As a budget priced Architect I do not often get to see the outcome of my work. Most clients come to me to save money and so go down the lonely (and stressful) paths of either "Owner Builder" or "Owner Project Manager". This means that as soon as I have gotten them their Development approval papers they take on the management of the building process themselves. I just happened to be driving through the Northern suburbs of Adelaide a couple of weeks ago, on the way home from a site-inspection at Mawson Lakes, when I realised I was close to a project I designed a couple of years ago. As I was less than a minute away I decided to have a drive-by & see how the build had progressed.
Recently Completed House at Manningham Adelaide: Architect Grant Lucas
Planning Restrictions Impact Design
The Port Adelaide Enfield councils Planning officers dictated both the materials and overall aesthetics for this house. The corner site was very tight as this is an infill block from a subdivision of an existing house into 2 blocks. The Generic brief from Council was to match the local stock of post WW2 contemporary houses as well as possible. The outcome was that these were not just guidelines bur quite draconian impositions dependent upon what the current planner liked. Originally we were told that as the local houses were also Tudor these stylistic details (including steeper roof pitches) were also an option we could consider. The planner I had been talking to moved to another council and our first design had to be scrapped. The thoughts of the new planning officer were that the model of the more modest cement and red brick bungalow was to be followed.This included restrictions in height of the second storey window sash type, brick and render colour. I am still bewildered that Planning officers do not need to have any design training for their degree yet they can dictate their personal design preference to Architects and other design professionals who have spent a lifetime studying such things.
Post-Occupational Review of Architect designed house: Manningham Adelaide
The Planners wanted a simple contemporary design to match the adjacent WW2 housing stock. The clients wished to maximise the dwellings size and I wanted to ensure that there was plenty of Northern sunshine in the back yard and living areas. A quick chat with the owner indicated that after being in the place 3 weeks it was going well and there was nothing that he would like to change. The build had gone well without any issues and a minimum of variations. Overall everyone was happy. It isn't a ground-breaking design but it works on all levels and once the landscaping has been done will fit in comfortably with the surrounding housing stock. Sometimes the more modest buildings can prove to be the greatest challenge. Council certainly made the task of designing this building quite a complex task.
