Whether you’re renovating or building new, choosing which architect to work with is a major decision. There are lots of options, all with different areas of expertise, styles and (possibly most significantly) prices. That’s why we’ve decided to write a quick blog on what it’s like to work with us. And who better to tell you than our previous clients.
Sustainability
If you’ve had a chance to check out our website, you’re likely aware that we’re a sustainable design practice. After twelve years in the design and construction industry, our founder (and your potential architect) Ben Caine saw a need for affordable, architecturally designed passive homes. It was his knowledge in this area that was the reason many of his clients chose to work with him.
Justin, who has been living in his passive home for over a year now said, “we knew that we wanted to do something sustainable, but we didn't know exactly what sustainability was”. He had been through various architects before finding Ben “who was happy to guide us along that process.”
Leanhaus designs homes to three levels of performance: ecohaus, leanhaus and passivhaus. While the features will differ slightly for every project, these levels each cater to different needs and budgets so you can choose which one suits you best.
Affordability
This brings us to our second primary goal at Leanhaus: to make architecturally designed homes more affordable and accessible. Unsurprisingly, his clients highly appreciated this. “He understood what our budget was and worked within it, and didn’t come back to us with stuff that we might love but was obviously outside of our budget”, said Jill, who is currently in the middle of her build.
For Justin, it was early on in their working relationship that he resonated with Ben’s practical outlook. “One of the first things he said was, a lot of people spend money on a garage, but most people just use it as a storage space. So it’s like a really expensive storage room.” With a lower budget and small property, this mindset worked well for them because “there was so much thought put into how we actually use the space”.
Communication
To ensure a smooth process from start to finish, we hold communication, with our clients and builders, at the highest level of priority. Nolan, who’s build finished a few months ago, found that Ben was always happy to answer questions and help with issues that arose, even after it had been passed onto the builders. "When there was a technical thing or question, we’d call him and he’d come and look at it”, he said. Justin shared similar sentiments, nothing that during his build Ben was so involved that “a few times we kind of joked that it was Ben’s house”.
Strong communication ensures that problems, which will inevitably occur during the building process, are solved quickly and efficiently. This keeps your build as short and low-cost as possible.
We’re passionate
Even after years in this industry, our passion only grows with each individual project. “I think he was as passionate about it as we were” Nolan joked. And even before Jill started working with Ben, she "could just see immediately that he understood architecture and space and flow, and that it was important to him how the house felt, not just how it performed.”
No matter the style or budget Ben loves a challenge and will work hard to produce a design that works specifically for you. “I’ve seen a few other houses of his and ours is completely different to most of them, and I think it does show there’s a lot of versatility in his design”, Nolan said.
Advice for future clients
Working with others on a project as important as your home can be a challenge. To ensure your experience is as smooth as possible, we asked our clients for their advice.
Now that he’s lived in his new home for a while, Justin is glad that he spent his budget wisely, focusing on the shell of the home and sustainability features more than anything else. “The whole point of building this style of house is that you’re building something that’s environmentally friendly and is going to work, so don’t cut back on any of that stuff”, he said.
As for Nolan, after some features in his build didn’t turn out quite as he had assumed, he shared that “if there’s something you’re not 100% certain about, you need to ask”. And we couldn’t agree more. Leanhaus deliver the best possible home for you, so if you’re worried about something, let him know. He’ll either explain the reason behind his decision, or work to find another solution.
They both also noted that, despite what they had expected of their completed build, passive design isn’t a complete solution. They both chose to install air-conditioners and heaters to use on days with more extreme temperatures. Despite this, though, the benefits of a passive build were still significant. “Because the house is airtight, you only need to leave the heater on for an hour and the whole house is warmed up”, Justin explained.
Jill’s main point of advice was to not hold back “don’t be afraid to stretch yourself or go for the wow-factor because he’s creative and can come up with cost-effective ways to achieve what you're trying to do”.
Choosing your new home designer should be a carefully considered decision. Your needs will be different from the next person and a skilled designer is required to balance all your functional, technical, and budgetry requirements . At Leanhaus, we deliver value driven, low impact homes for real people. If this sounds like your project, get in touch for a free initial consultation.
Words by Ellie Prober with Ben Caine