the list goes on. To date I would say we speak to our builder once or twice a day answering questions he has to ensure he gets the build right and responds to the design intent we are trying to create.

       

      Remember, your builder is a builder, and not a designer. Just the same as your designer is a designer and not a builder! If the little things that matter are important to you make sure you are prepared to make those design decisions or have some body like your architect/ designer represent and advise you on these things as this is their area of expertise. Also, listen to your builder as a good one will also explain buildability issues and work with your architect to achieve the design intent, even if this is through a different build method. On the flip side to this, don't let them talk you into an alternate method because it is 'easier' for them as the design may well suffer.

       

      Rear garden retaining wall setting the level for the backyard underway.

       

       

      27th February 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

       

       

      End of week 4. After almost a month of demolition and asbestos removal, last week saw the first 'new building' elements put in place. Exciting to see some progress in a forward direction. The site resembles a war zone at present reminding me of alot of the landscape I encountered in East Timor rebuilding schools for the World Bank back in 2000 after the Indonesian incursions into Dili. Luckily though our excavation didn't uncover any land mines!

       

      I haven't been able to help myself during the build to date having visited the site just about every afternoon on my way home from work. I have made it at times when the builder is not there just to make sure he doesn't see me as some sort of control freak. What it has enabled though, is for me to review decisions made during the design process and really assess their effectiveness on site. Although the majority of the decisions made remain sound we have altered minor things along the way due to my intimate knowledge of the build as it progresses.

       

      Note 4: Keep yourself informed during the progress of your build. After all your contract is between you and your builder and your knowledge of their progress and completion is important for your ability to determine whether what they are claiming is consistent with the work complete. Regular contact with your builder and visits to the site on a regular basis enables you to understand why the builder may make certain decisions and also put you in a better position to see whether things can be altered to better suit the actual conditions on the site. Depending on how your project is procured, it also gives you the confidence to be sure when you receive any payment claims from your builder, that they are consistent with the work complete.

       

      First bricks laid including underpinning of part of the house remaining

       


       

      20th February 2012 - Case Study - 'The Spearmint Castle' Pittwater Road North Manly

       

      End of week 3. Demolition continues, footing trenches dug out, masonry deliveries beginning. It has been great to have our first uninterrupted week. No days lost to rain at last! You can really start to see the shape of the rear yard beginning to reveal itself. It will be perfect for backyard cricket thats for sure!.

       

      As we see our beloved spearmint castle gradually be dismantled, the more we seem to have become attached to it. As all the scrub from the rear yard has been removed and the inevitable 'getting out of the ground' variations have raised their ugly head we have started to think about how we can retain some remnants of what once was. When the job is complete, without some deliberate efforts, we could lose all sense of what was once there. Based on this we have made a few decisions to tear off some of the render and re expose the original sandstone building base to our southern side, and also reuse a number of original sandstock bricks that at present make up our rear yard retaining wall, which has long been in decline. With some careful demolition and a bit of hard work they will be perfect for some courtyard paving. May even save us some money and reduce the carbon footprint of the build!

       

      Note 3: During any renovation of an older building, demolition often results in a building revealing itself, some of this can be good and some of it not so good (poor building practice for example). Advice, take advantage of the good finds and look to work with them. Discuss first with your builder as to whether there will be any variations to do so. If not go for it, and you home will retain some of its history giving it a point of difference and a greater sense of place.

       

      Image of the original bricks from our sorry retaining wall earmarked for courtyard paving down the track.

       


       

      13th February 2012 - Case Study - Pittwater Road North Manly

       

      End of week 2. Demolition almost complete, site levelling underway.It is cathartic, but kind of sad at the same time seeing the structure that has housed my family for the last four years meet its maker, but all good things (or not so good things) must come to an end. In this project, like many other renovations of older dwellings 'getting out of the ground' can be a harrowing experience. "What are we going to find? Is the whole thing going to fall over? What unforeseen circumstances are we going to uncover?" and...ultimately am I going to spend a fortune on things I have to, that won't in any way give me any improved value.

