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NEWS WE WIN THE INAUGURAL PREMIER AWARD FOR DESIGN EXCELLENCE ! At the Building Designers Association Annual Award presentation night in November 2008, we won a best ever total of 5 awards including the covetted Premier Award for Design Excellence for the Orczykowski residence at Careel Bay. This is awarded to the project judged to the best of all submitted in all categories, . This house also won Best New Dwelling ( 251 to 350 m2 , Best Use of Timber and Best Use of a Sponsors Product. The Hegarty House at Warriewood also won a commendation on the Best New Dwelling ( 351 to 450 m2 ) category. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION The Heise house ( see gallery 3 ) was chosen in 2006 to be featured in a worldwide publication featuring some of the greatest historical and living Architects including Frank LLoyd Wright, Harry Seidler, Glen Murcutt and Sir Norman Foster. The book is titled " Home - design and architecture from prehistory to today ", and is published in Australia by Viking. This inclusion is a great honour and demonstrates that our designs rank amongst the best the world has to offer. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ It is now common practice around the coast of In fact it was not uncommon for banks to refuse mortgages on these sites due to the Geotechnical risks. Four major changes have occurred since those earlier days, so that these properties are now highly sought after. The first major change is improved awareness of Geotechnical, Civil and Structural Engineering issues and construction techniques. Pittwater Council’s recently upgraded Landslip Hazard Policy was originally instigated by Warringah Council in response to numerous houses sliding down the slope in the early seventies, particularly in the Pittwater area. Since the introduction of that policy , a Geotech report has been mandatory on any site considered to be at risk. The Geotech Engineer is obliged to thoroughly analyse all risks associated with the site, including hazards further up the slope such as unstable boulders and slopes, failing retaining walls etc, and recommend the footing design for the house, and remedial action for the external hazards. Once the project has been completed, the site is often much more stable than it was in it’s natural state. The Geotech Engineer also plays a strategic role during construction, inspecting the site during excavation, and fine tuning his recommendations as required. More sophisticated and flexible excavation machinery has been developed by the construction industry in response to increased demand. The second major change is increased land values. Steep sites that may have been worth $10 to $15,000 in the early seventies can now be worth millions, well and truly justifying the extra building costs. Most of these steep sites have spectacular views, and those views themselves have been increasingly valued by our society. The third major change has been scarcity of land. The Northern Beaches has been recognised as one of the best places on the planet to live, and the amount of land available is geographically limited. Changing demographics and work practices mean that more people do not have to commute to the city, so the distance from the CBD is much less of an inhibiting factor. Predictably, the flat or moderately sloping sites were used up first, so with time, the only available vacant sites are the previously unwanted steep ones. The fourth major change has been a revolution in Australian residential architecture. In the last 10 to 20 years, and particularly on the coast, there has been a general trend away from the brick and tile mentality, and cold climate architecture that resulted from our colonization history. We are now designing, building and living in houses that suit our semi tropical climate, our informal outdoor lifestyle, and our iconic building materials, such as corrugated iron and weatherboards. This trend towards lightweight construction suits steep sites perfectly as the houses can be designed to be supported on strategically placed posts on concrete piers, rather than on the continuous and expensive footings needed for masonry, resulting in major cost savings. It is essential when designing houses for these sites to incorporate large balconies, as there is generally no usable level garden area. The resulting houses can be wonderful places to live, with excellent views, balconies amongst the tree tops, and little or no garden to maintain. The steep topography usually means 3, 4 or even 5 floor levels, so virtually all the rooms can take advantage of the views. SUSTAINABLE BUILDING THE KEY TO THE FUTURE As global warming and water shortages become more a part of all our lives, then increasingly it is becoming beholden on us to act in an environmentally responsible manner. If you are planning on building a new home, then you have the opportunity to play a key role in correcting these major problems. The New South Wales goverment has recently introduced a water and energy efficiency housing policy called BASIX, and meeting it's compulsory minimum performance standards is a good start. Other options are available such as grey water recycling, solar voltaics and solar water heating etc. Case study - new house at Bayview In what may be a first in Pittwater, the owners of this house which is currently under construction at Bayview, are aiming to be self sufficient in water and energy consumption. Under BASIX ( refer to www.basix.com.au ), all new houses are required to meet minimum consumption reduction targets compared to the existing housing stock. For both water and energy