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Latemore Design

Phone: +61 7 3356 9051

Address: 59 Chermside Street 4051 Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Website: http://latemoredesign.com.au

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25.01.2022 My recent talks at the Brisbane Home Show 2021 February one of which was live streamed to Facebook and here is the link https://www.facebook.com/BrisbaneHomeShow/videos/831364647453763/ If you'd like a half hour of me babbling on about "Where to put your kitchen and bathroom from a building designer's perspective" #kitchendesign #bathroomdesign #houselayout #buildingdesign #clerestory

25.01.2022 Who does the heavy lifting? What happens when a Queenslander is lifted in readiness for a build-in? We are often asked this because people see a house has been lifted but are intrigued by the method. First, temporary steel beams are placed on stacked sleepers under the house floor framing. Then everything underneath the floor level is demolished, including stumps, slabs, walls, plumbing etc. All services are disconnected. The next amazing step is lifting the building by usi...ng a minimum of 6 pumped hydraulic jacks. It can take several hours for this process as it only moves about 200mm at a time. During this action which twists the building slightly, there could be some damage inside to items like tiles. Because the building is timber framed there is some flexibility particularly with VJ walls. The building ends up with its floor level, which is a major bonus. Steel beams are bolted to the bearers with steel posts hung from them into holes in the ground. The beams are needed to increase the spans for room sizes. In every project there will be a cross beam to increase open space in two directions. Concrete is then placed in the post holes to cure over a few days. The house lifter returns and removes the temporary support systems which results in a house up high on skinny steel posts with temporary bracing. Then the build-in can occur. Another method for lifting houses is a house moving trailer. A large prime mover vehicle is placed under the house to lift the house up. This occurs very quickly. A benefit of this method is the house can be shifted to another part of the property and therefore the site can be cleared easily. If you would like to know more visit our website at: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning building designer with expertise in all house types. Thanks to our clients for allowing us to use their houses in the photos. See more

24.01.2022 Is your house 100 years old? There are several eras of Queenslander housing in south east Queensland especially our local areas of Windsor, Wilston, Grange, and Newmarket. The predominant style of Queenslander in these suburbs is the Inter War period. What defines the Inter War Queenslander? Inter-War is 20 years between the two World Wars ie 1919-1939. What defines the style?... Essentially it comes down to the roof shape and the front bedroom. The main body of the house has a pyramidal shaped roof and a gable projection towards the front over the main front bedroom. There is always a verandah with its roof coming off the main roof in a skillion and there are similarities at the rear. The kitchen is often on the same side as the bedrooms and it is a projection off the main pyramid, but it usually has a hip style roof. Beside that portion of the building is usually a closed in version of a verandah. Care must be taken when renovating these houses as not only are there Council regulations regarding Character, these houses can be ruined if the whole rear roof is turned into a longer pyramidal shape. If this describes your house or something like it, talk to us, as we can help you with any renovation or extension ideas you have that respects the lovely vernacular building that you own. See more

24.01.2022 Drawings aren’t just lines on paper. Building Designers and Architects are the creators of documentation that certifiers and builders use to approve and construct your building. The final drawings used for building or construction are called Working Drawings, or Construction Documentation (WD or CD’s). What is in a set of Working Drawings? There must be a series of plans, starting with a site plan, floor plans, roof plans, reflective ceiling, and electrical plans, just t...o name a few. Elevations and sections are also required. There may be some other views such as dimensional plans, slab layout plans, schedules and wet area detail views. 1:20 details are usually there also. In addition, there are lots of notes to specify many items. In recent years lots of us include 3D views, as our software can do that. Drawings should tell the builder the whole story of what your renovation or new house should look like and how it is built. That is why there are many details and views on a good set of drawings. This allows the builder to get on with the job and not have to ask too many questions. There are other sets of drawings from consultants like engineers. When you click on the link below you will see drawings from some of our projects. If you have any questions on what your drawings should look like from your designer or architect give us a call or email, we are happy to help. Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer with more than 40 years’ experience in the industry. https://latemoredesign.com.au/example-drawings/ See more

24.01.2022 Can you just knock it off? The quick answer is no when you are dealing with a Queenslander house built prior to 1947. The Traditional Character code seeks to maintain our special vernacular buildings by placing restrictions on what can be demolished. The code does allow for some demolition but mainly only on the rear. Corner sites have greater restrictions. One of the more interesting allowances is an exemption whereby the rear portion of a house can be entirely removed be...hind the highest most rear ridge point of the roof. You are allowed to remove any building fabric since 1947. If you are not sure, you can chat with us or look at the 1946 aerial photo. In many cases, a DA (Development Application) is triggered which requires us to produce special drawings., to show council exactly what is being demolished and categorize it to pre and post 1946 as per the floor plans shown. In the example, we were permitted to remove the deck which was built possibly in the 1980s because it does not appear in the aerial 1946 photographs. This was done prior to lifting the house for a build in and renovation. Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders and other house types. To see our projects and other useful information visit us at: http://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

23.01.2022 Start with Pod Living A great way to begin building your home if you dont have much money is to start with a single pod. And then you add pods as you can afford them or as your family grows. The first pod would be like a granny flat or studio apartment. You would then add more bedroom pods with more bathrooms and extra living spaces. These can be built on site or as relocatable buildings which can be more cost effective because they are factory built. The best part is you ...can build as you afford to, and the result is a fun living environment because you can move from pod to pod. The use of the pods is easily adapted according to your changing needs. Come and see Peter talk at the Home Show this weekend 11:00 Friday and Sunday and 10:00am Saturday. Or visit us at www.latemoredesign.com.au. Peter is an award winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders as well as all house types. The photos are a pod house installed at a home show and a concept version for a large site. See more

22.01.2022 Do you ever climb inside your roof space? In older houses you will find an intricate array of lots of timber. Modern houses have trusses that generally are simpler. The framing in older houses is quite interesting for someone like myself and others in the industry. Carpenters had to understand complex angled cutting of roof timbers without the benefit of modern drop saw technology. Older rooves have timber members such as rafters, collar ties, under-purlins, struts, hanging... & strutting beams and ceiling joists. All of these timbers are cut to fit to each other in joints such as mortis and tenon, housed, checked, and bird’s mouth. This all takes up a lot of space in your roof, so there is not much room for anything else, except maybe a small amount of storage. We cannot emulate attics in American houses as they are built differently to cope with a bigger load. All of the roof framing in older houses places loads on the internal walls, which is why you can’t remove a wall before checking if it is load bearing. Trusses in modern houses place their load on the outside walls only, which means all of the internal walls usually have no roof or ceiling load. This means there is more flexibility in removing or changing walls in modern houses. We’ve included a photo of a trussed roof undergoing revisions for a clerestory. If you need more information, look at our website at: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning building designer specializing in house renovations. See more

