Yarra Street

Ben previously owned the property, he wanted to renovate the existing house from a single to a double story home and modernise the whole place. He has a teenage daughter, so the family wanted to create zones, so that everyone can happily coexist. 

‍

They also wanted to increase storage and make the most of the space available on the site so that they can entertain and host barbecues with friends.

Due to the scale and accessibility of the property, logistics during construction were challenging and therefore it was not easy reaching lock up stage of the project.

‍

Transporting material across the site from the street front to the back meant that we had to leave a hole through the front of the house for access, which raised concerns of damaging the existing property. 

‍

It was also challenging to keep the build within Ben and Paris’ budget but still achieve the details and finishes that they were after.

Throughout the building process we workshopped changes together collaboratively to come up with solutions together. The ribbed cupboards were originally too expensive and out of budget, however the architect designed and we delivered a less expensive alternative by sticking a similar timber profile to flat cabinet materials, saving thousands of dollars and achieving the same result. 

‍

Through clever planning and scheduling, we could get the material across the site without ruining the property. Further cost saving was achieved by substituting the material specified for their pergola. We suggested that Ben and Paris use a better product at a lower cost, saving money that could be spent on other areas of the build. 

‍

We kept them informed of the status of the build throughout and made cost saving suggestions like the addition of a small door in the master bedroom to access their ceiling storage to save money by doing it this way instead of having roof access in the front downstairs bedroom. 

‍

The butterfly roof with the Glulam 6 metre long beam was a challenging aspect of the build. But together with the carpenters, we found a way to make all the different angles work and the end result is amazing and something we are very proud of.

The architect, Sally Timmins of Timmins Whyte, was able to maximise the footprint of the house and make it more functional. The house was previously a two-bedroom single storey and is now a three-bedroom, two-living room and two-bathroom house that feels big and spacious. 

‍

Ben describes their house as gorgeous and he is pleased that when friends visit, that they can see the craftsmanship of the house and all the work that makes this home exceptional.