consumption, that minimum is 40 %. Water Efficiency Typically, a rainwater tank of about 5000 L is required to pass BASIX, with the water being re-used in the laundry, toilets and garden, and it is also necessary to specify low water use fittings and appliances ( eg dishwasher )throughout the house . For this project, a water consultant was engaged to calculate the necessary tank size for self sufficiency, and the results indicated that a 20,000 L tank would result in a 95% probability of never running out of water, and that going to a 30,000 L tank would only increase that to 98%, so the smaller of these 2 options was chosen. The relatively high rain fall in the Northern Beaches area, combined with large blocks ( and hence large roof areas ) makes water self efficiency easier to achieve compared to the inland areas of Sydney. The Penrith area for example receives approximately half of the yearly rainfall that occurs at the coast.The water consultant also assisted in the selection of the pump, and all the household fittings and appliances as these items have to be compatible with each other in terms of pressure and flow rates. Additionally, he provided a schematic diagram to assist the plumber with installation. It was decided that the increased complexity and costs associated with grey and waste water recycling was unwarranted given the easy availability of the existing sewer system, and the abundance of rainwater. Energy Efficiency The first step in this process is to make the house to be as energy efficient as possible, using passive solar design principals. North facing windows, particularly in the living areas, appropriate eaves overhangs, thermal mass ( in this case concrete floors ), cross flow ventilation and insulation to the walls and roof all play their part in this equation. Low “E” glazing was specified to all windows and doors as it approximately twice as efficient as standard clear glass at preventing heat loss in winter. Thus the amount of energy needed to heat the house in winter is minimised, and, as is typical of all new houses that comply with BASIX, air conditioning is simply a waste of money. The second step is to select low energy usage appliances as this plays a major role in reducing energy consumption, as does solar assisted gas boosted hot water heating. All of the above will achieve the compulsory decrease in energy cosumption. Solar Voltaics. In order to go from a 40 % reduction to 100 % , solar voltaics are necessary. The biggest issue with solar generated electricity is storing the energy as it only available during the day, where as peak demand is obviously at night. The solution to this is to use the existing grid as a “battery” by feeding power into it during the day ( the meter runs backwards during this process ), and then drawing on the grid at night, in which case the meter then runs forwards. The desired outcome is come out even overall.
Solar Heating
For this project, the hot water and pool are both solar heated. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ QUEENSTOWN AMBITIONS One of my favourite places in the world is the South Island of New Zealand, particularly the Queenstown region. I live and work in the Pittwater Area of Sydeny because of my close affinity with the ocean, and I strongly feel the same connection to the mountains. One of my goals for 2006 is to expand my business into that area. It has a lot in common with the Pittwater area such as challenging topography and breathtaking views. So if you ( or anybody that you know ) are planning on building a new home over there, please give me a ring on ( 61 2 9973 3312 ). _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TEAM MEMBERS In response to the ever increasing demand on our services, Rhett Drew has come on board in the role of project management. Rhett's background is rather impressive. He has an honours degree in Geology, is a former Major in the British army, has been a director of various companies, a stock market analyst, and a real estage property manager. He has also played 300 1st grade Rugby Union matches including 99 for Eastern Suburbs as captain. As the design and approval process becomes increasingly more complex every year ( thanks to Governments at all levels ), his contribution to the huge amount of management involved in each project is a welcome relief.
PITTWATER COUNCIL CONNECTION Since 2002 I have been an active member of Pittwater Council's Urban Design Advisory Panel, which is a semi-formal committee consisting of Councillors, Senior staff and independent Designers and Townplanners. The purpose of the panel is to generally advise Council on townplanning policy and procedures, to comment on public buildings and works, and to promote a better understanding between the Council and those who regularly submit Development Applications. My participation is of great benefit to my Pittwater clients as it has enabled me to build an excellent working relationships with all key Council staff members, and to have a greater understanding of the critical issues facing the Council during the DA assessment process. This benefit has been demonstrated by the recent approval of numerous projects, several of which were waterfronts. All were on steep, difficult sites with various view loss, overshadowing and privacy issues. All had strongly objecting neighbours. All were approved quickly with little or no alteration to the original design. MORE PITTWATER CONNECTIONS I was invited by Pittwater Council to design a new duplex for them at a rezoned site opposite Mona Vale Beach, and to be a judge ( along with renowned architect Peter Stutchbury ) for their 2004 and 2006 Civic Design Awards.