21.01.2022 Will you need a Siting Relaxation? Relax, we have a solution. As mentioned in the last post, any structure within 6 metres from the street boundary requires a Siting Relaxation. What does that mean? The state Government and local authorities have the same rule when it comes to these front structures. The setback can be relaxed under the jurisdiction of the local authority. The process of achieving the relaxation includes having a chat with your neighbours. You must show t...hem the drawings you have received from your Building Designer, so they can understand the scheme and sign a Council form. Once they have agreed, and have no issues with the build, it is then handed onto the private Certifier to submit to the Council. The dedicated Council Relaxation team then assesses the project for approval. Council are becoming strict and wont approve dominant carports. The example shown uses our arbor style which is accepted by council. This style featuring one of our projects was showcased in the Councils recent Design Guide. If you are in need of a carport or any renovation for your home contact us at: http://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award -winning Building Designer with many years experience in council regulations on Buildings.

20.01.2022 Heritage Houses can be Good Fun We like heritage properties. Owners of them like to call themselves custodians of our historical buildings, and as a community we should thank them. But how do you make use of a heritage listed house if you cannot change it much? The answer is to follow the Burra Charter, and be a bit creative. Like the example, most heritage listed cottages in our city are rather small, and really dont suit a modern family. But by following the Burra Cha...rters main principle of being able to read the old and new buildings as distinct, a solution can be found. Using a modest link, the cottage can be joined to a new pavilion, which suits the Charter. Governments prefer this thinking, plus it can be a lot of fun to live in such buildings. You can even try such heritage rules on any extension. Peter is an award-winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders as well as all house types. www.latemoredesign.com.au We thank Jen Allen for being such a good client on this project. See more

19.01.2022 Show me the light How do you obtain more natural light into your home? Even if your living area doesnt face north there are ways to achieve better natural light. As you can see from the photos, we can create a light well space that allows good light ingress to three sides not just one wall. That space can also double as a pool or a courtyard. The result is a very bright and friendly internal zone. Skylights are an obvious way to bring in much needed light to dark spaces. ... The best versions are those with tinting and internal blinds. In our sub-tropical climate, the sun can be quite hot during summer months and as it is directly overhead, the heat gain needs to be considered. Installing skylights that open will vent out hot air, another great feature of skylights. Stairwells can double as light wells and we often attempt to do this. They can be very dramatic and are a lovely feature in your home. Light is often spread to both levels of your house. Peter is a local award- winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. See our many projects at http://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

19.01.2022 Where to place your kitchen and bathroom from a Building Designer prospective. You may have seen me at the Home Show recently. If not, my Friday post today will recap my talk on kitchen and bathroom placement. There are guiding principles for kitchen and bathrooms which encourage their placement in house design. The major kitchen principle is natural light. Placing the kitchen towards the east is always a good idea. In addition, having high clerestory windows can provide m...uch needed light. Bathrooms work in the same way, benefiting from good light and ventilation, but should not occupy valuable northern or eastern orientation. Always try to avoid an internal bathroom. (ie no windows). If you have to, try to install a vented skylight. Kitchens should act as the heart or hub of the home. It does not necessarily have to be in the centre of the house, just a place where people naturally gather. The layout of the house can encourage flow to the kitchen. Bathroom placement can be quite flexible, but it is important to keep the loo concealed. A powder room that is hidden from the living space but still nearby is another good idea. The relationships between nearby spaces and the kitchen can govern the vibe of the house. If a kitchen is part of living/dining/outdoor the whole zone takes on an informal nature. If the kitchen is visually separated, other spaces take on a more formal usage. Peter is a local award- winning Building Designer who also speaks at Home Show events each year. You can read about his talks as well as see his projects on the website at: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

19.01.2022 What is a Building Designer? A Building Designer designs buildings. Thats the short answer. Designing a new home or extension is a bit like throwing a deck of cards in the air and having them land in a particular order. We have to bring together site influences, solar orientation, layout, eco-friendly, owner requirements, budget, future resale, state of existing building and then produce a building that is efficient and livable for you. We also research and respond to the ...many council regulations and codes. Our first step is to visit your home, talk with you and assess your needs and possibilities for your family home. We recommend you write a brief of your ideas, needs, wants and budget, and we can respond. At Latemore Design, Queenslanders are our specialty. We have done many projects in the inner-city suburbs where the codes are quite specific. We also design new houses and multi residential as well as small commercial. Peter often speaks at the Home Show in Brisbane where he presents the process of renovation in more detail. Why not come and see him at the next show in September. Check out our many projects and awards at: http://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

19.01.2022 Your Queenslanders Skeleton Queenslander houses were built differently to any house after WW2. What are the differences? The first and biggest one is that most old Queenslanders were kit homes. You selected a design and your builder collected everything they needed to build it from the nearest hardware, including the doors, windows, and stumps. Like any elevated building the floor framing is bearers and joists, all hardwood. The hoop pine floor was also the structural fl...oor. The walls are a combination of external hardwood stud framing and internal single VJ pine walls., which can be load bearing. They all have bracing capacity and can support ceilings. Your front verandah VJ wall is also roof loaded. Unlike modern houses, the old Queenslander used traditional jointing methods such as the classic mortice and tenon joint whereby a hole is chiselled out of the receiving member. The other piece of timber has a finger at its end. Rafters are birds mouthed to sit over beams and walls. Verandah roof framing is also quite different with rafters well-spaced and mid purlins half checked into the rafters. Look at our cross-sectional details. The most common structural methodologies are shown. How do they compare with your house? If there is any technical or historical information you would like to know about your house, please contact us and we will talk about it in future posts. Peter is an award-winning Building Designer with expert knowledge in Queenslander houses. http://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

