six b design

I chose Jamie Brennan because I wanted to build a sustainable off grid home that incorporated strawbale but used other materials as well and I saw that Jamie had done this in many of his other projects. From the first meeting with him I was satisfied that he understood what I wanted. Our first site meeting consisted of walking my acreage, discussing prevailing winds, fire hazards, windbreaks, views, sun positions -a completely holistic approach to siting my house in the landscape to minimise its energy usage. He handled the DA and tendering for a builder with a minimum of fuss, including submitting and explaining documents and engineering plans for techniques that local council had not seen before. Once building commenced Jamie, myself and the builder met weekly on site. Jamie kept minutes of each meeting and checked all invoices from multiple contractors before passing them on to me for payment. He managed the project working closely with the builder and outside contractors while keeping a tight reign on the budget. He was able to make suggestions and guide me (little knowledge of the finer points) regarding finishes. I was happy to leave many decisions entirely to Jamie in the knowlege that whatever he chose would be aesthetically appropriate. I cannot speak highly enough of Jamie. I will miss our weekly meetings where decisions were made often with a bit of a chat and a laugh between Jamie, the builders and me. I would have no hesitation in recommending Jamie or using him again. He has given me my dream home - not only a home that is energy efficient and comfortable in all seasons but a home that is beautiful and even better than I dreamed.

Six b were recommended to us by another builder as an architect focussed on environmental sustainability. From our first meeting this proved to be the case. Jamie focussed on the smallest detail to ensure the result was what we wanted and was the best outcome. We spent some 18 months working the plans up to the council approval which we obtained in 6 weeks as all the home work had ben done. The builder was then chosen from a short list of four. The builder, the architect and ourselves met almost biweekly to overcome all items of contention. Jamie kept minutes of all meetings. We had 46 meetings and in the end we had what we wanted and all were most satisfied. Jamie drew up the contract and kept a good control over all costs. This is our second use of an architect and I cannot speak highly enough of Jamie and his focus on the customer

Jamie Brennan helped us design an amazing house. We had definite ideas about many elements of the house, then Jamie added the finishing touches in patient consultation with us over 10 years (we took our time!). His design contribution preserved our ideas and integrated them within a beautiful, coherent, and unique structure. During the construction phase, Jamie provided vital input during weekly meetings to keep the construction true to our intent, when compromised quality was possible. It was clear that he had thought through nearly every phase and element of construction, and he was able to provide fast solutions when others found our unique requirements challenging. Jamie focused on both the fine details and the big picture of the house and its position in the landscape. We have a house that serves our needs: it’s warm, has plenty of natural light, is airy, comfortable, and a pleasure to live in. It’s also a delight to look at from all angles: inside, the garden, the neighbour's house, and the street.

I think what makes Jaime Brennan such a great architect is that he truly listens. He has delivered what we asked for, actually our home is more beautiful than we imagined. He knows his stuff so we got through Council quickly, which isn't typical of a strawbale development application in the Blue Mountains. The home that we have built together is beautiful, practical and comfortable. Jaime has project managed for us and we have stayed within budget. There has been a lot to handle and throughout the build Jaime has been a great communicator. He has often suggested alternatives that made our home more comfortable, practical, environmentally appropriate or more economical to build and we are so grateful for that. Jaime also helped us select a great builder. We couldn't be happier with our experience and we are really excited to move in to our home in a few weeks time.