Light House Architecture & Science

Light House is brilliant and we are thrilled with our home. I am a real estate agent living in the quite extreme Canberra climate. My family was looking for a smart, energy efficient home and was finding it difficult despite the 1000s of homes I have seen in my career. I found Jenny Edwards and the Light House Team and within minutes I knew I had found the people who would build our long awaited home. We loved the ethos of the company, we loved the design process, we loved the team who were incredibly knowledgeable and practical when it came to finding clever solutions and liveable compromises. The specification process was a breeze, Light House helped is find an amazing builder through a thorough tender process. The construction was almost seamless, the management of the job was efficient and we were involved and informed every step. The result is a home that is everything we hoped for; affordable, efficient, clever, light, warm and so easy to live in. We recommend the Light House team to anyone and everyone we know. We open our home to the public whenever we have the opportunity so people can experience this fabulous building.

We contacted Light House regarding our renovation. After initial positive feedback we completed their survey forms. We received a reply from one of their architects which we found to be very arrogant and dismissive, talking about how she managed to live with her family in a certain sized home and suggested we did the same. We are unable to comment on their actual work as we did not get that far.

I wanted a company who could advise me on materials eg. quality of glass, insulation, cladding etc to achieve an 8 star rating. Jenny Edwards was the right person as she was able to advise me on all these aspects. As i am a person who needs to understand everything in detail, I found the team to be professional, helpful and above all very patient as we worked through the whole planning process. Higher costs occurred when I chose more expensive options than originally planned. Delays occurred when we could not register it as an extension but needed to obtain dual occupancy approval. What I like about my house - Light and airy, large sliding doors to north facing, large deck, vine covered in summer and letting in all the winter sunshine. - study nook in corner of living area, allowing me to work while able to look through all the windows and smell burning in the kitchen across the way. - Back door leading from carport into kitchen, good for groceries. - No steps anywhere, except 3 going onto deck. - large, sliding, full length doors everywhere. - Good for ageing-in-place! - full length pantry -walk-in linen cupboard. - electric, wall-mounted radiators, Dymock (Norway) for soft, radiant heat, - no air con needed yet - have covered western and eastern windows with a pull-down, outside blind. - Solar panels on roof - Spotted Gum, engineered timber floors, beautiful to look at, no vacuuming, just a flick with a microfibre mop. What I would do differently - No instant gas hot water heater - no wind-out windows as with double glazing they do not open up wide enough to let in breezes - Would not use recommended Organ Oil for spotted gum decking, as it encouraged black mould. Water based finish much better. PS. I tried to add some photos but managed to wipe all this out and have just had to type it again. So not willing to try again. but can send separately if needed. - - -

Building with Jigsaw has been a seamless experience. Their software interface co-construct enabled immediate dialogue on any matter and allowed me to feel involved and included in the process of building; the team of builder and architect and solar engineer worked expertly together and my energy efficient and entirely functional yet aesthetically pleasing home is a product of that; importantly they were aware of my budget constraints and assisted by advising how I could achieve an energy-efficient and functional home within my budget; their accounts area were extremely efficient which meant that the administration of my homeloan was very straightforward. Jigsaw completed the home ahead of schedule and under-budget. All in all an excellent and positive experience and I am adore my new home.

Chadwick Designs installed a retractable sunroof on a Jigsaw Housing project in Narrabundah. Everyone on site was extremely professional and helpful. The team behind the scenes were easy to communicate with, thorough and over every detail. Emails and phone calls were always answered promptly. Best of all the foreman was very friendly and excellent at his job. From our point of view, Jigsaw is a great company to work with for subcontractors and we would recommend them highly. On a more personal note: the house looked amazing!!

From start to finish Jigsaw Housing were attentive, consultative, professional, and reliable in their communication. Real people who care about their work and worked well as a team together with us as clients to produce a highly efficient home that is unique, affordable and stunning in its simplcity.

It was so refreshing talking to Jigsaw, as they take it as given that you want your house to be contemporary, well-designed, well-insulated, energy-efficient and comfortable – in contrast, when I first started researching my options, one builder tried to talk me out of double-glazing because 'no-one would notice it at re-sale and you wouldn't get your money back'. Jigsaw have their finger on the pulse in a way that so many in the industry just haven't. The team really takes a personal interest in their projects, and in their relationship with you as a client. I just love living in this house.

How exciting it was seeing the concept plan of our house for the first time! Andy had turned our ramblings about family life into a series of functional spaces that were designed for the way we live. Our house is not only functional - it's also beautiful and highly energy efficient. Sustainability was a focus of our conversations with Jigsaw from the start which meant the energy performance of the house was fully integrated into the final design. Jigsaw's creativity in the design phase was matched by their practicality and skill in the construction phase. They handled the build expertly and, with the help of their online project management software, our decisions were all captured, questions responded to and costs fully tracked. It was a very smooth process from concept to completion - we loved building our house and living in it is even better! Big thanks to all involved.

We were looking, unsuccessfully, for something small, smart and energy efficient. Then we found Jigsaw. They are a young, enthusiastic company and a pleasure to deal with. They were attentive to our needs and ideas, and together we developed a design appropriate to our site that suited us very well. Choosing from among Jigsaw's modular room options streamlined the design process without compromising our objectives. We also used Jigsaw to build our house. Having built before we knew the importance of having an experienced builder committed to our design, energy efficiency, and quality of construction. Building with Jigsaw ensured this and, by using their Co-Construct software, we were kept fully informed and engaged during the design stage and were able to have those unforeseen issues that invariably arise during a build dealt with quickly and efficiently 'in house'. We moved in a few months ago, and are delighted with our house. We would happily recommend Jigsaw to anyone wanting to design/build a home.

In my experience, as a single person wanting a home built, I felt I was constantly being pushed into the standard 3 bed/2 bath/double garage mould by builders I consulted, and if I said I only need ONE bathroom or ONE car space the immediate response was “But what about the re-sale value?” and no real alternative was on offer. I struggled to find builders willing to actually listen to what I wanted, rather than trying to impose what they wanted to sell. Fortunately, I found Jigsaw Housing, who totally ‘got it’ and who built me a beautiful and functional ‘small’ house, also allowing me a decent size garden despite the small block size. I can honestly say I love my house! It is a real pleasure to live in a house that works so well and is comfortable, bright, energy efficient and welcoming.

Jigsaw is the reason we have such a liveable home. Having lived in many houses, we had clear ideas of what we wanted - to build an energy efficient, light-filled home that would work with us as a family. We wanted clever use of space and storage, responsible use of materials and a beautiful nurturing environment to live in. Jigsaw had the expertise to maintain a creative approach while problem-solving the many limitations of a modern build on a Heritage listed block. The combined skills of the team provided us with a very positive building experience. We continue to recommended Jigsaw, and the novelty of our new home is likely to never wear off! We are very content and proud of our home that adapts to our needs and enables us to live a comfortable family life.