19.01.2022 Kitchens The Heart of any home. Does your current kitchen work? If not, there are many ways to improve it. This can range from making it more efficient in its current location or a complete makeover using a new larger space. Every kitchen can benefit from the improved cupboard technology that has emerged over the last couple of decades. The best ones are the amazing drawer runner system that can push a drawer beyond the carcass and even go in odd places like the kick board.... By doing this and including drawer inserts your kitchen could hold twice as much and be easily accessed. One thing we often suggest with existing houses is the possibility of moving the kitchen entirely. In so doing you can obtain a better layout for the whole house and increase natural light. In addition, it can give you the chance of having a walk-in pantry or even a butlers pantry. A butlers pantry is essentially a larger version with a sink in it and possibly the dishwasher. In the photos you can see two very classic kitchen layouts. They are classic because they work even though the space is limited. One is a galley style and the other has the traditional U shape wrapping the walls. We can resolve all the buildings needs and ensure that the whole space comes together well. Peter is an award-winning Building Designer specializing in renovations and extensions on all house types. Visit us on www.latemoredesign.com.au See more

19.01.2022 To offer a bit of normality I am posting my regular article, with this one focusing on our back yards. They are even more important for us all during these isolation times. Does size really matter? Yes, it does. When it comes to your yard, the current small lot rules on a 40m x10m lot say you can have a 90 sqm back yard. Is that enough to kick a footy around? The answer is a clear NO. Do you really need a 6-bedroom house, can you downsize even a little? The relationship b...etween house and green space is really important in our sub-tropical climate. On small lots, the rules allow for a 25m long house, 8m wide, resulting in a potential 2 storey house up to 400 sqm in area. This only leaves you with 22% of usable outdoor space when compared with the house size. Do you really need a mansion? It is okay to let the kids have more outdoor space or to make room for a pool. A good Designer will encourage you to have a more efficient house using good design principles. Smaller houses cost less to build and use less materials lessening your carbon footprint. Think about a better and healthier lifestyle with more outdoor space. Peter Latemore is an award-winning Designer specializing in inner city housing. Contact us at www.latemoredesign.com.au Thanks to Jen, The Pitchers, Peter & Jason for these examples of our designs. See more

18.01.2022 Where can you hide the butler? In the pantry of course! In all seriousness though a Butler’s pantry can be a particularly useful inclusion to your kitchen. After many years of designing houses, we have found that having a butler’s is a great way to suit the modern style of a feature kitchen. You can use the extra small room to conceal the mess. Items like the dirty dishes or appliances you don’t want on show. Our owners have enjoyed leaving the bulkier appliances on the... butler’s benches so they can use them more often. Every butler’s pantry has a sink to be used for rinsing and soaking. Some of our projects have had a second smaller dishwasher which is helpful when you have a party or a lot of dinner guests. The best arrangement of storage is a mix of open narrow shelves, deeper shelves, and cupboards with drawers. This allows you to quickly grab ingredients and bulkier items that are open to view., similar to a commercial kitchen operation. If you are thinking of having a butler’s pantry, consider these suggestions and what will suit you. This helps in designing the space. The photos illustrate 2 butlers pantries with a u-shaped and door, and the 3rd, a galley style that continues from the kitchen while still remaining hidden. If you would like to know more contact us or go to our website at: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer with many years of experience in house design. See more

18.01.2022 Peter Latemore's talk at the Home Show Autumn 2021. "Where to put your Kitchen & Bathroom - A Building Designer's Perspective" Live streamed today.

17.01.2022 So, you want a garage door on your carport? The official answer is no. The idea of a carport is predicated on a definition of openness, which has two considerations. The first and most obvious one is councils and state government prefer car covering structures in front of houses to be open and not to dominate like a garage can. The second one is very specific to the Building Code of Australia - fire separation between structures. Without going into a massive amount of ...data and rules, the key is that an open structure produces less fire load onto the house and neighbouring buildings. A door on a carport then makes the carport into a garage. A garage near or on boundaries must have a fire wall on the boundary, and sometimes carports need this too! Having said all that though, even if officially you cannot add a garage door, the fact is that many people do, after the structure has been certified as approved. Councils seem not to be policing this, but my advice is always the same - do not do it. There is another option - Council may agree to a garage door through a DA (Development Application) but it is rare. A fence with gates can be enough for security. If you insist on having a door, I recommend using a tilting door or folding gates that have slats with at least 25% as open space, which suits the definition of open in the codes. Visit us at Peter is a multi-award-winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslander as well as other house types. See more

17.01.2022 Let there be light! There are lots of ways to bring extra natural light into houses. One of the best ways is to use raking ceilings that then provide increased wall height for highlight windows. A side benefit is higher ceilings which people enjoy. A gabled shaped roof can produce what is known as a cathedral ceiling. The triangle shape brings in lots of light and sky views. Coffered ceilings are also ideal for adding high windows. The coffered shape is essentially a ...cathedral ceiling with a flat portion at the top. Another ideal way to have high level glazing is to use offset skillions that produce a clerestory section of wall between the rooves. The type of glazing in these highlights is worth thinking about because if they open you can also vent your house in summer. The ideal window is a louvre with a lever pull handle. These high windows can also be designed to bring in valuable winter sun, if the roof overhang is calculated to suit the winter solar angle. See more

17.01.2022 Now for some space How do you get space without taking space? As Designers we can use tricks to give you some extra area without necessarily using up too much yard. As you can see in the pictures, an elevated pavilion addition has less impact on the yard than a more traditional wide extension. Narrow spaces can feel larger by using concealed cupboards and outlook through large glass panels. These smaller structures are ideal when the region is already occupied with somet...hing such as a pool. Another trick is to use cantilevered structural solutions, to free up space below, or even project over the pool. Linking these pavilions to an existing building needs care and is often a wonderful way to accentuate the transition. We find the best use of the link is to include stairs or ancillary items like extra storage which every house needs more of. Thank you to our wonderful client for letting us create such lovely spaces on their property. Peter is an award-winning local Building Designer who specializes in renovations, extension and new houses of all styles. See more

16.01.2022 Brisbane Regional Design Awards winner This weeks were showing off the award-winning projects to come out of Brisbane this year! And the very last of our... Brisbane Regional Design Awards winners... another brilliant project by Latemore Design: Woodland Renovation, taking out the Residential Alterations/Additions: Houses up to $350,000 construction cost category! See more

