A Light-Filled Balmain Extension
TENNA Homes
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago
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Jamie
3 years agoKyle Hams
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Extension Plans
Comments (19)Well your last comments does help a bit in explaining your situation, however I must say that your design does not help your proposed path - as far as I can see. Glad to hear that you have sewer on both east west that will save some money. The following comments you may not like, but they are intended to help - however I have been made aware, from those close to me, that I suffer from "sledge hammer wit" - so please do not take it personally. 1. You state that you are going to "stage" the works - however there is no indication that your drawings will help you in this proposal - the work seems to occur randomly rather that in stages. (With the exception of the work already done) The upstairs space is difficult to determine its functionality, and when you do this part of construction it will disrupt the whole living areas. The stair plus the space and the area upstairs seem to be a large investment for the proposed return. 2. The exception to this seem to be the new bathroom area in the master bedroom but even here you seem to cut into the existing wall - according what I can read from what you have posted. If you can take the bathroom area out on the side why not take the whole new extension on the west side and open up your north areas. 3 The new toilet with the facing north is a bit of waste of north light - must find a new relocation for this and gain north light. 4. Having had a bit of experience with roofs-complex ones, in the long past - I would suggest the you ask the opinion of a framer and a roofer - its not so much the roofing that costs but the flashing's - and if its going to be manually framed (i.e a carpenter not trusses I think you might be unpleasantly surprised). You are keeping most of the roof this is true but its the small bits that you are adding might be a non warranted cost, getting it all under one roof is cheaper and a much better form - it will look better. 5 If possible I would have my 'Alfresco Area' and north and east facing - at the moment its more west and north - reduces its functionality greatly in my opinion - west is wet and hot and sometimes followed by bitter wind (depending were you are located). 6 The central living area has to be opened up to the north, it is a great gift to have a north facing back yard please take advantage of it. 7. At this stage - and even earlier at sketch plan stage - You really should indicate the stages on the drawing for your own benefit - not to mention for the Builder/tradesman. And there is probably much more - you need to do some design proposal, from broad concepts to schematics then develop a new sketch plan, then compare with your current proposal, get some fresh eye to look at the problem (or you look at it with fresh eyes) - sometimes we get to close and miss the wood for the trees. I do think that your approach is the correct one - it's cheaper to change drawings that move walls - getting a good design solution is the key. I hope this is of some help. Michael Manias...See MoreRenovation second level extension - experiences of adding a level?
Comments (40)Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating volume build in ANY way....there's actually little positive I can say about it except they are a more affordable option, and for some people that's the priority.....,whether or not it's in fact good value for money is a whole other discussion ;).......people have to work out where they sit within the quality to quantity spectrum for a particular project..................It's certainly a challenge here for you in that how can you accurately assess and distill/filter the "advice" offered by various parties?.......Seriously, unless a builder actually absorbs your design brief and comes back with a considered solution, any suggestion/comment such as " you could raise the ceiling" or "put in a window" or "use trusses" of whatever is neither here nor there, and are just floating ideas to consider in the mix...........but isolated "suggestions", whilst may be ideas to consider, don't effectively dealing with the overall solution/big picture to your challenge..................there are different areas of expertise in this game.....builders are builders, (and they seem to have a knack of getting called in and influencing too early in the process) they build stuff and certainly they have an idea about this and that from experience, and they can provide sound quotation/opinion on how much it will cost to do something... BUT really only properly/accurately once there is hard documentation in place (read: documented&specified, not basic concept/design sketches/verbal ideas) .......I have great respect for builders (it's a seriously hard rugged gig) and I know some fantastic ones, but builders are (in general) not "designers" unless they have come form a design background......and the conversations if held too early can be (unintentionally blurred, confusing and actually