Occupation - Nick’s Place, Surry Hills - July 2023

We’re in - daughter’s doing a happy dance! As anyone who has been through the process of building - there is nothing quite like that feeling of crossing the threshold.

Our terrace in Surry Hills has been given a new life - from the dark to the light. This is a snapshot of the rear exterior - it faces smack bang north and these little succulents, drawing in the sun will be helping to keep us cool for summers to come. We have a little bit more work to do in the courtyard and a few finishing touches on the inside, but we’re in and it feels good.

Big thank you to Ryan, Ben, Murray and the team at MJH Building along with every pair of hands who worked on this with me - you are fabulous.

Design Development - Bronte - June 2023

We are thrilled to have our client’s approval on the design development of this heritage home in Bronte. Working with heritage homes is a big love of the Nick Bell Architects team - so it was a joy to design the alterations and additions that retains the original beauty while opening up the home for today’s style of living - all within the constraints of Waverley Council’s controls.

The focus of the design is a central atrium that opens the south facing property up to a northern aspect. This internal courtyard melds with the double height space inviting natural light and air into the heart of the home. Externally the new addition responds to the heritage context with a sleek modern terracotta cladding skin emphasising the pitched roof forms.

Occupation - CDC House, Rozelle - May 2023

It’s a happy day when a client moves into their new home - especially a gorgeous young family! We are just thrilled that our CDC design is complete - let the fun and games begin!

The unique roof design is just the tip of the iceberg - look within and you will find angles and intrigue with light bouncing throughout the home from skylight to skylight. Grand ceiling heights reaching more than six metres in the back living room, give a sense of space and openness like no other. This former worker’s cottage in Rozelle has been transformed - long may it reign.

A very big thank you to our team who put in an incredible effort to see our architecture and design come to life: MJH Building, JNJ Carpentry, Austek Roofing and Cladding

And a massive thank you to our wonderful client who entrusted us with their home for life.

Approval - Bondi - April 2023

Very excited for our clients on the approval by Waverley Council for their new home design. Interesting hurdle with the changes to the local flood zoning - it threw our plans a little but we were able to rework and find a solution to accomodate. With Climate Change and the increasing risk of more frequent “one in one hundred year weather events” - it’s crucial as architects, we mitigate any potential issues at the design stage.

This coastal home located in Sydney’s iconic Bondi, brings together the outside and inside. Designed for family living, the home has various open spaces to enjoy, we’ve created wide openings and skylights to invite in the light while the use of warm materials including timber ceilings will keep a sense of calm and nurture.

We can’t wait to get building!

Design Development - Sydney Harbour - March 2023

A home designed for a multi-generational household. The extended family requires spaces to come together over meal and leisure times - but also have their own areas to enjoy some privacy. Open plan living, lots of light and a view of the harbour - happy days!

Design Development in Bronte - February 2023

Outside in and inside out. The garden features strongly in this new home architecturally designed to make the most of its coastal location.

The top floor with its tapered lightweight framing, enjoys views of the horizon with bedrooms opening up to the curved garden roof - which also acts to curate light and shade below.

The expansive ground floor utilises a solid concrete base and is designed for indoor outdoor living, lounging and play. Kitchens both in and out - it’s time to entertain!

Bring on the good life.

Approval for Mosman - November 2022

Celebrating the wins! Congratulations to our lovely clients on having the Design Application for their new home approved in record time. It took just over five months for Mosman Council to give the go ahead to our designs.

New build - conservation area - minimal changes - let's go!

Well done to our lead architect, Poppi Denison. Great work!

Can't wait to see the new home take shape and the building kick off next year.

Carrington House - site visit November 2022

Let there be light.... Carrington House is a project close to our hearts. Built on a site with a uniquely angled shape, the two-storey family home features a number of translucent light wells.

On a site visit this morning, the numerous skylights were diffusing the most beautiful of light. Soft, expansive and free from glare.

Apart from the 'aesthetic glow,' the Danpatherm material has been chosen for its thermal properties.

Energy efficiency and passive house design are keen interests of our client - we are thrilled to see Carrington House taking shape. 

Fitzroy Street - Site Works + Design development - October 2022

Looking from the inside and out. A snapshot from Nick’s Place….

While I love the vibrancy of inner city living, I also want to give my place a sense of connection to nature. This Port Jackson Fig in my neighbour's yard offers that connection - so a big, deep bay window to sit and absorb the sunny outlook seems like a good idea.

To add to the greenery and give the tree some friends, I'm installing a green wall on the bedroom façade, with the bay window projecting through the planting.

As well as softening the exterior, the green wall will maintain a more even surface temperature for the northern façade and do its bit to bring some balance - in more ways than one.

We’re excited to be working with Semper Green Wall developing a vertical garden of Australian native plants to create an urban backyard oasis.