16.01.2022 Look at Me Now Is your house looking tired on the outside? Not everything is pretty like a Queenslander, but those later buildings are still worth retaining because they are often very well built. Usually they are lacking street appeal. There are many ways to improve the look of a house and this can include a carport, arbour, screens, revised entry, landscaping as well as a face lift. The photos show a carport that is built in steel and has a stepped roof to provide an aes...thetic relief. Cellular polycarbonate roof sheeting was used on some of the structure to increase natural light. We also removed the old garage to gain a larger and open living space on the lower level, screened over the air con units and created a street facing entry that is now more welcoming. The owners decided to stay in the house instead of selling and relocating. Peter Latemore is an award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. To see more of our projects, go to www.latemordesign.com.au See more

16.01.2022 What do you do when the pool is a marathon walk from the house? Not to mention the cars are not under cover. Well, add a deck that links the house and covers the cars. Check out our latest photo shoot at https://latemoredesign.com.au/portfolio_page/petersen-deck/ Photos by Jose Figlioli

15.01.2022 When do you need a Box Gutter? Hopefully not too often, because an overflowing box gutter is not friendly. There are occasions when a box gutter cannot be avoided. Sometimes an added roof has to start at an existing gutter line as with older houses. A raised roof at the rear of a building can also require a box gutter if the geometry of the roof needs to match the existing roof. How do they work? A box gutter is an oversized catchment device to ensure roof water heads out a...nd away. They must be designed by a hydraulics designer using specific calculation methods for rainfall intensity and water flow. The smallest box gutter we have used is 100mm deep by 300 mm wide. The largest was 150mm deep by 600mm wide. All box gutters must lead into a rain head. These are large funnels that ensure the box gutter does not overflow and directs the water into the downpipe. The trick with a rain head is to place the spittter at the bottom of the box gutter, not the top of the rain head, otherwise the box gutter could overflow back into the ceilings. The images are details from a project that had three box gutters. If you need to know more contact us or look at our website at: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in design and renovation. See more

14.01.2022 Time for our regular Friday Building Design post. How supportive is your dirt? Different soils have varying bearing capacity defined by the ground’s ability to hold up your house. This could be anything from soft clay soil to hard rock. The bearing capacity is also influenced by the soils ability to retain moisture. Some soils swell, others absorb it quite well, such as sandy soils. If the ground swells, the footings can lift, often resulting in the building cracking. Foo...tings in this case should be placed down low beyond the swollen soil. The most favourable soils to have are rock or sandy soils as these are quite stable, especially if the rock isn’t too far down. How do you know what type of soil you have? A soils test provides the answer. Specialists companies called Geo-technical engineers come to your site with a drilling rig and take a core sample of your soil. It is then taken to a laboratory where it undergoes a series of tests including a swell indication and bearing capacity. Using this knowledge, we and structural engineers can ascertain what the best type of structure is required for the project. This could mean using an elevated structure rather than a slab on ground. The photos show pages from a soil report. A letter is given to indicate the stability of the soil. For example, H indicates highly reactive soils that will swell, S indicates a very stable site such as rock. M is the most common soil type in this district indicating a medium reactive site. Thanks to APOD for the images. If you wish to know more contact Peter or search our website: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. See more

14.01.2022 Hang onto that handrail. Handrails are used mainly to prevent you from falling and injuring yourself. Over the years, for safety reasons the top rail went from 865mm above the floor to 900mm and since the mid 90’s it has settled at 1000mm. If the fall height is less than 1 metre, a handrail is not required. There are other requirements, including maximum gap sizes within the handrail. Handrails need to be made from strong materials such as steel, timber, or aluminium. They... must be able to resist the force of a person falling against them. Fixings between the handrails and posts need to be strong as well. It is smart to ensure your handrails match the style of house. When renovating a character house, council rules insist you use a style relevant to the era of the house. Earlier houses had 3 rail dowel systems and later buildings had simpler 2 rail and batten styles. A rear renovation can use materials like glass or wire to have a more modern look. Wire must be vertical when decks are 4 metres above the ground. A mini wall can act as a handrail as per the photo. During design we ensure the handrails are a major feature of the building. They provide the façade with depth and interest. By having the balustrading close together, privacy can be obtained while still giving you an outlook. For more information on house renovations visit our website at: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award - winning Building Designer specializing in house renovations. Thankyou to our clients for showcasing their houses. See more

13.01.2022 When do we need an Engineer? Todays post is continuing with some more technical information on the Design process. It is important for a Designer to interact with the Engineer at the beginning of a project to cross check that our concept will be structurally sound. It also helps for innovative thinking in the design. Structural Engineers ensure that a building can hold itself up. This includes from the ground up to the roof. They assess whether the ground can support the lo...ads with a soils test (see our previous week’s post) and the type of footings and slab that are needed. The loads and bracing requirements are first calculated by the Engineer from the roof, and they then work their way down to the floor and back up again. They specify the type of framing used throughout the building in conjunction with the aesthetic requirements that Designers need. Sometimes a special type of structure will be needed such as a steel portal which is a minimalist way to achieve a braced opening for large bi-folding doors. During construction, the Engineer must visit site to cross check the structure at important intervals. This begins with checking the reinforcement within footings & slabs and continues at each stage of framing. Designers receive from an Engineer a set of drawings laying out the structure in both plan and detail view. These drawings show every specific member size and location, connection details, and concrete reinforcing. They also guide others like truss fabricators on locations for girder trusses. We show this structure in our model so we can ensure the building is working well. The images show one of our projects with some of the corresponding structural drawings. Thanks to ADStructure, & Jose for the photos. Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. Visit our website: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

13.01.2022 Ever heard of Council Detail Plans? During the mid-1930s Brisbane City Council surveyed the entire city to find mainly sewerage systems. In the process the surveyors located every earth closet otherwise known as dunnies, as well as an enormous amount of useful data. This included house layouts indicating all verandahs. Several houses had names which also was shown on the detail plans. Detail plans can be found on the councils archive web page. To find the one related ...to your district you look for the index map and then for the relevant detail plan. When you look at the plan and compare it to Google maps you will be able find your house. Council used these plans to plan the sewerage system in the city. That is why there are many back yards with sewerage systems in them. It was easier to dig up someones yard rather than the street, when the property slopes down from the street. Our post today is going to concentrate on the verandahs. Because the documents are prior to 1946, they are a useful resource for showing us which part of the house is the core of the building. By that we mean inside the original external walls. If you lift and build in your house the council rules require that you enclose only under that core, leaving the old verandahs open underneath. The example shown is a house we worked on in The Grange. It still has its front verandah as shown in detail plan 590. If you need to know more or have a renovation you want to do contact Peter via our website at: http://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award - winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders and other house types. See more

