Well underway now on site with all lower ground concreting and the majority of lower level enclosing walls in place. As the rear of the home begins to take shape you really do appreciate the fantastic views back to Manly.

One of the things that becomes more obvious to me each time we start on site with a new project, especially renovations, is the concept that you can most definitely over document. Building is not a laser accurate process, walls are not necessarily always square and structure that looks perfectly sound and stable is quite often hiding something sinister beyond!

This project is no different. To manage this as best we can our approach to documentation is to attempt to describe an intent and/or a design outcome when we compile drawings and prepare a scope of work. We have had several items already on this project where documenting the detail of exact connections, final ceiling heights, final levels would have all been time wasted on the drawing board.

Much of our documentation will state things like ‘ensure minimum clearance of’ or ‘design levels to ensure seamless connection with existing’ rather than confirming exact numerical dimensions. This especially rings true for things like staircase levels and connections at ground level.

To date here at Balgowlah Heights we have liaised with the builder to review and finalise stair riser dimensions, floor depths, structural connections, ceiling heights, door threshold details….all as part of the contract administration phase. Why now and not earlier….because it is simply impossible to get these items and other laser accurate and consistent with the site condition on the drawings board.

In short, design doesn’t stop once the drawings are finished, and the stage and which something is documented in the timeline of the project can have a large impact on the relevance or not of what was once drawn with the best of intentions ‘on the drawing board’.

Happy to take topic suggestions from here forward for the weekly blog!

Image above demonstrating the scale at the rear (stair void to lower level)