Design development Longueville - September 2022

We’ve been designing a home for a family of three generations - creating individual areas for each to enjoy while drawing on a light-filled internal courtyard as the central hub of the home.

It is a living space where the whole family can relax, entertain and connect……while also acting as a buffer for when a little me/us time is desired.

Architecture - Sydney

A home that produces more energy than it consumes - NatHERS 8.3 star - August 2022

Upcoming changes to energy efficiency controls in NSW and nationally will mean that all new homes built from October 2023 must have a minimum 7 star NatHERS (National Household Energy Rating Scheme) equivalent rating and a “whole-of-home” energy budget for fixed appliances, such as heating and cooling, hot water, lighting, and pool pumps. 

Climate and people are the winners. 

“Australia’s homes contribute about 12% of the national carbon emissions and use 24% of electricity. About half of the homes that will be around by 2050 will have been built from 2019 onwards, adding to the importance of getting design right….” Climate Works Centre

These welcome changes mean that architects and building designers need to incorporate design strategies and modern technology to reduce the carbon emissions and environmental impact of the buildings they design.  

Our recently completed project for a family home in Bondi had clients who had sustainability top of mind. Passionate and committed - the planet and creating a healthy comfortable home came first. Here is how they are keeping their home cool in summer, warm in winter, whilst minimising emissions. 

Aspect 

• Living areas and main bedroom facing north  

• Adjustable louvres over a north facing external living space provide shade for hotter months and allows winter sun  

Building Envelope 

• Walls: highly insulated, over and above minimum requirements. 

• Roofs and ceilings: highly insulated, over and above minimum requirements. 

• Thermal mass to store embodied energy, achieved by incorporating PCM (phase change material) within the external timber framed walls. 

• Double glazed high performance glass windows  

• Thermally broken aluminium windows frames 

• First floor roof form that provides through ventilation to bedrooms and double aspect natural lighting. 

Energy 

• Solar: 34 solar panels on the rooftop, achieving optimum solar gains  

• Stiebel Eltron heat pump system and storage supplying hot water, hydronic under floor heating in winter and pool heating in summer 

• Apricus 4 x Apricus ETC-30T tube collectors to improve energy efficiency 

• BYD 10.2kW DC Battery for solar energy storage 

• Electric Vehicle Charging 

• Energy efficient lighting and appliances 

Space planning 

• Thermal separation of basement from living areas 

• Minimized circulation space to reduce building footprint 

• Avoiding oversized rooms 

Water 

• 4000L tank installed to maximize water savings  

• Rainwater tanks connected to flush toilets, washing machine, external taps and irrigation.  

• Low water use tap and shower fittings 

Air 

• Filtered ventilated air system used the same ducts as the air conditioner, ensuring fresh air intake and to positively pressurise the home 

If all homes were built like this - the world would indeed be in a better place.  The future is bright!

A very big thank you to our client who maintained the commitment to a sustainable home and to all who contributed to this project - PM Build, Interex Custom Joinery

Bronte Home - featured in Grand Designs Australia - August 2022

Hello Bronte House - we love this project as much as the wonderful clients who live in it! Thank you to April Ossington of Grand Designs Australia for featuring it on the pages.

“Our clients have a large extended family and therefore wanted a house that could therefore support entertainment and also their own family needs long term. Due to the narrow nature of the block, privacy from both neighbouring properties was a main concern and something that needed to be addressed within the design. Additionally, a comfortable office/study space for two was to be provided as both out clients often worked from home.” Nick Bell, Architect.

Looking good PM Build and Tom Ferguson Photography.

Rozelle site works  –  July 2022

Angles on angles - MJH Building has been making great progress on our CDC house in Rozelle with JNJ Carpentry making light work of a creative upper level framing design - a roofline like no other.

Design presentation Bilgola - June 2022

Our team enjoyed presenting the design development for a fantastic site on Bilgola Beach, to our most wonderful client. Our 3-d modelling and virtual reality transported our clients into the future. It went well - they loved the creative design. Happy architects!

Design presentation Bondi - May 2022

Our design for a new home in Bondi presented this week - contemporary design, lots of light, lots of life.

Design presentation Mosman - April 2022

Our team really enjoyed working on this design development for a project in a Mosman conservation area - it went down well with the lovely client - making us architects, very happy too. Thank you team!

Approval for Maroubra - March 2022

Blending the old with the new. This 1950s bungalow in Maroubra with it’s original steep pitched roof had a bit of a neo-gothic feel. We are opening up the back, letting in the light and creating a space to soak up a more coastal style of life.

Approval for Clovelly - February 2022

DA has been approved by Randwick Council for the design of this new house in Clovelly. All systems go!

Northbridge site works  –  January 2022

The new year has kicked off on site in Northbridge with the second level brickwork completed and the bedrooms have taken shape.

Design for Balmain – October 2021

“Don’t change a thing”, exactly what you want to hear from a client when you present 3-D modelling of the design for their new home in Balmain.