BUILDING COSTS “How much will this house cost to build” is a question I get asked all the time. Here is a rough guide for Sydney. Most of my projects work out at about $2000 /m2, and a typical modern house is around 350-400 m2 ( including balconies and garages ). So $7-800,000 for a fully finished new house is usually the answer, based on lightweight construction. This usually includes demolition of an old house and all site costs, but doesn’t include fences, landscaping, floor coverings, blinds etc. However, there are many factors that can cause this to escalate. Steep sites, difficult access, Geotechnical issues, excessive excavation, construction methodology, selection of interior and external finishes will all add to the cost.
Several of our award winning houses have been sold in the last few years, each time setting record prices for their areas. As the better parts of Australia are increasingly becoming part of a global market, houses designed to high standards of excellence increasingly become more sought after, and are therefore able to command a premium price. SPECIAL THANKS to all the brave clients ( past, present and future ) who have allowed me to indulge in radical and interesting geometrical experiments with their principle asset. Without you my life would be much less interesting. BRAVE CLIENT WANTED FOR ROTATING HOUSE. Do you own a spectacular site and would like a truly original house designed for it? How about a house that can rotate to follow the sun or the sea breeze, or merely your own personal whim. I spent many years designing large rotating machines in the mining industry so this would be a perfect opportunity to combine that experience with architectural design. If you are slightly mad, please give me a call on 9973 3312, or through our contact page. Peter Downes FIRST HOUSE A TV STAR ! Our first ever design effort, an extension to our own home in Avalon has been featured regularly for a while now on " Home and Away " as the abode of one of the main characters ( don't ask me which one ). SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS HISTORY 1971 Theosophical Society Building at North Sydney 1972 Kings Cross Tunnel for the RTA 1973 to 1976 Corrimal, Tower and Cordeaux Collieries for BHP ( Camden region ) Koeppe Winder Towers and other surface and underground facilities 1977 Dampier Pelletizer Plant upgrade for Hammersley Iron 1978 Weipa Beneficiation Plant upgrade for Alcoa ( North Queensland ) 1979 Eraring Power Station coal handling facilities 1980 Cape Cuvier Shiploader ( NW Australia ) for Dampier Salt 1981 to 1983 Wagerup Bauxite Mine Stacker ( SW Australia ) for Alcoa Greenvale Nickel Circular Stacker/Reclaimer ( Townsville ) 1984 Gypsum Handling Facilities at Smithfield for CSR 1985 and 1986 New clay tile plant at Wyee for Australian Clay Products Various sand, gravel and gold separation plants for Dacol New restaurant at Manly for Somi Jittra 1987 New motel at Avalon for Doug Ensby New truck Loading Facility for Arnotts at Smithfield New house at Buff Point for John Pacuraru Alterations and additions at Avalon for Peter and Cheryl Downes - see "Awards / Testimonials page. New office building in Vanuatu for John Haymes 1988 New gold plant at Ballarat for Dacol New gold plant at PNG for Dacol New gold plant at Royer for Dacol Alterations and additions at Seaforth for Brian Hones New townhouses at Seaforth for Brian Hones New gold plant at Mt Carrington for ELB New Members Lounge at Dee Why for Mike Pauleys Cricket Centre New sand plant at Mittagong for Amgrow 1989 New gold plant at Porgera for Dacol New Mineral Sand Separation Plant at Ballina for Australmin New glass sand plant at Smithfield for Amgrow Various new houses for New England Country Cottages New 6 person inclinator at Noosa Heads for P R King Gym extensions at Manly for Jim Boom New mezzanine office complex at Dee Why for Tony Smithyman 1990 Various new houses for New England Country Cottages Hotel extension for Ali Kurnaz New townhouses at Balgowlah for Brian Hones Alterations and additions at Collaroy Plateau for Tony and Margot Smithyman New mezzanine office complex at Brookvale for Bill Millard Alterations and additions at Avoca for Paul Harding Alerations and additions at Mosman for Paul Harding 1991 New house at Hilltop for Mr and Mrs Ritson New office complex for Gambro at Dandenong New house at Burrawong for Mr