alsoCAN Architects

Jane was very easy to work with. She is a very experienced and techincally astute practitioner. She was always very responsive in addressing questions I had and always took on board all feedback. Jane was quick to grasp my needs and held very close to the original brief. Her familiarity with local planning laws ensured relatively smooth progress through the planning stage. The resulting design exceeded my expetations of what I thought was achievable on the small and narrow parcel of land that she had to work with. The result is a spacious, light-filled and inviting home.

Choosing an architect is similar to choosing your doctor, dentist, hairdresser or other personal carer. You need to be confident in their ability. Having worked with Jane and her team previously, I had no hesitation in contacting them a second time around. The first time we opened up the kitchen/living area to create one large room; this time round we've been looking at an ensuite, laundry and bathroom. Although small in area it is tricky because it is on the boundary with the neighbour. I have found AlsoCAN's quality of workmanship to be exceptional; they have given advice when required; they opened my ideas to my complete satisfaction; they are excellent collaborators; are diplomatic, patient, big on attention-to-detail and want to please. What more could you ask for? Thanks Jane and your team for helping to bring this project to fruition. I am getting excited to see the end results, hopefully starting in February/March 2021. Unfortunately the completion date button doesn't go beyond 2020, but 2021 is the expected date.

We have now worked with Jane on 2 renovations. She is delightful to work with and provides thoughtful, interesting and practical solutions to our issues. She spends time understanding what we want and then provides designs that clearly add tremendous value to our build. She is very timely in her responses and goes the extra mile to ensure we are happy. We don’t hesitate to recommend Jane to our friends and we will definitely use her services again.

Originally a separate kitchen and strange L-shaped lounge/dining/walkway area, Jane transformed this space into a large, family room, with open kitchen, dining and lounge area, which has met our needs exceedingly well through the years. Thorough and meticulous, Jane gave me so much confidence in her ability to get this project to the builder, I am now in the process of getting an ensuite/laundry and main bathroom drawn up through AlsoCAN. Great to work with and painstaking. Looking forward to the end result. Thanks Jane.

AlsoCAN Architects are a fantastic firm lead by Jane McDougall and David Beynon. They have freely shared their knowledge and expertise with us over the years and have been the most valuable of mentors. Their skill and passion for art, culture and design has allowed them to create custom, individual spaces that conjure the soul, allowing for individuals to inhabit spaces within unique tailored environments. We would highly recommend them for your next architectural project.

We approached alsoCAN to add life and functionality to our 1910 weatherboard house. The plans were a pleasure to look at, suggesting a variety of options. Dave and Jane reconfigured the space to incorporate a master bedroom where there had been a windowless room. They also designed storage throughout and extended our laundry. We especially like the new courtyard, which brings light to the house and will give us a garden view. Dave communicated swiftly with local council and ensured that the additions met all regulations. Jane acted as our project manager. Her attention to detail, diligence and good humour made it a pleasure to work with her. She is keen to ensure that the renovations suit the way we live and offers excellent advice.

I asked architectural design for extension house. Jane is very professional and deligent person. I am from NESB, so sometimes difficult to explain what I would like to do the house. However she was very carefully and patiently listening my ideas. She always suggested and adviced the best possible optinons. She was also flexible when I asked to change some design. She mamaged construction phrase as well so I was stress free. Even after 3.5 years since built, she is still supportive and advise me when the house had some issues. I will definitely ask her again if I have architectural design work, and I strongly recommend her if someone needs architectural design works.

alsoCan architects are awesome people to work with. From the design brief to execution, alsoCan architects have demonstrate high level of professionalism and integrity. My design brief was complex yet simple. The idea was to convert a van in to a mobile art shop & gallery on wheels – and to be easily operated by one person. I was overwhelmed impressed and satisfied with the design they have come up with. The most impressive part is its functionality and practicality. I highly recommend alsoCAN services with no hesitation.

I commissioned Jane of alsoCAN architects after viewing one of her projects in inner city Melbourne. I required a Victorian period sympathetic extension of an inner city single fronted terrace of bedroom, bathroom, kitchen lounge and dining, all on ground floor and NOT a cube. She met the design brief perfectly. Environmentally friendly, lots of light and great angles and use of space on a narrow block. And she was great to work with-responded to my requirements for alterations well and informed me of progress steps when she project managed the build.

We engaged alsoCAN to design our renovation and run the process through the council so that we got approval. Jane and David were excellent. They came, they listened to our thoughts, ideas and concerns and architected/designed a renovation that was a perfect fit for what we wanted and worked within the councils constraints. Jane has worked through all of the follow-up issues in a very conscientious manner and addressed both the councils and our concerns. Managing councils, rules, regulations and restrictions is trying at best and alsoCAN have proved to be true to their word in navigating that path and getting us to an approved project. Looking forward to the next stage of our build and continuing our positive relationship with alsoCAN. And they have a cute dog. :-)

We worked with alsocan on our house renovation in Richmond Victoria. We had a small footprint to work with but Jane and Dave managed to incorporate all our requirements (eg 3 bedrooms , 2 bathrooms and upstairs studio space). We are very happy with the finished product. It was an absolute pleasure working with Jane and Dave throughout the process.

