What it took to design and build a Master Builder Award Winning home renovation
MILEHAM rounded out 2022 winning a Master Builders Association (MBA) Excellence in Housing Award for our Grand Apartment Living project in Sydney’s beautiful Darling Point. Our Principal Architect and Founder, James Pilcher, sat down to answer a few questions on how this project came about, and the work involved to achieve this great result for both MILEHAM and the client.
Tell us a bit about your client and the problem they had with their home.
Our clients live in a charming, 100-year-old, Art Deco garden apartment. They love entertaining and see their home as a sanctuary away from the busy city. With the kids grown up with families and homes of their own, it was time to make better use of the two spare bedrooms and create an expanded living and entertaining space by modernising the older style floor plan to cater for a social lifestyle.
Our clients engaged MILEHAM to provide an end-to-end Architectural Design and Build service, involving development of design concepts based on their brief which, once approved, were incorporated into the architectural and building plans. From here, we project managed the entire job which included engaging and coordinating all relevant consultants and engineers, submitting documentation for approval phases, recommending, specifying, costing and procuring all internal architectural finishes, and undertaking all construction through to completion.
How did you solve your client’s problem with their living space?
When our client approached MILEHAM, their brief was to reconfigure the existing floor plan to create new living spaces. They also wanted to upgrade the aging bathroom, incorporate more storage throughout the apartment, and undertake an overall refresh of the interiors. An important part of the brief was that any new elements of the renovation had to complement and match the existing heritage features of the apartment. The result is a seamless look where the success of the finished product is a cohesive blend of existing and new construction that reads as one.
In response to the brief, we first looked at how we could take an older style apartment with lots of separate pokey rooms, and open up the plan to allow natural light to flood in, extend the living/dining space, and introduce better flow throughout the apartment. The new design took an un-used bedroom and repurposed it into a dining area by removing a wall and repositioning openings to allow for more practical furniture placement. The third bedroom was repurposed into a home office with ample storage and desk space.
Custom joinery was designed to house TV and AV equipment and provide additional storage. We also had custom skirting and architraves built to match the rest of the existing apartment, allowing for a seamless flow from old to new.
Was the approval process tricky? Given this is an older building?
The biggest hurdle for any renovation project is often the nearby neighbour. Living in an apartment with a body corporate structure is no exception. MILEHAM provided assistance where required, to gain approval from the 16-member body corporate of the building. Construction methods and explanation of structural work to put the body corporate's mind at ease secured the project’s commencement.
What were some of the design challenges you had to overcome?
The apartment is located below street level, facing west, and contends with a dense Moreton Bay Fig canopy. As such, finding ways to encourage natural light was a challenge. We overcame this by removing walls to align with existing windows to maximise natural light at desired times of the day. Sheen levels of painted finishes were chosen to increase the reflectivity on certain walls to brighten up dark corners, and mirrored cabinetry was introduced to help light bounce through and across the space.
“Finding ways to encourage natural light was a challenge.”
Another design challenge involved achieving overall balance in the new space when we removed the wall between the current living room and second bedroom to create the new dining space. The natural inclination was to knock in a hole which sat halfway along the common wall. However, we pointed out that this would ironically result in making the opening look unbalanced and in fact, given the eyeline would naturally now go straight through to the window on the far wall, the best way to achieve balance was to knock in the wall so that the window (not the wall opening) was centred (see below image).
Architectural Design trick: While the wall opening here is uncentered, according to its placement along the wall, the overall effect is balance. This is because the eye naturally travels to the far window behind the dining room table and ignores the fact that the wall opening is off-centre. The overall effect is, ironically, a sense of balance.
Were there any construction challenges?
Working within an old building structure with limited and narrow access, we ensured that our preliminary investigations answered any potential questions or addressed obstacles before construction began. This ensured that our client knew the full extent of any additional works required to complete the project before we even commenced the job. The end result was that no cost variations were issued to our client either during or after the project as a result of any unforeseen construction or structural complications.
“No cost variations were issued to our client either during or after the project.”
So, what made this project special enough to win a MBA Award?
The Master Builders Association (MBA) Awards are judged on two main criteria:
1. The level of difficulty for the project.
2. The quality of workmanship for the finished home (regardless of the cost of the finishes or products used).
The level of difficulty with this project was high in terms of site access, dealing with an old structure, and the requirement to get the support of and approval from all 16 owners that made up the body corporate, for both the plans and for MILEHAM to manage the project.
The level of finish and quality of workmanship for this project was deemed best in its category by the MMBA. This aligns with MILEHAM’s customer promise to ensure the best level of finish for our clients, regardless of the cost of the material. There is only one way to finish off a project and that’s the best finish possible.
Would you have done anything different?
Our client was keen to use their own electrician, and project manage the process and communication with them. This approach can cause a few bumps along the way if everyone is not on the same page from the outset. A consumer understanding – no matter their positive enthusiasm – as to the innate nature of technical requirements, challenges and potential solutions, can lead to misunderstanding and hence budget and execution disappointment. While getting involved and project managing a home renovation may seem like fun, and an assumed way to save a little money, unless you have in-depth technical knowledge and construction experience, it usually ends up costing you more in either time, money or quality of execution.
MILEHAM has an extensive black book of trusted, experienced tradespeople that we work with regularly, who have been vetted and deliver to the quality (and now award-winning) standard that we expect and consistently deliver to our clients. We’re happy to take our client’s recommendations on suppliers or tradespeople they wish to use. We can then liaise directly with these contacts to ensure they’re fully briefed on what’s required and expected for the project.
What did the client have to say about the project?
Our client was delighted with the overall project and has continued to be a wonderful advocate for MILEHAM by recommending us to family and friends.
“I thought I knew exactly what I wanted until I spoke with James, whose suggestions opened my eyes to some design changes that turned out to be crucial in achieving overall living flow and aesthetic. His sense of proportion ensured the cabinetry sat beautifully within the new space. Execution of the plan was flawless and MILEHAM’s tradesmen were cheerful, polite and always tidied up.”
– Belinda, Grand Apartment Living
Thank you to our client for placing their trust in MILEHAM to deliver a high quality home which now delivers the additional living space they so desired. Not only does our client now live in an architecturally designed, award winning home, they will be able to market their home as such should they ever decide to sell in the future.
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Master Builder - 2022 Excellence in Housing and Pool Awards
Talking drive and determination with MILEHAM Founder, James Pilcher
Book a Consultation with MILEHAM today to discuss your home renovation project with the same Award Winning team.
