Sometimes you have to build backwards
Working on the northern beaches, and in the eastern suburbs and inner west — especially Balmain and Rozelle — has given us particular expertise in making the most of difficult sites.
What makes a site difficult
Sites present problems in a number of ways:
- They might be small, or difficult to access — especially in older suburbs where there is no rear or side access at all
- The council might have restrictions
- The neighbours might need careful management
Small site staging
Generally you are not going to be able to change the site, so you have to be creative about finding solutions. Often that means working backwards.
Normally you would put a swimming pool in last. But if there is going to be no access to the back garden once the house is built, the pool goes in first.
At one of our Rozelle builds there is a garage at the end of the garden with bifold doors. It looks good, and one day the owners might turn it into another room. But the real reason for those doors was that they let us get large equipment and materials onto the site even after the house was finished. There is a practical reason behind that aesthetic.
You have to know what is what
Today’s architects and designers want to work with funky looks and materials. It is what clients are asking for. But to make it work, you have to know exactly what goes into creating those looks and effects, and how different materials behave against each other.
Architects, designers and builders have different skills. They need to work together to get the best result. Knowing how to put together a project plan that will work for your site and still give you the finish you are looking for — that is where our expertise comes in.