       

      All questions one asks themselves at this anxious time. These are of course all things we cannot change, and as I was once told "Worry about the things you can change, and not the things you can't". What you can do however is plan for the possibility.

       

      Note 2: Contingencies in Building Contracts

      Todays piece of advice is, always allow an amount within your construction budget as a contingency amount. Then if any of the above occurs you are not going back to the bank or digging deeper into your reserves to pay for. A contingency allowance should cover things like unforeseen circumstances (items the builder did not know at the time of tendering), changes you may want to make along the way and any design contingencies (changes required due to documentation ambiguities etc). We usually advise our clients to allow between 5-10% of the budget to cover these possibilities depending on the project. If you don't have to draw on it, great....if you do, atleast it was always allowed for from the start.

       

      Image of the home from the rear, partially demolished.

       

      7th February 2012 - Case Study - Pittwater road North Manly

       

      After many years in the planning and several designs for the site later we have finally had our renovation approved and are now underway with the work. Demolition started Monday and the site is crawling with tradesman. I thought this would be a good opportunity to demonstrate the building process for you and the role of your architect, or the things to look out for if you are directly contracting the builder yourself. I will try to post weekly as we progress through our 6 month contract period.

       

      Note 1: Allowance for Rain days in your contract

      Most contracts will ask you to nominate with the builder a number of days that should be allowed by the builder during the contract period that WILL NOT affect the contract time period and therefor not result in any extension of time or variation claims by the builder. Do your research on this one. Depending on the time of year the rain days expected can vary a lot. Also, make sure you present your request to the builder prior to them tendering on the works. This is to ensure the contract period they nominate is made with the awareness of the rain days allowed. Feel free to email me at ajh@hobbsjamieson.com.au to discuss.

       

      Demolition of back of house underway......

       


       

      12th December 2011 - The 'Real cost' of project homes

       

      I spent Saturday doing some 'research' on what many perceive as competitors to Architects when it comes to designing homes in Australia, that being the project home market. My aim was to try and better inform myself as to why people are attracted to project homes and what it is that project home companies are actually selling.

       

      The particular project home display village I visited was very well setup, the 'sales' people very well trained, and the product on display for all to see, on the surface very impressive for what it is. All positive really....BUT....beware. I was there to look specifically at a home design that was advertised at approx. $250,000 for a 5 bedroom, 2 storey home with an up market inclusions package. What perplexed me was what the 'inclusions' included, or more importantly what essential items they didn't include.

       

      Once I had included all those things that you would expect to be in a finished home (like floor coverings, flyscreens to windows, more than one light in a room, more than one powerpoint in a room, insulation in the roof, external finishes as noted in the marketing brochures, exhaust fans to bathrooms and laundries, screen doors to the front door, site works, landscaping, water tanks, power, sewer and stormwater connection etc etc.) the 'actual cost' of my finished project home was getting very close to double the figure I was originally presented with.

       

      Don't get me wrong, the end result is still cheaper than my architect designed equivalent (in size), but not enough to justify the saving and the reduction in the level of finish that I would be afforded. I believe there is a good reason as to why project homes are popular in this country, BUT.......as a word of advice, before you sign up be sure to understand what is and isn't included, what your upfront costs will be, when you will be required to commit to purchase and what you are receiving for your investment.

       

      You may find that the 'percieved' saving and reduction in level of finish, environmental performance and lifecycle costs may not be as economical a win as you expect...

       

      2nd December 2011 - Cost vs Benefit, Considering the value of design decisions

       

      Part of developing any design brief relies on the interpretation of a clients needs. Within our practice as part of this process we aim to help our clients understand whether their is value in the changes they are looking to make, and whether the costs involved with making the changes justify the end result. In other words, is there value in what they are proposing. When we mention 'value' we are talking not only about the economic impact, but also the lifestyle impact.

