The brief was to design an “un-obese” house on the narrow sloping block which would take advantage of the spectacular sea view and have a nautical feel. The owners are fifty something and wanted a house which would suit them in retirement as well as to cater for visit from their grown up family.
The result is fantastic and exceeds our expectations in all respects. The more time we spend there the more we want to be there.
Mark McLachlan.
Testimonial for 32 Holmes Crescent:
It was a wonderful experience working with Tony Trobe and the team at TT Architecture. We fell in love with the bones of a 1960s house despite it not meeting the requirements of our family, and we were lucky to have Tony’s advice prior to purchase on how to adapt the design.
After purchasing the house, Tony Trobe carefully listened to our needs & created a design that surpassed our imagination and one that we are extremely happy with. Tony cleverly reconfigured existing spaces and produced perfect new additions and connections throughout the house which complimented, enhanced and modernised the original architecture. His collaborative approach and successful working relationship with the builder meant that the project was completed on time and on budget. We have the greatest admiration for Tony’s skills and we continue to seek Tony’s advice whenever we make a change to our home. We could not recommend Tony more highly.
Philip & Victoria McGlade
TT Architecture carried us through the entire house design process. They advised us on the optimal block to buy, navigated us through heritage and other planning guidelines, and designed our house around a beautiful protected oak tree. They listened carefully to our ideas (architecture lovers have a lot of ideas). Their design has delivered the balance we were looking for – respect for the Ainslie heritage context, but a fully modern and interesting house behind the facade. The house balances privacy with our desire for light and openness to the outside. They guided us through the technicalities of orientation maximisation and the use of cutting edge materials. Most importantly they helped us navigate the contracting process and the identification of an excellent builder. We completed the process while overseas and they were always available for updates by phone.
They have been a joy to work with – great patience and senses of humour. Tony and his team do more than design houses – they’re participants in the debate that shapes Canberra’s future architecture and planning. We can’t recommend them highly enough.
Cheers, Tim Huggins + Mona Balram
After visiting a number of different architects, and looking at houses designed by them, we opted to go with Tony Trobe of TT Architecture for a number of reasons. Apart from liking his designs, we needed to have an architect with whom I could interact closely as I wanted to be heavily involved in the design process because of my involvement and interest in architectural and design areas early in my career. I also needed an architect who could work alongside my brother Gerin, who would be the engineer for the project.
The design brief we left with Tony was very simple: we wanted an energy-efficient two-storey home, entry to be at the living area level on the first floor, senior-citizen friendly, a largish kitchen, and for the garage doors to be hidden from the street. No other detail was provided and we said that it was up to him to convince us to go ahead through the power of his imagination. Having lost our original architect designed home in the 2003 bushfires, we wanted something different which would challenge established norms.
We were very impressed with Tony’s original designs and worked closely with him on refining them. We wanted a look that would give the feeling of rising out of the ashes, of uplifting spirits, of defiance of convention and of new hope. We felt Tony had achieved this and my impression from the many people who have seen or visited the house confirms this. Most people seem to love the design even though some also found it “challenging”. We were pleased that the two architects from ACTPLA, and the building inspector, fully supported the design and were keen to have it constructed.
Having now lived in the house for a period of time we appreciate the simplicity of the interior and the way the house “flows”. This is something you can never be sure of until plans are turned into product.
We would not hesitate in recommending TT Architecture to others, particularly if they are looking for something out of the ordinary.
Ric Hingee/Melisande McCarthy
“It is hard to believe that is now a decade since TT Architecture completed extensive renovations to our Garran home.
Tony’s architectural design has stood the test of time and the house still feels very contemporary with a classic Australian flavour.
Tony and his team were able to translate our brief into a beautiful family home with features that reflect our extensive travels and suit our lifestyle.
We would not hesitate to recommend TT Architecture and would definitely use them again if we could bear to leave our current much-loved home!
Amanda Gorely and Stuart Hodge”
We due back home in December and looking forward to moving back into the house. We had it valued while we were away and the agent put it at $1.8 – $2 million which from our point of view reflects money well spent on the renovations.
