GRAND DESIGNS AUSTRALIA
(^) SOURCEBOOK
// EDITOR-AT-LARGE
S
eason 7 of GDA has just wrapped.
With that comes an assessment of
the houses showcased and how their
owners went about their task of
building. Inevitably, the quality of outcome
is aff ected not only by how adventurous the
vision is, but also by the cost and time taken.
This is where Sourcebook could well help
you across the line.
Time determines many things and its
organisation can be as onerous as a mortgage.
Most people don’t understand that to design
a house, do the technical drawings, obtain
approvals and fi nd a builder can take around
a year and a half. The actual construction
time is then often another year and a half.
This, along with the associated cost, sends
many people to the mass housing providers
who take on the time risk. The downside is
that it is hard to obtain a personalised design
in the mass housing arena.
Flick through these pages and you’ll see
that the projects featured have the architects’
and builders’ contact details provided. This is
a fantastic resource because it gives a lead in
the direction you may want to pursue. Mark
the page and contact the builder and architect
if a project appeals. I would argue that doing
the right research (like using this book),
briefi ng a designer and taking the bespoke
design direction is incredibly rewarding and
worth the wait.
When a client comes to our architectural
practice with a scrapbook, I use it to gauge
their aesthetic and patience to do some
research. Start your scrapbook well before
briefi ng a designer and be clear on budget,
timing and quality expected.
The last episode of GDA this season is a
great example of clarity of brief and timing.
Steve Minon and Jonny Ng did their research
and targeted a Kobe-based architect, Yo
Shimada. They packaged up an aesthetic and
budget, which dictated the size, the style and
the quality of fi nish. They used professionals
to separately cost their reinterpreted
Queenslander, and the result was a perfect
fi t. It was one of the most delightful episodes
this season; no broken hearts and no major
cost over runs (due to the well planned and
researched clients) and delivered on time.
The building you create represents your
aspirations and is an expression at a point in
time. It shows to the world and to posterity
your values. Houses can last hundreds of
years, and why shouldn’t they? If built well and
maintained, the old become more and more
loved and gain heritage protection over time.
The bizarre attribute about timing is
that before and during the build process,
everything seems to take forever. Financing
is stressful, and even the defects after
completion can drag on. From experience,
I can tell you that these fade into distant
memory once the house is complete. Don’t
be afraid to make a start.
PETER MADDISON
EDITOR-AT-LARGE
FROM
PETER
MADDISON
“SOMEONE IS SITTING IN THE SHADE
TODAY BECAUSE SOMEONE PLANTED
A TREE” - WARREN BUFFETT
“ARCHITECTURE SHOULD SPEAK OF ITS TIME AND PLACE,
BUT YEARN FOR TIMELESSNESS” - FRANK GEHRY