42 | ADNZ: Warnock Architecture “You’ve got to consider the sun, the passive design, where’s the sun in relation to the your site, where are your views and it’s not hard for even for the smallest budget to get your windows facing the right way and your utilities facing south, fundamentals for passive design.” Passive design gaining traction T T Russell Fredric The cost of a good design is one of the smallest costs of the overall build, but will have the biggest impact on the finished home, says Reece Warnock. ARCHITECTURE Investing in a professional design service even on a limited budget is money well spent, architectural designer Reece Warnock says. The co-director of Outram-based Warnock Architecture, Reece and his team of five have been involved in more than 2000 projects. This award winning practice specialises in 3D architectural design and is known for providing cutting edge design and high quality detailed contract documentation. Reece started the business 20 years ago and is as passionate today about good design and what it achieves for Warnock Architecture’s clients both aesthetically and practically. During that time he has designed two houses of his own, consequently he relates strongly to the process and it is extremely satisfying for him and his team to see the outcome and clients’ response, he says. “I just love seeing the end result and the feedback that you get from clients who are so happy with their completed house. I recently got an email from a client in Tuapeka saying their house is stunning, there’s nothing they would change. “They are just over the moon with it. You get that feeling of satisfaction out of working with a client as a team to get the final product that they absolutely love. That’s the reward that you get out of it.” Although some may perceive the cost of an architectural design is out of their budget, this is often not the case. Reece highlights there are also important factors to a home other than the design itself. “You’ve got to consider the sun, the passive design, where’s the sun in relation to the your site, where are your views and it’s not hard for even for the smallest budget to get your windows facing the right way and your utilities facing south, fundamentals for passive design.” While the uptake has been relatively slow, Reece is seeing is a greater awareness of and interest in passive design principles in recent years. Although this usually involves greater upfront costs for the likes of insulation, longterm energy costs are less with the important benefit of having a healthier home. The cost of a good design is one of the smallest costs of the overall build, but will have the biggest impact on the finished home, Reece says. “To me, trying to cut costs on a design is a huge mistake.” Achieving what a client wants is very much a collaborative process, not just with the client, but Warnock Architecture encourages early builder involvement, and having the builder review documents from a construction perspective is an important part of this process. Clients come to Warnock Architecture with varying degrees of clarity of their vision, but the consultation process which reviews their ideas and includes input from Reece or one of his team helps solidify the initial design. “From there we’ll come up with an initial concept and present it to them and talk about what they do or don’t like; the design evolves from there. We are fans of trying to evolve the client’s ideas and not trying to push any of our own ideas too hard, but we will certainly give our opinions. We like to bring their ideas to life.” A fantastic tool which helps achieve this is the 3D software that Warnock Architecture uses. Through virtual reality goggles, clients can experience a life-like walk around of their house inside and out almost as if they are actually there. “It’s the probably the best way of getting spatial awareness without building the home. People get a really good experience from it. It’s pretty amazing, it’s highly interactive.” Warnock Architecture is a member of Architectural Designers of New Zealand and a Licensed Building Practitioner. D.S. Building service the wider Otago region — no matter what your building project is, we can help. 021 223 0810 | dallas@dsbuilding.co.nz | PO Box 312, Mosgiel 9053
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