       

      Will what you are proposing as part of your renovation, improve the way you live, add value to your day to day use of the home, and be sensible in terms of what you have had to spend to get you there? If not, I suggest you question whether you are spending your money in the right areas.

       

      At Hobbs Jamieson Architecture, we focus on helping our clients add value to their asset and their lifestyle, by helping them understand where the value lies in what they are doing and what it may cost to get them there.

       

      28th November 2011 - Colour as part of a scheme

       

      Be sure to remember when selecting individual colours and finishes items, that ultimately they will be part of an overall scheme and rarely seen in isolation. I was reminded of this today at a site visit to one of our projects that is under construction. Some of the elements have been installed (some with vibrant colours) and the client expressed some concern about one of the colours noting, 'it was not what they were expecting....'. It was not until (after the initial anxiousness thinking have we got the colour right??) gathering the other finishes, not yet installed and placing them up against the item in question did the clients concerns disappear.

       

      Remember, nothing is ever viewed in isolation. A colour can look very different on its own, compared to when you place it next to other colours or finishes. The warm tones in a dark grey will be more obvious if placed next to other warm colours in the same tonal range. Equally, placed against a cooler colour its effects will be reduced. This same concept goes for colours against other materials as well.

       

      Be sure if you are contemplating putting a colour scheme together to gather all your samples and place them next to each other in as large as possible samples you can obtain. Only this way can you see the nuances of the colours and finishes on completion. Alternatively, you can blindly trust your architect or ask your architect to compile all the samples and present them as a whole when they are seeking your approval for the scheme in which they present.

       

      PS. Photos of the project in question to follow on completion in a few months!

       

      22nd November 2011 - The purpose of Renovating

       

      As predominantly residential architects, we meet many potential clients who are looking to renovate their homes. Typically it is due to the fact that their current living environment is not satisfying their space needs. "We need another bedroom, bathroom and living area as our children are growing and they need their own space" is a fairly typical thought. Usually followed by "We have $xx,xxx to complete the works".

       

      Unfortunately in many cases this is where a client's brief ends. Although cost and space needs are driving factors of any architectural brief, the quality of the space created and the value in the end product are the lasting legacies of any re design. If you are considering engaging an architect to assist you with realising your needs with a potential renovation, be sure to think about "what sort of space/ atmosphere/ feeling do I want to create? What sort of space to I want to raise my family in?"

       

      Remember not to forget the value of thoughtful design and the devotion of time to investigate the best intangible outcomes for your home, not just the cost of the bricks and mortar, but also how all those bricks and that mortar is going to make you feel from day to day.


      28th October 2011 - Heroes For Hearts

       

      Something a little different this week.

       

      I have just returned from a week off spent cycling from Port Lincoln To Adelaide as part of a charity ride raising funds for Heart Kids Australia. Heart Kids support families who have children born with congenital heart problems.

       

      Apart from being a good cause it was a fantastic adventure and a great part of the country to see. Several colonial buildings and small towns that seem to have retained their charm of days now gone.

       

      If you are interested in supporting the cause go to http://www.everydayhero.com.au/hobbsjamieson_heroes_for_hearts and make a donation to a very worthy cause.

       

      Back to all things Architecture next week!

       

      7th October 2011 - Northern Beaches Residence

       

      We will be starting work on our first development project early in the new year on the northern beaches.

       

      The project will involve the substantial renovation of the existing dwelling along with a new dwelling on the adjacent site next door.

       

      We purchased the property in North Manly back in 2008 with the knowledge that it was already 2 small torrens titled blocks of land. A bit of fun getting the approvals due to the shape and size of the sites, but eventually we got there.

       

      Result is two contemporary dwellings fit for the area suiting young families with a strong focus on utilising passive environmental attributes as best we can including northern sun and cross ventilation to limit the need for heating and cooling.