13.01.2022 How do you get rid of stormwater? The simple answer is pipes downpipes & ground pipes. But where do you put these pipes and how many do you have and where do they lead to? Downpipes from the roof must be able to handle the highest intensity downpour. In Brisbane you need a 90mm downpipe for about 30-40sqm of roof. The ground pipe, or stormwater pipe needs to be large enough to handle the total volume of water dispersing from the roof. On a standard 2-bedroom house, a 100mm... pipe can be sufficient, but most houses these days need at least two pipes. A storm water pipe is required to exit at a Legal Point of Discharge. One of those is the street kerb. If the street is higher than your land, then the storm water pipes cannot reach the kerb. In this instance there are two choices: The first is a rubble pit in your back yard that must be 3.5 cum and is required to be 3 metres from the boundary. The second option is pipe work that traverses through your rear neighbours property to their street kerb. The image is an extract from a recent site plan, where we show the stormwater lines as SW, leading from the downpipes to the kerb. If you need to know more about how your storm water works call or email us at Latemore Design or look to our website for our projects and brochure. https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. Peter is talking at the Home Show this weekend. See more

13.01.2022 Recently, Latemore Design received two more awards. One is for an extension/renovation in West End that was achieved without a DA and under $350k. We are particularly proud of it because we transformed a tiny cottage into a more generous family home without blowing the budget and dealing with lots of issues including a combine drain. The other one is for an access ramp. The commercial site had no access for pedestrians, let alone disabled persons, due to a 300mm strip of land owned by council to prevent driveways. We negotiated with council and finally achieved a result that is now used constantly.

12.01.2022 Would you like a pavilion for that pool? Pool pavilions provide shelter from the sun and a nice cool space while enjoying your pool. If the building is outside the pool fence it can be lived in, like the night photo. There is actually a glass fence between the building and the pool, but it looks cohesive. If the building is part of the pool enclosure, it must be open, just like the other photo. This pavilion looks like it belongs in a resort sitting a little higher than the ...pool. Why the difference between the two? It comes from the pool fencing rules - an enclosed building can have a child hidden from view who can later hop into the pool without supervision. If you would like one of these pavilions or any house renovation call Latemore Design on 33569051 or visit our website www.latemoredesign.com.au See more

10.01.2022 Writing a Brief. Do you want to Brief us? You may be asking What is a Brief? A brief is a document that instructs a Building Designer about what you would like in your home development. We suggest you have a look at our brochure that is on the Resources page on our website which gives you a guideline. Essentially a good brief should contain what you want overall and some specifics that relate to yourself or your property. For example, it is best to write down things like ...how many bedrooms, living areas, and car spaces. Specifically, you should list out items, like you want a butlers pantry or you need storage for the kayaks or Christmas tree. Another good example is you may need a very large deck for your fortnightly family gathering. A particularly important aspect of a brief is to consider the budget. We and the builder need to know this so we can design accordingly and be honest with you about what you can build within the budget. We often look for innovative ways to give you what you want even if the bank isnt friendly enough. For example, we often design rooms that have multiple uses, such as indoor/outdoor, media/office. Peter is an award-winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders and all house types. Visit our web site to obtain the brochure and other items: http://latemoredesign.com.au/brochure/ See more

10.01.2022 Does your building fit into an envelope? Our weekly post today is about a building envelope. You’re probably asking what is a building envelope? It is a volume within which a building must fit. The exceptions are garages and carports that may sit outside the envelope because they can be on boundaries. Every site has an envelope based on setback dimensions as dictated by both State and Local authorities. Stepped envelopes have 3 setbacks within the volume. Small lot dimensio...ns are not stepped in Brisbane. The image shows how this looks. As you can see in the 3D image, the building fits within the stepped box shape envelope. We like creating these envelopes as it helps Council assess your project, particularly for a Development application. Council prefer 3D submissions for building envelopes. If you need more information about your project Peter would love to visit you and your home. You can also visit our website at: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. See more

10.01.2022 Can a deck and a carport work together? Today’s Friday post is about how to get more out of your deck. The photos are a recent example of a very large deck we designed combining a generous triple carport under it. The house is situated in the outer suburbs of Brisbane on acreage. Having a deck so large is acceptable as there is plenty of room around the house. This deck links the house to the pool and occupies the same space the cars were using. How are the cars protected... from weather and spills from the deck? Simple. You put a roof under the deck. There are tricks to doing this well, as the framing can look messy. In this particular case we hung the framing under the deck and screwed the roof sheeting to it from the underside. An upside-down roof! Rainwater runs down the sheet into a box gutter in the middle of the structure. As you can see it looks very neat and conceals a few large steel beams. We’ve included the detail for a bit of fun. If you are looking to build a deck or carport visit us at:https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. See more

09.01.2022 Getting roof water away Today’s Friday post is talking about your gutters and downpipes. You probably take them for granted but they are a very essential part of buildings. They ensure that the rain on your roof is collected and taken away, so the house is not inundated. There is another factor roof water is required to be taken to a ‘legal point of discharge’ as it is called. This is mostly the street kerb. There is more to this and that will be another post. How much... water comes off your roof? Quite a lot. In Brisbane we receive roughly 1 metre of rainfall annually. On a small house with only 100sqm of roof, that equates to 100,000 litres. Which is enough for an average household. We can receive a fair proportion of that in a short period. So, the gutters and downpipes need to deal with a bit of roof water. When it comes down hard, it often overflows the gutters and I recommend using traditional quad gutters that have the outer edge lower and are larger. The high sided square-line gutters with slots can fail, being smaller. Most houses do not have enough downpipes. The rule of thumb is downpipes at 8m max centres and draining 40sqm max of roof. Did you know that going from a 90 dia downpipe to 100 dia increases its capacity by an amazing 25%? Consider bigger pipes! Want to see more? Check us out at https://latemoredesign.com.au/ The images are from two of our recent projects. Peter is an award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. See more