and Mrs Quinn New house at Kurrarong for Mr and Mrs Ward New house at Bowral for Mr and Mrs Edwards New boat shed complex at Manly for James Davitt New car showroom at Brookvale for Graham Lees 1992 New duplex at Dee Why for Mr Hecker New duplex for Alan Clare New duplex at Alambie Heights for Mr Lunny New duplex at Seaforth for Mr Abbott New duplex at Balgowlah for Mr Ferguson New house at Kilcare for Mr and Mrs Buckingham New duplex at Seaforth for Peter Casey New duplex at Seaforth for Eric Cooper New duplex at Alambie for Wendy MItchell New house at Manly for Scott Fell New office at Dee Why for Waratah Language Centre 1993 New house at East Kurrajong for Bob and Donna Gibbons - see Gallery 4. Alterations and additions at Fairlight for Peter Casey. New house at Linley Point ( waterfront ) for John Mesiti New house at Fairlight for Mr and Mrs Trumbull. New factory at Smithfield for Power Machinery New office at Surry Hills for Peter Casey Various Duplexes in the Northern Beaches area for Sanderson, Peddley, Robinson, Pallas, Segal, Lees, Pochwyt, Mears, Jerkshat, Notali, Hunt, Choy, McDonald, Shariff, Goss, Holt, Watts, Smiley, Davies, Shaw, Andrews, Abbott, Eberhard, Nikkah, Klarick, Casey, Edwards, Sacco, Bushell and Xavier 1994 Alterations and additions at Cremorne for Neil Tanner - see Gallery 2 Alterations and additions at Collaroy Plateau for Tony and Margo Smithyman. New house at Fairlight for Joe Shamia. Various Duplexes in the Northern Beaches area for Sawyer, Singh-Dhillon, Fitzpatrick, Shariff, McDonald, Copeland, CDC, Mutton/Hayes, Jabag, Mitchell, Quattroville, Choy, Murray, Hart-Davies, Johnson, Bushell, Ekins, Lewis, Shamia, Ryder, Jacobs, Hembry, Falconer, Greer, Wright, Franks, Yoli, Chen Lee Yee, Marshall, Redinborough, Adam, Young, 1995 New house at Brookvale for Mr and Mrs Sherley. New house at Bilgola Beach for Pim Maas * - see Gallery 1. Alterations and additions at Greenwich for Mr and Mrs Palmer. New house at Shelley Beach for David Greeves Various Duplexes in the Northern Beaches area for Cooper, Andrews, Arthur, Holt, Elyard, Bruce, Caputo, 1996 New house at Avalon for Coco and Michael Scheuring. New house at Chatswood for Judy Hawkes. New house at Balgowlah for Adrian Walters - see Gallery 5. Raw Mixing Plant at Kandos for Australian Cement LTD New Clay Handling Facilities at Maldon for Southern Cement New house at Hunters Hill ( waterfront ) for John Mesiti Alerations and additions ( Oceanfront ) at Whale Beach for John Doorley New House at the Blue Mountains for John Hampton 1997 Alterations and additions at Balgowlah for Pam Bongarzoni * - see Gallery 1. Alterations and additions at Manly for Mark Bushell. New house at Grosevale for Greg Tobin and Heather Stevenson - see Gallery 5. 1998 New house at Bilgola Plateau for Bob and Moyra Major - see Gallery 5. New waterfront house at Scotland Island ( Pittwater ) for John Aufmannis. New house at Newport for Michael and Donna Frew. New house at Bilgola Beach ( oceanfront ) for Eric and Jill Sanderson - see Gallery 5 1999 New house at Beacon Hill for Sean Dew * - see Gallery 2. New duplex at Collaroy Plateau for Ole Juul - see Gallery 4 Alterations and additions at Bayview for Colin and Janine Sugars. Alterations and additions at Bayview for Debbie and Greg Noble 2000 Alterations and additions at Elanora Heights for David and Kay Colahan - see Gallery 5. Alterations and additions at Avalon for Cilla and Jamie Stokoe - see Gallery 5. Alterations and additions to waterfront house at Bayview for John and Louise Seal 2001 New house at Warriewood Beach for Pim Maas * - see Gallery 3. New factory complex at Blacktown for Power Machinery. New house at Beecroft for David and Susie Burston 2002 New house at Beecroft for Geoff and Keren Heise - see Gallery 3. Alterations and additions at Mona Vale for Grant and Janet Dargue - see Gallery 2 Alterations at Clontarf for Debra and Dennis O'Brien 2003 Alterations for Graham and Bronwyn Lees at Avalon - see Gallery 1. New house at Mackerel Beach for Peter Hegarty * - see Gallery 4. New house at Curl Curl for Christine and Roger Shephard - see Gallery 5 New dual occupancy at Mona Vale for Anders and Gitte Lawaetz - see Gallery 5 Alterations and additions at Cromer for Steve Dare * 2004 New townhouse development at Newport for John and Annie Cormack, Gerry and Beryl Lee Alterations and additions at Frenchs Forest