Urban Habitats approach every home collaboratively and holistically. Here’s why.
Designing and building a home requires a lot of decision making and the ability to prioritise wants and needs. There are a lot of stages in the process and many elements within each stage, which is challenging to navigate without proper guidance.
Architectural design, build cost estimating, interior design, building, and landscaping – this is the breadth of services offered by Urban Habitats (they also undertake their own developments). Key to their success is their ability to leverage off of their experienced team; the communication between the different operators ensuring a clear understanding of design and build. For clients, this is a valuable point of difference. Having all of this expertise under the one roof means that details can be debated, problems can be identified, and opportunities can be maximised early in the design phase – this collaboration often achieving outstanding results.
A recent Urban Habitats project on Albert Street in Goodwood is a good example of this – in this build, a concrete plinth under the fireplace, which transitions into the first two stairs that lead to the upper level, was a thoughtfully considered design detail that presented construction challenges.
Consultation between architect and builder was paramount to the success of this design aspect, together with holistic, whole project thinking. The conversations start early, ensuring that all parties are across every aspect of the build. Central to this is detailed construction drawings.
When a meticulously deliberated design starts becoming a reality onsite, it is paramount that everyone is across the detail. Comprehensive drawings and clear communications can also save time – and money – making the delivery of the home smoother. This high level of communication and vision of the end-goal not only offers potential time and cost savings, it also means than any variations to the design can be dealt with directly.
Working with the original architect for the duration of the build also ensures the original design intent is delivered as envisioned. The Albert Street build had an 11-month construction phase – fastidiously detailed construction drawings and consistent communication between the architect, interior designer, estimator/contract administration, and project manager meant this home was built on time and on budget.
Budget and cost decisions for this particular home took into account the build objective, which was to deliver a high-quality home with a point of difference, on a compact site. Areas of spend were prioritised in line with this, and as a result the home includes many stand out features, such as a central courtyard, a cellar, polished concrete flooring, three-metre-high ceilings at ground level, perforated metal screening and an open staircase.
Having a clear objective from the outset, and the support of a design studio and cost estimating team, meant that costs could be determined ahead of time and efficient building strategies utilised to ensure that wow-factor elements could be included without blowing the budget.
Well-considered design, comprehensive communication, and a team that is concentrated on delivering the best build outcome for clients is at the core of Urban Habitats’ holistic design and construct approach.
Challenges are addressed head-on as a project team and the design objective is considered and upheld throughout the course of construction. Details are shared and opportunities are maximised by the pooling together of expertise and experience; a collaborative approach that instils confidence and facilitates building success.
South Australian Style Magazine 