09.01.2022 How to hide from your neighbours Privacy Screens can be really useful for peace and quiet as well as privacy. If you are on a small block of land ie as the council names it - a small lot, you will require these on the upper level windows. There are lots of rules regarding these but in essence 25% of it must be open. Another rule is the screen must be up to 1500mm above the floor level. This is necessary on decks as well. A neat trick is to use the 45-degree angle methodology whereby if windows are not directly opposite each other you can place screens at an angle to the building. Privacy rules also allow the use of opaque glass in your windows. Peter is a local Building Designer specializing in all house types especially Queenslanders. www.latemordesign.com.au

09.01.2022 The History of Your Roof Rooves mainly come in two ways: Steel and tiles. The origins of the classic Australian steel roof go way back to sailing ships in colonial times. Corrugated iron was used as a form of ships ballast and became a quick method to roof the early buildings. Unlike today’s roof material measuring at 0.2 of a mm thick, the old, galvanized iron was 0.7mm. That explains why some old rooves are still in existence. The sheer weight of these rooves meant they... had natural tie down capacity in relation to our cyclonic winds and could be fixed with the old lead head nails. These days a modest screw fixing is sufficient to resist upload pressure. The lovely old tiled rooves used on some earlier houses, are terracotta that came from ancient Asian technology. It was heavily used in southern Europe. It found its way to the sub-continent and then to Australia. Terracotta roof tiles were used until the 1960’s when concrete roof tiles became more prevalent. Some manufacturers have begun using terracotta again because they are lighter and look great. The market for old terracotta roof tiles is quite buoyant as every 1950’s house that undergoes an extension needs them to match. If you would like to know more visit our website at: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. Thanks to Jennifer, Erroll and the Kellys their places in the photos. See more

09.01.2022 Are you spaced out? Now that Zoom is becoming part of our everyday life, we could all do with a space to call the workstation. Not every house has a dedicated office area. sometimes you need to make do with what you have. Maybe you have an ancillary space that can double as your workstation, such as under the stairs or the piano space. Such usages are essentially multipurpose, and you can vary the function as required. These can change over time also especially as the kids... get older and everyone needs their own space. Even an existing house can have its own office room. As part of the renovation an existing smaller bedroom can be ideal for such use and therefore does not require major reworking. This saves the building and costs. Peter is an award-winning Building Designer specializing in all building types. Thanks to our good clients, Jennifer, Peter, Jason. Visit our website for more ideas for your home. http://latemoredesign.com.au See more

09.01.2022 Perfect Pools River views all day and night from the River House pool! Entered into the 2020 Design Awards by Latemore Design ... www.latemoredesign.com.au

07.01.2022 Raking your ceilings. When is it time to rake your ceilings? Sometimes when you are renovating your house, you require more ceiling height to make room for clerestory windows, increased living space volume or just to make it look nice. A way to achieve this is to use cathedral ceilings that are sloping. The two example photos have ceilings that are following the roof shape above. As you can see these create quite unique and interesting shapes. One advantage is to obtain mo...re height in a wall for the placement of doors and windows. These raking ceilings make the room feel bigger and brighter. A larger volume can make us feel more comfortable even if the rooms themselves are small. The 3D drawings we produce of our projects allow us and you to see and understand how a raked ceiling works. To see more of our projects, go to our website: http://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning building designer specializing in all house types. See more

07.01.2022 Sleepouts, what the heck are they? What we call sleepouts were originally verandahs. The original design of these was part of the charm of the old Queenslander as envisaged by the Government architects of the day. The space was meant to shade the bedrooms and provide a breezeway and corridor between the bedrooms, a bathroom, and the kitchen. Starting in the Great Depression and following on through WW2 there was a massive need for extra and cheap accommodation. So, guess wh...at happened? Everybody closed in their verandahs to create extra bedrooms, which we now call sleepouts. Some of them were done quite well using matching windows and cladding. What can you do with a sleepout? Firstly, council would love it if you open them up. You can continue to use them as an enclosed space for kitchens, bathrooms, ensuite, walk in robe etc. They are usually about 2.1 - 2.4 metres wide making them perfect for these uses. Secondly, they can remain as they are - wonderful additional areas for kids next to bedrooms. The example is a sleepout that had its deteriorating windows replaced with screened aluminum shutters. This maintained ventilation with security and no bugs. If you have a sleepout or any room, you need renovating contact us at: http://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders and many house types. See more

06.01.2022 Whats up with your roof? Have you ever been up into your ceiling to see whats going on in there? Besides the rats, possums, and snake skins. Modern houses since the 1980s all have trussed roof framing. These are flat A shaped elements that span from one outside wall to the opposite wall. This means that most internal walls are non-load bearing. for these buildings. Older houses, especially Queenslanders, are traditionally framed. They have rafters, underpurlins, struts,... hanging and strutting beams and ceiling joists. As such, quite a lot of walls are load bearing to some extent. Which means you cannot rip out the internal walls as easily. You may have seen an earlier post from us explaining how this can work in some instances. This particular example is a classic tiled roof house from the 1930s. As you can see from the photos there is quite a lot of timber in the roof. It is needed to support the heavy load of the terracotta tiles. If you need help with any project you might be considering, call Peter at Latemore Design, he would love to help you. 3356 9051. http://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

06.01.2022 When is your kitchen a dining room? Today’s Friday post is discussing the history and concept of how our kitchens operate. Over many decades our use of the kitchen space in our homes has morphed quite dramatically. We have gone from hidden kitchens to fully on show. Some of the reason kitchens started out away from the main core of houses was because they had open fireplaces and could burn down! There was an expanded period from early 1900’s through to the 1970’s when kitch...ens were often eat-in as part of the workspace. Cabinetry was limited in these rooms to sinks and the rest was tables, hutches, pantry cupboards and all the ‘good’ china and glassware was in a dresser in the dining room. Have a look at the classic 1950’s kitchen photo. In that decade, some cabinetry started, at a height that suited our backs, but the space always had a table. A very active space, but by itself. Then, starting in the 1980’s with influences mainly from America and apartment living, we introduce the idea of open-plan living zones with the kitchen on show. They were too small and often had the privacy bench so were not really friendly. A table nearby was still essential. The 1990’s really introduced the kitchen styles we are so used to now. The classic bench to eat at as part of the kitchen. They have become large, often seating whole families on stools. Nothing hidden and lots of cabinetry. In effect, we have brought the eat-in kitchen back, but as part of a big zone. The big difference though is that it often operates as the interior dining room. Our sub-tropical lifestyle has encouraged the outdoor space nearby and that is where we all dine. As you can see in two of our example projects, the bench can be singular for stools or have a two-height bench. The latter illustrates the combination of a dining table with kitchen bench. So is it a Ditchen? Want help with your reno or new house, contact us at https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter Latemore is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. See more