for Helen and Norm Young Alterations and additions at Riverview for Matt Savage New house at Fairlight for Kevin and Vivienne Tucker New house at Clontarf for Anne Shortus Alterations and additions at East Lindfield for Prem Toocaram and Michelle Davidson Alterations and additions at North Avalon for Darryl and Sally Johnson Alterations and additions at Avalon for Cilla and Jamie Stokoe 2005 Alterations and additions at Bayview for Caroline and Mark Townsend - see Gallery 2 New house at Newport for Vince and Julia Sherry - see Gallery 1 Alterations and additions to waterfront property at Hunters Hill for John Mesiti New house at Bilgola Plateau for Rob Dunn and Rhonda Luhrs - see Gallery 5 Alterations and additions at Avalon for Helen and Joe Gracie New house at Curl-Curl for Sandy Davys and Brian Hoppe - see Gallery 5 New house at Harbord for the Peter and Anglea Kelaher Alterations and additions at Stanwell park for Graham and Sue Phillipson - see Gallery 5 2006 Alterations and additions at Newport for Peter and Judith O'Mara New house at Warriewood ( beachfront ) for Peter Hegarty * New house at Newport ( oceanfront ) for Milpete Constructions - see Gallery 5 New house at Castlecrag for Karen Ryder 2007 New house at Mona Vale for Leonie Keighley Alterations and additions at Lindfield for Elizabeth Allen New house at Avalon for Max and Jenny Evans New house at Bungan Beach for Max and Pam Goldsmiths New house at Curl Curl for Ben and Judith Jackson - see Gallery 5 New house at Curl Curl for K2 Partners - see Gallery 5 New Duplex at Mona Vale for Pittwater Council New holiday house at Culburra for Dennis and Ros Nadin - waterfront Alterations and additions at Frenchs Forest for Roly Whittell - Webb New waterfront house at Lane Cove for Graeme and Sue Woodhouse New house at Careel Bay for Peter and Maya Orcyzykowski Alterations and additions at Whale Beach for Peter and Gitti Fodor New house at Mona Vale for Margaret and David O'Connor 2008 Alterations and additions at Curl Curl for Sally and Paul Stevenson Alterations at Careel Bay for Trevor and Loraine Russell Alterations at Avalon for Mia Galo New house at Bayview for Susanne and Thomas Mechtersheimer New house at Clareville for David Owen and Janet Forrester * houses marked thus have sold for record prices 2009 New house at Balgowlah for Richard Gibbs New house at Chatswood for Ralph and Monica Gyoery New house at Bungan Beach for Michelle and Geoff Wallich ( waterfront ) New house at Warriewood for Phisith and Bee Southi UNDER CONSTRUCTION Alterations and additions at Manly for Mike Norman New house at Newport for Greg and Linda Anstiss New house at Manyana for the Anderson's New house at Bilgola Plateau for Kevin and Dominique Grubisa New house at Mona Vale ( 5 acres ) for Bill and Dru von Drehnen - approved in under 6 weeks ! New house at Wombarra ( beach front ) Alterations at Queenscliff for Robyn and Tim Carrol APPROVEDNew House at Church Point for John and Francis Black ( waterfront ) New house at Newport for Edwina and Nick Wills - see Gallery 5 New tropical resort at Airlie Beach Alterations at Newport for Anna and Bob Mulkearns ( waterfront ) Alterations at Mona Vale for Julie and Tristan Loud - approved in under 3 weeks ! New house at Bilgola Plateau for Gordon Whitelaw and Gina Cecco New house at Avalon for Graham and Bron Lees New house at Ocean View ( 5 acres overlooking the glasshouse mountains ) for Roy and Helen Flynn New house at Whale Beach for Alex and Kim Stevens New house at Bronte for Jane Blatchford and Danny Ruhlmann Alterations at Church Point for Linda Ewings and Greg Clarke ( waterfront ) Alterations at Newport for Simon and Anna Maria Nasht New house at Church Point for Paul and Michelle Michael ( waterfront ) Alterations at Allambie for Angela and Con Constanti New secondary dwelling at Avalon for Keith and Heather Morley Alterations at Avalon ( waterfront ) Alterations at Avalon for Richard and Ingrid Kaiser IN COUNCILNew house at Palm Beach for Anthony and Sandy Bransgrove Alterations at Narraweena for Gennardi Kahlin and Olena Vigovska ON THE DRAWING BOARD Alterations at Carringbah for Kate and Lee Braz New house at Newport for Brad and Jillian turner Alterations and additions at Castle Hill for joe and Maria Scarano New house at Bilgola Plateau for Gary and Jill Klopfer * new *
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