detrimental to the client and what they really need to be focusing on...........design advice from a builder can be offered with good intentions, however I have found it generally comes from more a singular benefit angle (usually motivated by business/profit) whereas (good/seasoned design) advice from a design professional comes from more complex, balanced and creative position and process in which various aspects are simultaneously managed/considered to achieve results for a client on multiple levels, ie, cost, function, aesthetic, experience etc.............the different and various professional skills all have their place, but need to be utilised in the right order relevant to the process......................yep I wish you all the luck.....these are always big investments, and big decisions, both emotionally and financially :)...See MoreMost cost-effective option for 9m x 4.7m extension
Comments (15)HI All - for some reason my lengthy reply a few minutes ago was deleted :-(. I put so much thought into it! So here it goes again. Basically a big thank you to you Houzzers. MB your subfloor ventilation sounds great and Im glad it's fixing the problem so simply. The reason why Im trying for a whirligig solution is that I favour a passive system, however if it doesn't work I'll look into what you suggest Siriuskey - yes to some kind of kit. I've already contacted a guy on Gumtree selling grannykit frames - he says for something to my specifications would be about $4000 for the steel frame alone. Would need to check engineering details - and the liveable sheds you've linked me to seem to have that all checked. Although getting a local Chippie to frame it all up on site - as Twos Co suggests - is probably the most economical option Two's Co - thanks for the feedback and the excellent checklist of processes. I've covered most of the concerns though - I've got the DA based on my own flimsy plans. Because it's relatively small, I was going to work with the builder directly and over-engineer it. I've since engaged an architect to do some handsketches and draft specs, which will be signed off by a structural engineer. It's basically a portal frame independent structure, with a 3 degree pitch skillion roof. The house was rewired and the wires you can see are non-live looms waiting for the extension! The sewer is not connected and that part was never plumbed in. There's good rear lane access, but for the purposes of getting concrete in, I'll most likely get a concrete pump from the front of the house - for $180 per hour they will save time and make the concreting much easier. The existing trench I got dug in because I had an excavator on site installing those lovely large concrete blocks you can see, for the retaining wall (500kg each). But that was 7 weeks ago, and the excavation has got too large, and I worked out for a very similar cost I can make the extension 1m wider, so why not. The existing trench I can fill in with the demolition rubble, compact, and filled with any fill waste. Two's Company, I'm on the fence about removing the existing Bedroom 3. If I thought it wouldn't add to the costs too much, I'd do it. One advantage is that I could then make the whole 9m long extension (Option 2) around 150 - 300mm higher, (ie a step up from the existing house) and thus avoid too much excavation and a potential pond. To answer your question about damp and moisture, the whole house is facing a hill with 7 degree slope, and fixing this has been the main aim of the retaining wall, however the runoff is only likely to increase in coming years. anyway here are a few photos. The site is still so messy because the demolition only happened 2 days ago - Im still tidying up.......See MoreExtension (Planning) Thoughts?!
Comments (19)A pretty presentation doesn't overcome the basic problem of where does the rainwater go? Maybe it doesn't rain where Triad Design services are, but the runoff from your existing roof is going to flow down to a problematic box gutter (not included in these drawings) that has a couple of bends in it. I hope your insurance policy covers flood damage due to bad design? How will you get your big bed around the tight corner in your stairwell? Won't the master bedroom's bay window be overlooking your neighbour's private open space? There isn't any "design" in this, no consideration about the inherent problems, or overcoming the constraints of the existing property. Unfortunately, when it comes to the real world of building, pretty presentations don't make up for an inadequate design. Before you spend any more money, don't be wedded to only one concept, but try and be open-minded to alternatives that are easier and more cost-effective to construct that a local designer could suggest. A land survey of your property, and the location of the adjacent houses, their windows and their private open spaces can help inform a designers' decisions. I'm afraid its a fail from me, Best of luck with your considerations, Dr Retro of Dr Retro House Calls and Dr Retro Virtual Visits....See MoreKate
3 years agoTENNA Homes
3 years agomary171155
3 years agolast modified: 3 years agoHU-88925942833
3 years ago
mary171155