AIB People’s Choice Awards – We need your help!

Darling Point Duplex

Our recently completed Darling Point Duplex has been entered in to the Australian Institute of Building‘s Professional Excellence in Building Awards for 2020. We are excited to announce it has been shortlisted to also be considered for the People’s Choice Award.

Please take the time to click here, or on the picture above and give the image a “like” on the AIB’s Facebook page. If looking on a mobile phone, the link may not take you directly to the page. It is better to click the link on a desktop computer.

The project with the most likes on its page will win!

View the project here →

Architecture by MCK Architects
Engineering by Demlakian Engineers
Project Management by Centurion Group
Photos by Brett Boardman Photography

Recent news

Australian Government’s Homebuilder Programme launched

We have received many enquiries about the federal; government’s latest initiative at stimulating one of the country’s largest industries – The HOMEBUILDER Stimulus package.

Prospective new home builders and those undertaking substantial renovations will benefit from $25,000 cash grants, under a $688 million program designed to stop the housing construction industry falling into a hole.

The plan will be confined to people on middle incomes and to new homes and renovations valued at no more than $750,000. It aims to build 30,000 homes by Christmas.

Under the housing scheme, for a renovation to be eligible, it will have to cost between $150,000 and $750,000, which effectively rules out most projects other than a building project such as an extension.

The pre-renovation value of the house must not exceed $1.5 million.

Sheds, yurts, granny flats, pools, tennis courts and any other structure not attached to the home will not be eligible.

Singles who earned no more than $125,000 the previous financial year and couples who earned up to $200,000 will be eligible for the grants.

The handout will be available from June 4 until September 31, 2020.

Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020

Recovery of compensation for defective building works from building practitioners in NSW has become much easier with the commencement of the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 on 10 June 2020.

The expansive reforms are designed to protect consumers from economic loss where building works are defective. The Act imposes a duty of care on building practitioners to protect those that buy property against economic loss. The first owner and all subsequent owners will be owed that duty. Owners Corporations and commercial and residential property owners will be owed that duty. Even better for those owners the duty will be imposed retrospectively to building work undertaken before the Act commenced.

What are the main takeouts?

Insurance premiums for the construction industry in NSW will rise and the industry may find that some building practitioners find it difficult to arrange insurance, thus driving up building costs.
the Building Commissioner now has power to order a building practitioner to remedy defects under the Residential Apartment Buildings (Compliance and Enforcement Powers) Act 2020
If the Secretary is satisfied that a “serious defect” in the work exists, or if the developer has failed to comply with a building work order or a development control order, then the Secretary has the power to prohibit the certifier (whether the local council or a private certifier) from issuing an occupation certificate
regulated designs;
the introduction of a registration régime to be created by Regulations made pursuant to the legislation together with a disciplinary régime for registered practitioners that include design and building practitioners;
certification by registered design practitioners that a building is constructed in accordance with a regulated design and complies with the Building Code of Australia;
Penalties include cautions, fines, mandatory education, suspension or cancellation, and disqualification of registration, either temporarily or permanently.
A registered design practitioner will be required to provide a Design Compliance Declaration for regulated designs but can only do so if they are adequately insured with respect to the declaration for the design work.

A copy of the Act can be seen here.

Source: Gillis & Delaney Lawyers

Horizon’s Office is officially
Covid-Safe!

We have prepared for our return to our Rose Bay office by becoming registered as a “Covid-Safe” business, as part of our efforts to keep our own staff, and the general public as safe as possible. As per the federal government’s guidelines, we will be back in the office from the 1st of July!

We have started the renovation and refurbishment of the Sydney Children’s Hospital Cafe! Horizon is providing it’s management services free of charge, and has brought along many of our subcontractors for the ride, who are also doing so at no charge or a heavily discounted price! It feel great to be able to give back to an organisation that none of us want to need!

Employee of the Month

This month we meet one of our site Leading Hands, Aslan Moses.

How long have you been at Horizon?
Seven years!

What do you love about your job?
I love dealing with different challenges each and every day that come up during the building process, and seeing the job coming together from start to finish.

What are you working on at the moment?
Just started a big renovation in Vaucluse. Excited is an understatement!!!

What do you enjoy about working with architects and designers?
I enjoy working along side them and the challenges that they bring to each and every job

Where were you born?
Sydney, Australia

What has been your greatest professional achievement to date?
I started at Horizon as an apprentice and have worked my way up to finish my apprenticeship, then become a Carpenter, and now a Leading Hand. On my last project, the Foreman gave me the wet areas to set out and make sure they are waterproof. I loved the challenge and the responsibility put in me to deliver.

What’s the most useful thing you’ve learned throughout your career?
Planing and persistence is key + time is of essence

Three people you’d have over for a BBQ?
Conor McGregor
Gordon Ramsey
Margo Robbie

Favourite dessert?
Papa’s Pasticceria Baked Ricotta Cheesecake. Unbeatable.

What do you do outside of work?
Work – Fish – Beer – Repeat

Under Construction

Our Bellevue Hill Residence XI is moving on at a swift pace, with the stripping of the formwork for the garage that has been built by retaining the existing residence above. The internal refurbishment is also moving with a great deal of momentum. A very successful collaboration with Zoe Smorgon Design and Partridge Engineers is making it a project that is being enjoyed immensely by all involved.

We have recently begun a new project involving a complete refurbishment of a waterfront home in Vaucluse. Some major structural modifications and a complete refurbishment of the interiors to our Vaucluse Residence XV project will keep us busy in to the new year. We are looking forward to another successful collaboration with Tobias Partners and Partridge Engineers.

Our Dover Heights Residence XI is out of the ground, and with the ground floor slab poured and brickwork up, is heading towards a roof on in the next couple of months. It’s great to be working closely again with The Quinlan Group and Cantilever Engineers to deliver this project for our fantastic clients.

Our Wamberal residence I is well underway, and despite the odd whale coming by for a visit and an understandable distraction, the refurbishment of this award-winning home with Design King Company and Partridge Engineers should be completed well within the timeframe set, and our clients will be catching waves from their doorstep in no time at all!

Our Double Bay Residence IV requires a great deal of coordination between ourselves, Weir Phillips Architects and Cantilever Engineers in order to coordinate the installation of almost 50 props and needles, in order to hold the entire corner of the house up until we can install a complicated set of steel beams to support it, and then continue on with the ground floor extension and refurbishment.

One thing we don’t have to worry about is the neighbours – it’s right next door to our Double Bay Residence III that we completed last year!

CPD Points

Don’t forget to contact our office and book in for a cost-planning seminar to get two CPD points under the AIA’s Refuel system.

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

We’d love to speak with you about your next project.

+61 (0) 2 9388 1050
1300 4 HORIZON
[email protected]
horizonbuilt.com.au