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Avalon cliff house makeover.
In 2022 we were invited to design a major makeover of one of Australia’s most iconic beach houses. While the spectacular roofline was awe inspiring, there were some significant deficiencies to the design, including the fact that there was at best 1.5 bedrooms, and no usable outdoor space.
Adding a new bedroom and bathroom to the ground floor addressed the first issue, and a covered balcony over these additions addressed the second. We also added new north facing doors to connect the interior to the new balcony, and moved the kitchen to corner of the house adjacent to the new balcony to optimise indoor/outdoor entertaining.
Another obvious issue was energy efficiency, with huge standard glazing areas facing east and west with no sun protection, and no openable windows. All of the existing windows and doors were replaced with thermally efficient double glazing, and many of the fixed windows were converted to double hung for the necessary ventilation.
Every part of the house also received a complete make over, with many fussy design elements replaced with clean and simple contemporary features. A big shout out to Alexander Kidd Design who did the interior detailing.
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PETER DOWNES – CHARTERED BUILDING DESIGNER
Welcome to my website. I specialise in difficult sites with spectacular views, anywhere in Australia.
Inspired by a life – long love affair with the Australian landscape, and a passion for architecture, I design people’s dream homes.
With decades of experience in architecture and engineering, no site presents too much of a challenge, so let me create an innovative masterpiece for you & your loved ones.
I am a winner of 58 AWARDS, and I would love to win another one with your project.
Mission Statement
Every site is different, and so are its’ owners, so every project on my website is unique. Our aim is to find that one perfect design that maximises the good characteristics of the site and minimises the bad. And we love happy clients!
Some Client’s Comments
“Peter continuously surprises me with his lateral thinking and futuristic design ideas.”
“You are a legend and the design is really fantastic.”
“Outstanding result, what a brain!”
“After two architects submitted very disappointing and predicable options, we struck gold with Peter.”
“Peter’s design is not only unique but our house has a WOW factor.”
“We are delighted with our result and would have no hesitation in recommending him, particularly where elements of ‘spice’ and excitement are needed.”
“A brilliant performance.”
“You came up with a unique design that was exactly what we wanted.”
“Thanks Peter. We absolutely love the design.”
“We are completely delighted with the amazing design that you have come up with.”