Jane McDougall is a superb architect, project manager and person. She transformed our narrow and long single level townhouse that was restricted in space and quite dark to a spacious three level home filled with light and character. Jane listened to our requirements and requests and incorporated them all in to the design and build without missing any detail. She came up with wonderful designs for the inside and outside of the house. We loved the 3D computer model plans for the house exterior and interior that we could view from an app on our mobile phone. We were able to take a computer walk through of each room in the house to make sure everything was right before signing off on the building plans. Jane also incorporated building materials and colours and patterns into the computer model/plans. It helped with material selection and guaranteed that you made the right choice. Incredible! Jane is amazingly efficient with speedy turnaround times all the time. We are so glad we asked Jane to manage the project from design right through until the build was complete in order to draw on her expertise with design, interior design, building regulations, ensuring all details with the building were covered and correct and that the build was progressing to the expected timeline with minimal delay and to budget. We appreciated how Jane and the builder worked so well together too! Our home is impressive in style and functionality, has huge and hidden storage areas that was a top priority for me, is unique and enjoyable, and is a home that our family loves. Thank you Jane!

Jane and the team have been using our recycled and kiln-dried timber products on their projects for 10 years or so and the results are always stunning. As a merchant you really treasure ongoing business from good people and alsoCAN are always a pleasure to deal with (thanks). Timber can be a little over used in architecture but alsoCAN have a lovely sense of balance when it comes to their interiors. Have a look at their Home Office images. Great to work with them.

I first engaged Janes services over 15 years ago, in that time we have collaborated on many successful projects, Jane has an excellent understanding of the planning process which is absolutely paramount to enable quick planning approval and also to have the knowledge to tackle issues, as they will enviably arise when dealing with Local Councils.She is very personable and has a good eye for design, especially designing for inner city sites where planning laws can be restrictive. I have no hesitation in recommending Jane to professionally guide anyone through from design, planning and the construction phase Garth Euvrard

Elite Door and Tap Hardware has supplied Door Hardware, Sanitary Goods and Cabinet Handles for Jane from alsoCAN Architects clients for many years now. Jane is knowledgeable of what her clients needs are and communicates that to Elite Hardware in a professional and prompt manner in order to keep the project running on schedule and on budget . Working with Jane from alsoCAN Architects has been a delight, always pleasant and willing to go that extra mile for her clients, alsoCAN Architects often send their clients into Elite's showroom in Richmond where we all discuss her clients needs and come to a suitable solution. We would not hesitate to recommend alsoCAN Architects to anyone who has unique requests, she will produce amazing results for them.

I have now used alsoCAN for several projects in the Collingwood area (3066) over 10+ years, and have since also referred several others to alsoCAN, all happy & delighted customers. I had used other architects and draftspersons in the past who were in the end, unable to deliver. Jane and Dave have time and time again delivered a targeted, customised, creative, progressive, professional and cost effective service & strategy for me. All of the properties alsoCAN have designed for me fall under a historic overlay, and have very limited space. alsoCAN have delivered intelligent, space creating designs, whilst ensuring every detail meets heritage and planning guidelines with little or no need for council re-submissions, saving time, costs and minimising the headaches you so often hear about in dealing with councils. 5 stars from me every time*****

alsoCAN's knowledge and practical application of design to get the most out of limited space has made our abode into a functional place to live: as well as dramatically change the character of our street frontage from a faux cottage, to a contemporary townhouse, which now turns heads of passers by. Dealing with alsoCAN during the planning then building phases was a pleasure: from taking the brief and producing drawing: to making minor adjustments during the build.

We had initial discussions with a number of architects before we met Jane from alsoCAN and were becoming rather downcast about our planned renovation to our house. None of the earlier architects seemed to listen to what we wanted and charged ahead with their own concepts. Jane was different she listened to our ideas and also our desire that any design should assist us to keep with in our prescribed budget so as to avoid over capitalisation. Our property had 100 years of modification and attachments to it one build upon another and by the time of our renovation it was a complicated multi-time period property. Jane was able to take the vision we had for the property and enhance that vision with her experience and creativity. Jane did this through listening meaningfully to her clients, employing her own professional skills and a good dose of practical judgment and tact in guiding her sometimes stubborn clients. After many revision we sorted through a complicated structure developing a design that maintained the older part of the house and included a completely new modern back section of the property that was done in a aesthetically appealing and complementary manner. With our Jane's professional assistance we would never have achiever the result that was finally constructed and certainly not within budget. No one that comes to our house for the first time fails to comment on what a beautiful home it is and is in large part because of Jane. We would have no hesitation recommending Jan and if were to need advice and draws made up for another project Jane would be the first person we would call. Christopher Cody and Desmond Liew