Today's homeowners have more choice than ever. Many have travelled, know what they love and have a clear vision for their home. We listen carefully, and help shape that vision into a home that works.
Some of our clients bring a strong style of their own. Others ask us to propose one. Either way, the essentials are not negotiable.
| We hold firm on | You decide |
|---|---|
| Flow and circulation | Style and character |
| Siting and orientation | Materials and finishes |
| Planning efficiency | Colour and detailing |
| Climate response and lifecycle cost | How much maintenance you are happy with |
Outdoor rooms that belong to the family alone, even on open estates and busy streets. A courtyard also draws cool air through the house. It is an idea we have refined for fifty years, in homes, schools and places of worship alike.
The rooms a family lives in most, planned for north light, with high windows that bring daylight deep into the plan.
Pergolas, decks and covered patios that make the garden part of daily life, shaded in summer and sunny in winter.
The hardest-working room in the house. Storage within reach, worktops where you need them, and one material with real character to lift the whole room.
Details made by skilled hands, designed to age well. Traditional techniques such as scratch plaster are still carved by hand on site, and doors are designed and made for each home.
To protect our clients' privacy we don't name them. These short stories show what each brief asked of us, and how each home answered it.
This was not our usual style. The family had very specific tastes, and long, open conversations followed, in which we learned to listen for what wasn't said as much as what was.
We found the balance between their vision and our principles. Flow, comfort, efficiency, climate response and a thoughtful sense of scale were never compromised. The result is a home that feels like them, and that a young family can grow with for years to come.
We borrowed a method from industrial buildings. A warehouse manufacturer put up the entire steel frame in a very short time; the builder then only had to fill in the brick, glass and roofing. The time saved on site meant money saved overall.
The plan flows easily, and every room gets north light, including the kitchen at the back of the site, which is lit through high clerestory windows.
The estate did not allow walls between houses. So we built the home around its own courtyards, giving the family private outdoor space and a sense of safety.
The courtyards also let air move naturally through the house. Air-conditioning was needed only in the bedrooms. At night, brick grilles lit from behind give the house a gentle glow without giving away any privacy.
An extended family asked us for four houses side by side, in a style we felt would suit them. Each household then made its own choices inside.
Planning efficiency, climate response and lifecycle cost were the same for all four. Low-maintenance face brick, timber pergolas and hand-made relief friezes tie the homes together.
Not every family wants to move. We overhauled an older house in an established suburb, giving its owners the comfort of a new home without leaving a location they love.
We did not simply replace the kitchen and bathrooms. We re-planned the spaces to work the way people live today.
Sometimes one room is all a home needs. This kitchen renovation keeps everything within a step or two: a U-shaped working area, storage up to the ceiling and the fridge close at hand.
White handleless doors above and warm timber-look drawers below keep the room calm. A wall of glazed green finger tiles gives it character, catching the light differently through the day.
Our first homes were for families on small plots in group areas such as Laudium, with tight budgets and strict limits on size. Those constraints taught us to make every square metre count: no wasted passages, rooms that open onto courtyards, and materials that last.
Our clients' choices have grown enormously since then. The principles have not changed.
Tell us about your site and what you have in mind. We'll reply within two working days.