06.01.2022 Can you Cantilever? A cantilever looks like a building with no visible means of support. If you want to build over a pool, you can do this as long as the floor is 1800mm or more above the water. In one photo the pool already existed, so to produce the space for the pavilion we propped and cantilevered the steel structure over the pool. To create a cantilever, you need a back-span so the beam or truss can project out into the air. In other words, the beam needs to be some di...stance back so the building can hold the beam down from the uplift forces created by the cantilever portion of the beam. If you think this could solve an issue for you contact us at www.latemoredesign.com.au Peter Latemore is a local Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders and other house types. Thanks to the Duncans & RobinsonSharland See more

06.01.2022 Now for some Relaxation. Can I put a carport in my front yard? The answer is YES! But . . . any structure within the front 6 metres of your site will trigger a Siting Relaxation. This is the case for anywhere in Queensland. What is a Siting Relaxation? It is an approval from council to build any structure on the front of the property if it is within the required setback. It can also be needed if the structure is close to a side boundary. The process requires drawings from ...us and signed approval from both your side neighbours. Time to get friendly with your neighbours! Carports are our most common trigger for Siting Relaxations. There are occasions when council wants to have an influence on the aesthetics of the carport. As you can see from the photos, we like to use the arbour style which not only pleases council but suits the Queenslander style of house. Peter is an award- winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. Thanks to our good clients of these carports. Visit us to see more photos at http://latemoredesign.com.au/

06.01.2022 When do you need a survey? Today we will attempt to answer that question. Building designers and follow on consultants all need the valuable information from a surveyor’s site investigation. When we work on a building it is essential to have full 3-dimensional information of the entire property. This includes the buildings, ground contours, services, and hard landscaping. With this data we can model the site accurately for the design process. The surveyor also provides an a...ssessment of original ground contours, commonly called NGS (Natural ground surface), which we use to model a building envelope, as discussed in our last post. On many projects we also need to know exactly where the boundary is. This is used when we wish to build at the setback distance of 1500mm- 2 metres. Sometimes we like to put a carport on the boundary. A fence on your property does not necessarily indicate the boundary. We have known them to be inaccurate by a few centimetres or up to a couple of metres! Identification surveys physically locate the boundary by placing pegs in the ground. This is a legal process and is more expensive. In the examples you can see the contour and detail drawing and the NGS. The 3D images illustrate how we use the survey information. For more information go to our website: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all types of houses. See more

05.01.2022 Is your carport roof attractive? Your house should be the main visual element on your site. There are many building design reasons for this and some go back to ancient Greece and Egypt. The major roof element on many Queenslanders is a gable or three. Those gables should be larger than a secondary building such as a carport. The easiest roof to put on a carport is a trussed gable shape, and that is why so many carports have a large 6m wide gable. This then is telling the st...reet that the carport is the major element on site. There are better options. We can suggest two. One is utilizing a Dutch gable as per the snapshot from a recent project. As you can see the Dutch gable is smaller than all 3 gables on the building. Looking attractive? The other option is to use our arbour style. The example has even appeared in a BCC design guide. This works, because they are slimmer, flatter, and compliment the house style. Peter is a local award- winning Building Designer. Visit our many projects at: http://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

05.01.2022 Would you like a Virtual Visit? Latemore Design is business as usual and we can still help you with your renovation or new house projects. If you are stuck at home working, it could be a good time for us to visit you and talk about any projects you are thinking for your home. (We even bring our own hand sanitizer and measuring stick to stay the required distance from each other). In place of a phone call, and you dont want visitors, we can use technology like Facebook Mes...senger or Zoom or other types of visual communication. We can continue through the design process without physical contact by providing you with interactive 3D files. The initial design discussion can include sketching by Peter over the internet and will only cost half our usual rate at $120/hour+GST. We hope all our clients and contractors are keeping well, please stay safe everyone and look out for one another. Peter is an award winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders and all types of buildings. www.latemoredesign.com.au See more

04.01.2022 In with the Old and In with the New. Here is something to ponder while you are stuck at home, and thinking about a renovation. In our neighbourhood nearly every house is a character zoned building. When extended or built-in under, the temptation is to copy all the materials from the original house. This is not necessarily the best approach. A major consideration is Heritage Principles as defined by the international Burra Charter. This document boils down to a simple appro...ach keep the original fabric readable and anything added should be distinct. Good design principles also encourage a good relationship between the old and the new in both form and style. What does this mean to our houses in the local area? We suggest that using modern sheet materials on the exterior is a good way to respond. These building materials can be things like vertically grooved ply, horizontally grooved fibre cement and even roofing material. The reason they work well is the fenestration patterns have some similarity to the original boards on your house. Why not try something different on your next renovation? For more ideas and information visit www.latemoredesign.com.au Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. See more

04.01.2022 Giving your Queenslander a lift Why would you lift a Queenslander? The most obvious reason is to obtain more space and effectively doubling the size of your house. The other main reason is to increase your building size without increasing your footprint and therefore still having a decent sized yard. What happens when you lift? As you can see in four of the photos the entire lower level is removed. Then very strong people place steel beams under the floor framing and begin ...a process of lifting the building with hydraulic rams and slowly building up stacks of large blocks of timber. They lift side by side 200mm at a time until they reach the desired height. Another way is as you see in two other photos. A removalist firm uses their huge truck & trailer to elevate the entire house in one go, using long lengths of steel beams. They can even move the house a bit, clear the area under it, and move it back. These processes take only one day! The trick to lifting a Queenslander is to have the timber blocks in positions that do not compromise steel posts and beams that hold up the building permanently. As the building designer we must consider how all of this occurs as we design the build in underneath. A lift and build in can be the best answer depending on your budget. Other options can be considered if lifting is not for you. Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer. Visit our web site for more practical ideas http://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

