Project of the month

This extraordinary home was first designed 2 decades ago by renowned architect Jon King at Design King Company. At the time  of completion, it won several awards, including a Timber Development Association award for Best Use of Timber.

The new owners wanted to freshen up the 20-year old design and finishes again, meet their work from home lifestyle, and do justice to this exceptional location. Who better to do so than the original designer himself?

View the project here →

Architecture by Design King Company
Engineering by Partridge
Photos by Brett Boardman

Challenges overcome included managing a remote location with no architect or client in town (we rented a house for our site staff), not to mention having to manage Covid on site, the Horizon office being closed for 3 months (our Project Manager was working from home), two massive beach-erosion events, and of course a highly detailed fitout of almost all timber, with very little margin for error. Not to mention the constant distraction of amazing surf conditions and migrating whales right on our back doorstep!

The results speak for themselves!

Blog

When I was at University in the mid-nineties, I wondered why I had to sit in a services class and learn about passenger lifts, as I knew I really wanted to build houses. Fast-forward ten years or so, and the majority of houses we were building had a lift in them. They were relatively inexpensive, easy to install, added a lot of utility to the people living in the house, and ultimately increased the value of the house itself – to the point that nowadays a luxury home without a lift excludes many prospective buyers.

So I would say the same about turntables. What was once looked at as a luxury or even showing off, has now become exactly the same as a lift twenty years ago – cheap, easy to install, and adding utility to the house, and ultimately greater resale value, not to mention great safety! They even help get approvals through easier by allowing cars to enter and exit facing forward, thereby requiring less excavation for turning.

We are installing more and more turntables in the houses we are asked to build, and I for one think they’re a great inclusion!

David.

What do you love about your job?
The team members’ passion for crafting great homes.
 
What are you working on at the moment?
I am working on several of our current & upcoming jobs, liaising with clients and their designers and of course our own project managers and foremen, in order to assist in developing construction documentation to ensure the smooth delivery of each project! 

What do you enjoy about working with architects and designers?
Transforming their vision into reality

Where were you born?
Sydney

What has been your greatest professional achievement to date?
Hard to pinpoint…….but a little unassuming folded weathered steel horse shed D+C collaboration comes to mind…….

What’s the most useful thing you’ve learned throughout your career?
Slow is fast
 
Three people you’d have over for a BBQ?
Only need 2 – my brothers

Favourite dessert?
Ben & Jerry’s New York Super fudge chunk
 
What do you do outside of work?
Either at the beach or negotiating the roads of Sydney

Recent news
 

Horizon Unhidden
 

Under Construction

Our Vaucluse Residence XV, in collaboration with Architects Tobias Partners, and engineers Partridge Structural is progressing well. We are overcoming difficult access challenges, and working closely with our team to upgrade what is already a magnificent home in an extraordinary location. Above the pool, boathouse and pergola areas are carefully being constructed, A steel staircase will connect this area to the main home.

Bellevue Hill Residence XII – has begun in collaboration with Henderson & Co & Partridge Structural. The majority of the works are being done under a CDC, and we will be refurbishing this home over the next 12 months. Above you can see that we have taken out the first floor structure, which will be modified and installed in a new configuration. In the meantime, we have used a series of braces to hold the existing 2-storey structure up!

Horizon – Building projects you’ll love, and love building together.