Allan Street, Brunswick: A Budget Conscious Residential Project
The Clients
The clients for this project were a couple living in Brunswick with their two young children. Originally, their issue was that they had relatively modest requirements, partly due to money, but also because they wanted to be sustainable. They saw the benefit in opting for a small footprint. The clients had previously worked on an initial design with a different architect that didn’t provide a satisfactory outcome. The other architect had designed quite a large, two-storey renovation which, by the time it was priced, was twice their budget. The clients were really disappointed and so the first discussion with us was – “Well, it may be a nice design, but we really don’t want to build something that’s twice our budget.”
Above: The front yard of the Allan Street Cottage
Initial Stages – Working to a Tight Budget
The initial stage for this residential project was an area analysis, with the key focus being budget. This formed a broad understanding of the design parameters which provided the knowledge to get the budget right. After the area analysis was undertaken, a feasibility involving four different schemes exploring the opportunities available on the site were completed. The first scheme which was in the end the chosen scheme (we find the first one’s almost always right as it’s based on an experienced ‘gut feel’) was to try to keep the main body of the house, and do a simple single-storey extension. It responded to the little Brunswick cottage and provided spaces that maximised connection, that ran along the south boundary to catch the northern sun. Some of the restrictions on the site included a high building blocking some of the northern light, minimal backyard and the existing living areas facing west. A two-storey option was one of the options explored. It would’ve been cheaper than the scheme provided by the other architect while allowing for more outdoor space compared to the single-storey proposals. The clients looked at the price and this option was eliminated straight away as they were very sensitive about the budget.
Working as a Team – the Architect + Client Relationship
When we came to the clients with the area analysis, they were hoping to do something for less than what they eventually decided upon. The clients accepted spending more than they had initially anticipated, but they had trust that it was worth it, and chose to move forward with a more expensive but considered scheme that was realistic about their needs.
Budget expectation is an important conversation to have with your architect and shouldn’t be avoided. We approached the client with this scheme and explained that if they couldn’t afford to do it, then that’s the reality of the situation. We would prefer to loose the job, rather than have the client proceed with a project that they feel is beyond their means. When an experienced architect is realistic about this, the client should know that they’re not just trying to talk them into the job. Then it’s a matter of how do you maximize value. How smart of a design can you create to maximize what the client gets for their dollar.
Avoiding Unforeseen Budget Blowouts
It’s likely that the design from the previous architect was always going to be larger than they ever wanted, and more expensive than they could afford. Potentially, the other architect may have lacked a realistic understanding of budgets in the house extension market. The client may have also been a bit guarded with the architect and said, “Oh, just do some sketches and we’ll see where it gets us.” The risk is getting too far into the design process, and then being disappointed when the scheme is far too expensive. An important thing to do as a client to avoid this scenario is to practice clear communication, finding an architect that you resonate with and working with them to find a budget and scheme that you’re comfortable with.
Budget estimations on small projects such as house extensions can often be difficult as a quantity surveyor is often not engaged. You can engage a quantity surveyor, though our experience has often shown that they can be overly conservative when it comes to house extensions. An option is to use a different procurement system, where you start negotiating with a builder reasonably early on even if you pay for an early estimate. Then you can gain confidence that you’re in the right ballpark. Of course, domestic budgets even at tender with drawings can vary at least 50% from highest to lowest, so finding the right builder and the right quality level in the market at the right time is the challenge!
Value Management to a Reach Budget Goal
An additional consideration when designing to a tight budget is prioritising elements that are important and worth putting money into and identifying other areas that could be adjusted without effecting the overall feel and look of the place. An example from this project involved replacing bespoke joiner made robes to the bedrooms with an off-the-shelf product sourced by the builder. Overall, if you do a tight design that is easy to build, while still having a ‘wow factor,’ and you minimize the square meterage of the new build, you’ll always have a bit of scope to introduce those other nicer elements, like a beautiful kitchen or better performing windows.
Above: Budget choices saw the finish and quality of the kitchen a priority.