Case studies
A selection of projects I’ve worked on - and clients I’ve worked for - in the past. These span from the design stage, through to construction and post-construction.
Design stage
Design review panel
A school wanted to build an indoor sports center to complement their offerings to students and remain competitive with other private schools.
Their long-serving architect was approached to provide a concept plan. He had steered the school though some very technical upgrades and had a depth of knowledge about the school buildings that no one else had. This was a very valuable asset.
However, in a competitive school environment, how could the school ensure it was getting the very best design possible? Technical expertise is important, but giving a design the wow factor and solving all the problems while maintaining “the wow”, is another.
The solution was the formation of a design review panel of experts.
The result was very successful. Not only was the architect inspired to do his best work ever and push the design to a higher level, but the feedback from the panel identified many issues that would benefit the school.
For a very small investment the school had the best minds in the city on their project.
Architecture is at its best when a collaborative approach is taken.
Limited competition
A large aged-care company planned to build a new administration building on one of its rural sites. The facility was situated on the main road and lacked “street presence” as it had developed in an ad-hoc manner over the years. As the town grew, competing aged care facilities were developed and the owner was keen to remain the number one choice in the town.
The town relied on tourism as its main source of income and the forward-thinking CEO was conscious that their site was a part of the whole town package and their development should contribute to the town, reflecting quality buildings, care for their elderly residents and employment opportunities for the local community.
The enlightened CEO decided that a limited competition would give them the best chance of finding the right architect and commissioned five architectural practices to participate. A brief was developed, a site inspection took place and a stipend was paid to all architects to produce a concept design for the building.
The competitors presented their concepts in person. All aspects of running such a facility were considered by the judging panel and an architect was selected. The panel knew it had the best architect for the job, that their values aligned, that the project was off to a good start. Respecting the architects and paying a fee for the concept is a professional and ethical way to understand and unlock the potential of the project and achieve a better result. Research shows that if the early stages of a project are done correctly, the project has a much greater chance of success on many levels.
The small outlay for five concepts would result in huge savings over the years. Poor design results in increased operational costs.
Architect selection
A couple with three small children bought an old Queenslander in an upmarket suburb. They paid a premium price as it was a charming street and a traditional design.
There were many aspects of the house that did not work for the family. They found an architect through an online search and after a site visit and discussions about what they wanted to do, the architect told the couple what they would need to budget for which was double what they thought they would need. I was phoned to assist with finding another architect.
I inspected the house and told them that the architect was correct and that they needed to give the architect a budget he or she could work with to achieve what they wanted and that it may have to be staged. I also provided them with a list of other architects they could contact as a comparison, plus some help with their brief, and in the end, they decided to keep the original architect, trust him, work through their priorities and carry out the work over stages. It saved a lot of heartache for the couple and instead of questioning, they were now confident about going ahead. They will check in with me as they move through the stages with any other queries they have.
Building is a long process and there are risks. I help minimize the risks and provide independent advice.
Construction stage
Materials advice
A client had removed her carpets and furniture due to a reaction to mold. She asked me about flooring options and was at first keen on a floating timber floor.
I was able to run through the advantages and disadvantage of each type of flooring and suggested cork. She was delighted when I was able to refer a supplier I knew who attended to her immediately. The cork was laid the following week. My contacts assist clients with a professional service and keen prices. What started out as an overwhelming task for this client ended with a solution that made her very happy at a good price.
Post Construction Stage
Defects inspection
A client had moved into a new house in a leafy development in Brisbane’s west. The developer completed a defects inspection, but my client wanted to ensure the home was properly finished and sought an independent defects inspection. We picked up more defects including a defect with the downpipes which would have led to flooding of the roof space if left unattended.
Failing a building inspection
A client was selling her house in Indooroopilly. She had carried out a renovation which included a new bedroom and bathroom under the house with a louvred window wall overlooking her bushland garden. The prospective buyer commissioned a building inspection that found the added room did not comply with the building regulation of 2400mm ceiling height.
The client was devastated as it meant that she could not call it a third bedroom and could only legally call it a two-bedroom house which would knock thousands of the purchase price.
As it was only 15mm short of 2400mm, she looked into removing the tiled floor and replacing with a thin vinyl. She called me. We were able to determine that she had a building approval when she undertook the original work 20 years ago but she had subsequently had pulled up the carpet and installed tiles. It was the tiling that added 15mm.
I called a certifier who was able to provide what is called “A Performance Solution” in a certificate outlining that the room complied with the code because there was more than sufficient ventilation (louvred window wall) which of course is the reason lower ceilings are not allowed.
She did not have to replace the tiles with vinyl and she did not have to lower the purchase price.