Best wishes
Amanda Gorely
Ambassador to the Philippines
At my first discussion with Tony I was impressed with Tony’s knowledge of the ACT’s complex building regulations but I was stunned at the explosion of design ideas that seemed to come so easily to him.
Tony was able to translate my somewhat inarticulate requirements and desires into a practical yet distinctive house design that met my requirements including some that I was not aware of. Tony listened to me and did not try to impose his ideas into the process. The same level of care and concern was brought to the interior design.
Tony and his team exhibited professionalism and were very responsiveness during the building. It was a collaborative process and I was kept fully informed and consulted when there was a problem and was usually offered a couple of possible solutions.
I found working with Tony and his team a pleasure during what was for me a stressful experience. Nothing was ever too much trouble, my queries were dealt with promptly and I had complete confidence in the decisions that were being taken.
Hiring an architect is an enormous step to take and initially I was concerned about the cost involved but I am convinced that hiring Tony saved not only money but my sanity. Any problems were handled with grace and humour and Tony’s team were very effective in dealing with the contractor and the enormous amount of paperwork that accompanies all such enterprises.
I have no hesitation in recommending Tony and his team both as an innovative architect and supervisor of the resultant building process. The attention to detail, the diligence and sheer hard work shown is impressive.’
Dianne Garner
We started our journey with TT Architecture while we were working overseas. We had seen examples of their portfolio online and loved the style of their work. Given our unique circumstances, we were looking for a firm with excellent communication skills, who would be able to work with us via phone and email, and across time zone differences. Over the two years we worked with TT Architecture we were continually impressed with their creativity, professionalism and customer focus. They worked hard to understand what we wanted and used their expertise to design a fantastic extension within our price range. TT Architecture have also developed excellent relationships with some of Canberra´s best builders, and so were able to facilitate quotes to help us choose our builder. Overall, an excellent experience, and we highly recommend working with TT Architecture.
Cheers
Mick and Andie Fritschy
Our house near Braidwood on the Southern Tablelands was purpose built. We are a semi-retired couple whose children have left home but have regular house guests for whom we wanted self-contained accommodation. The building site is located in a eucalypt forest with spectacular views across the Araluen valley to the Great Dividing Range. Our brief to the architect stated that the house should be sympathetic to the site, utilising, but not dominating the local environment.
The resultant dwelling has surpassed our expectations. The architect conceived ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ sides in the design. Extensive use of natural (basalt) stone anchors the house to the slope – this is the hard side. Floor to ceiling glass captures the natural bush and the mountain views – the ‘soft side’. The result is that the house floats lightly on the sloping site and constantly rewards when viewed from different perspectives. The internal spaces are of manageable proportions and function perfectly in accord with our needs. To our constant delight, sight lines in every room focus our attention on favourite possessions, and the bush and stone walls outside. Our guests have been generous in their praise of the comfort and privacy of the guest studio.
In summary, living in the house has been a highly satisfying and enjoyable experience.
Jon and Lesley East
When looking for a professional organisation to undertake the design for our new residence and having been exposed to many different residential building projects through our building company we were attracted to TT Architecture by their fresh, contemporary design solutions.
From the outset Tony was flexible and innovative with his response to our design brief and worked closely with us through the initial sketches to the construction phase to ensure his vision was delivered without fuss.
We are now lucky to live in a residence that is not only a stunning contemporary design but a functional and flexible family home – thanks to Tony and the team at TT.
Regards
Alan Carey
“What we most appreciated was TT’s willingness to carefully consider our brief, work with us, and think innovatively to realise our objectives and design priorities. We now enjoy amazing 8 star energy performance, year round household comfort and a building that functions effectively within its local environment and climate. With the multiple benefits of modern design, features and inclusions that fit our specific lifestyle, efficient layout, and beautiful, light-filled spaces, we love our TT house more than ever.”
Cheers,
Andrew Bishop and Sarah Bruce