03.01.2022 What is the house wearing? Our buildings are always clad in something. What they are clad in and the way it is combined can be particularly important. The texture and fenestration of buildings is a major aspect of aesthetics when we view structures, especially houses. Queenslanders manage this well with weatherboards, chamferboards, corrugated steel, timber batten handrails, multi light timber windows and exposed VJ walls. Mixing and matching horizontal and vertical eleme...nts is a great way to enhance the look of a building especially when the shape of the building is changing as per the photos. A broad flat ceiling can look somewhat uninspiring. In the verandah photo you can see battening on the ceiling which takes it cue from the interior. By doing this the space feels a lot more inviting and having the ceiling provides space for insulation. Modern cladding is mostly fibre cement and reconstituted timber. These are dimensionally stable and in large sheets making them very quick to install. They also have reasonable thermal properties when combined with insulation. Their look is particularly elegant when placed next to older weatherboard structures. Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders and other house types. Visit us at: http://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

03.01.2022 Front stairs - a welcoming climb. All Queenslanders need a front stair, but they do not need to be straight. The most common versions are L Shaped and Butterfly or T Shaped. Using these shapes can solve space planning issues that a straight set of stairs cannot resolve. They also provide a landing to break the climb from ground up to the front door. In Brisbane mucking around with stairs on a Queenslander doesnt trigger a DA so try something fun. Why not if space permits ...try a wide entry set of stairs? These work particularly well when the height isnt too great because the rise can be lower per tread and it feels like a grand entry. If you would like help with any house renovation call Latemore Design on 33569051 or visit our website www.latemoredesign.com.au We are award-winning Building Designers specializing in Queenslanders as well as all houses. See more

03.01.2022 Can I rip out the walls in my Queenslander? The short answer is yes, but it must be done with great care. The VJ walls in Queenslander houses are all load bearing to some extent. And this is mainly in 3 sorts, starting with all the VJ walls in old houses contribute to bracing. At least half of the internal walls are load bearing for ceiling loads. All external single skin VJ walls that are next to verandahs are roof load bearing, as well as quite possibly being ceiling load... bearing. Of course, all external stud framed walls which have VJ cladding on the inside are more than likely roof and ceiling load bearing. It is possible to open up these old houses but when doing so there has to be consideration of the removed bracing and then replacement of what you have removed. In addition, the loads coming from above must be distributed via beams onto or into walls that then are concentrating that load onto the subframe. And that subframe will need thought. You will need someone like us, our engineer, and our certifier to cover it and get it approved. Anything like this is considered building work and must have building approval. Peter is an award-winning Building Designer specializing in Queenslanders as well as other housing types. Visit our website at http://latemoredesign.com.au/ Thanks to our lovely clients P & J for letting us adjust their house a few years back. See more

02.01.2022 Where is the bathroom hiding? You can play hide and seek with your bathroom. As you can see in the floor plan, bathrooms and ensuites can be hidden behind secret corridors. This is a way to insert a bathroom into an older house where there is no corridor and the bedrooms usually come straight off living and dining spaces. By converting one bedroom into a bathroom and corridor, you get the best of two worlds by somewhat hiding the bathroom and providing access into nearby b...edrooms. If the corridor only leads to one bedroom, you can install the all-important linen cupboard at the other end. So, if you are looking for a way to insert a bathroom without it looking too exposed, try our secret corridor design trick. Peter is an award-winning local Building Designer who specializes in not only older homes but all house types. Find us at http://latemoredesign.com.au/ See more

02.01.2022 Latemore Design is in BCC Design guide Experts in Brisbane City council have provided a design guide for residences in the character zones. We are in it! https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au//20200107-traditional-hous This guide is for renovating or extending your Queenslander and how to do it respectfully and in keeping with the neighbourhood character. Look at page 20. One of our projects is used. This is a preferred example of how to build a carport that is both functio...nal and fits in with the streetscape. I showcased this very carport in an earlier post. Latemore Design are experts in this field having done over a thousand projects on Queenslander and Heritage buildings. Its great to see our local council leading the way in good design thinking. See more

01.01.2022 Happy New Year from your local Building Designer We thought we would start the year showcasing one of our favourite recent projects. It is a renovated cottage, with an added living pavilion and garage, all on a small lot. A pavilion addition is a way for us to respect the original house while providing extra space. This project went even further by keeping the pavilion modest in scale, even with a double garage. Some negotiation was needed with council because we wanted a... larger site cover than they would normally allow. Keeping the building single storey meant the streetscape impact was low. The pavilion addition is linked to the original cottage with a short well-lit corridor. The stepped roofing over the pavilion allows the clerestory to bring in northern light. The use of louvres creates natural ventilation reducing the need for air conditioning. The overall area of buildings is relatively modest. The efficient design allows for little or no wasted space, giving a wonderful ambience from the front door to the back. We deliberately made the garage a dark colour, so it contrasts the light house and small rear yard. If you would like something like this for your house contact us or visit our web site for more ideas. https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local -award winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. See more

01.01.2022 Every great deck deserves a great ceiling. You can make your deck ceiling look interesting! The photos are from a large deck on a Queenslander that we extended and renovated recently. It emerged during construction that the large deck ceiling was going to appear quite bland. In conjunction with the owner and builder, we designed a patterned ceiling with borrowed style from ceilings within the house. As you can see, the pattern is based on a series of intersecting rectangles.... We laid out three different options and decided on the most complex design. It was a simple process to construct as we overlaid timber battens onto the waterproof plasterboard ceiling. We also made sure the fan and light locations fitted the pattern too. Any ceiling in your house can be improved by using this method. If you have any questions, please contact us or look at our website at: https://latemoredesign.com.au/ Peter is a local award-winning Building Designer specializing in all house types. See more

01.01.2022 How do I put New into Character? What if the new house you want to build is in an older character area? Every so often there is a spare block in the inner suburban region which inevitably in the city plan will have the traditional character overlay on it. This is not the end of the world and in fact can encourage great design. The council quite rightly encourages responses to our sub-tropical environment, which means the use of decks, verandahs , overhangs and cross ventilat...ion. As well the city plan prefers responses to the use of the classic term timber and tin. With careful design a new building can look modern and still complement the character streetscape. Another way to achieve a good-looking new building in these areas is to use articulation of the building form and produce depth of faade on more than one side. We humans like looking at buildings with these elements. If you are thinking of building or renovating call us or visit our website www.latemoredesign.com.au We use the best 3D software so we can show you everything online during social distancing. See more