Pyrmont Apartment Refurbishment
This penthouse apartment, with wrap-around views of the city, Barangaroo and harbour bridge, and only minutes walking distance from Sydney’s Star Casino, was in need of a complete freshen up. The team at Alexandra Kidd Design approached us to get involved early, develop a construction methodology and cost-plan, and then execute it, with a goal of completing the project prior to the end of year holiday break. This included almost a total stripout, and then new bathrooms, powder room, kitchen and wardrobes. All done whilst maintaining access for the other residents in one of Sydney’s most exclusive apartment buildings.
With clear planning & communication, great collaboration, and early decision making by designers, clients and builder, together we were able to achieve our goals, and deliver a high quality finish, on time, and on budget. Most of all, it was stress-free for all involved.
Interior Design by Alexandra Kidd Design
Photos by Simon Whitbread Photo
Time is money
The question we most often get asked by people is – “How can we stop costs blowing out?”.
Our answer is pretty simple. Time is money. Save time = save money!.
Here are three simple rules to follow.
1. Make decisions early.
2. Make decisions quickly.
3. Don’t change your mind.
Make decisions early – allow time to plan ahead properly, and procure subcontractors and suppliers, and fit them in to the overall programme, in order to build efficiently. Smooth is fast. It’s all about having the right people ready, and having them know what they need to do. We try and look far enough ahead to see where decisions are going to needed, in order to get them made before they can delay us.
Make decisions quickly – Before and during building, issues will arise that require a decision in order to move forward. Try and make those decisions as quickly as possible. While waiting for the answer, very little can be done. Often, people will start other things whilst they’re waiting, and then even when we have a decision, we’ve got to wait until they have finished the new job before coming back to ours… It’s all about being decisive, and maintaining momentum!
Don’t change your mind – Changes have a huge impact on costs blowing out. They take time to consider & (re)design; they require a pause, and then allocate or shift resources; order new materials; re-do work already done; and ultimately add extra cost and time. Of course, you’re entitled to change your mind (after all, we want to get the final outcome right), but just keep in mind that it probably has some sort of time and monetary cost to it. If you do change your mind, see rules 1 & 2 above!!!
Employee of the month
This month we meet Alexandra (Lexie) Racine, working part-time in our Small Works & Upkeep Division whilst studying towards her bachelors degree in Construction Management & Property @ UNSW.
How long have you been at Horizon?
Just over two years.
What do you love about your job?
I love the dynamic nature of the job. There is always a new challenge to tackle and learn from, keeping me on my toes. It is also great to work with such an experienced team who I am able to learn so much from, as well as have a lot of fun with along the way. There is never a dull moment in the Small Works office! It is amazing to work with a company that has such strong family values, creating a great working environment that is thoroughly enjoyable to be a part of.
What are you working on at the moment?
I am currently involved in managing a wide variety of small works jobs ranging from kitchen renovations to waterproofing remediation work.
What do you enjoy about working with architects and designers?
It is great to play witness to architects and designers pushing the boundaries and working with new concepts and finishes to develop unique projects, whilst continuing to be functional and meet client requirements.
Where were you born?
Sydney, Australia
What has been your greatest professional achievement to date?
I am very proud of playing a part in the construction and handover of our recent Vaucluse project. It was a very large and challenging build, offering a great experience to learn how to coordinate an immense amount of subcontractors and suppliers. I am very proud to now see the project nominated for an MBA Award this year!
What’s the most useful thing you’ve learned throughout your career?
It is essential to clearly understand the client’s requirements and outline this at the start of the project to ensure their expectations can be met. Three people you’d have over for a BBQ?
Dave Grohl, Robin Williams and Jamie Oliver. What do you do outside of work?
I try to spend as much time as possible outdoors, whether it be playing soccer, tennis, hiking or swimming at the beach. I also love to cook, spend time with my family and eat plenty of good food.
Horizon Upkeep
One of the least known services that we offer is our Horizon Upkeep service.
You undoubtedly maintain your car each year, in order to keep it functioning at its best, retain its value, and also probably looking good too. Simple routine things like brakes, tyres, and an annual service are commonsense expenses in order to manage wear and tear. But the truth is that your car is most probably depreciating even as we speak.
Your home on the other hand, is probably worth 100 times more than your car, and only going up in value! Modern homes have a multitude of systems requiring some TLC – from underfloor heating to smart homes, and from passenger lifts to timber decks that might need some oil. Of course, the most common need is keeping gutters and drains clear of debris – something a bit beyond your normal cleaning routine.
It makes sense to have a regular maintenance service that can keep your home functioning and looking its best at all times. It will save money on repairs in the long run, and increase the value of your property much more than the cost of the maintenance itself.
As one of our clients says – “I want my home to look one year old after five years, not five years old after one year.”
We couldn’t agree more. Give our office a call, and we can arrange a time to come out and assess your home’s needs, and then tailor a solution to your specific requirements!
Recent News
CONGRATULATIONS
Our very own Luke TEBB, working in our Horizon Advisory Division as well as a Contracts Administrator in our Construction Division, is now a Master of Architecture!
Well done Luke!
SCHOOL FOR LIFE
We have now well exceeded our first target of $10,000, and have set a new goal of $25K! Click here to donate towards helping us build an accommodation block for teachers at the school in Uganda.
Inaddition to raising funds, we’re also putting our money where our mouth is, and sending two of our foremen there to help build it!
We’ll update you as we get this done!
CHARITY FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT
Horizon entered a team in a recent football tournament at David Phillips Field, Pagewood, raising money for Sydney Children’s Hospital Foundation. A great initiative from one of our biggest collaborators, bd Building Management.
EXCELLENCE IN HOUSING AWARDS
We will be joining our peers at the pinnacle of our industry by attending the MBA Excellence in Housing Awards this weekend at Star Casino. We have entered two epic projects this year, our Vaucluse residence XII, and our Luxury Farmstay at The Oaks.
We have had tremendous success at the coveted awards night in recent times, having won 11 awards in the past 9 years, including Master Builder of the Year in 2017. What we are most proud of is the ability to consistently produce amazing for our stakeholders – quality year in, year out.
Fingers crossed!
Under Construction
Our Darling Point duplex is nearing completion, and following some finishing details, cleaning, testing and commissioning to go, our clients will be in to their dream home in just over a month! Architecture: MCK Architects; Engineering: Demlakian
Cleck here for a short video of the finals tages of this extraordinary project.
The Vault
This pair of townhouses were completely renovated inside, with the addition of an entire extra floor on top, all new bathrooms, kitchen and laundry, and pools in each backyard. Alucobond aluminium cladding gave each facade a modern feeld, and all new windows with Low E glass have the home an additional boost of thermal protection. Architecture by Bensen Partners.
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.
