Narrowing the Field

Narrow-lot home design has become an increasingly important, specialised section of WA’s residential building industry

Over the years the building industry, one of the biggest changes has been the shift toward higher density living. Less than 15 years ago, 17m and 20m-wide blocks were considered the norm. These days more and more families are looking to build their homes on land with 10m to 12m frontages. As a result, it’s really not surprising that specialising in designing homes for narrow-lot loving has become increasingly important.

TRAILBLAZING

In response to this growing demand, we have established ourselves as a specialist builder of narrow-lot houses as early as 2005. While builders at the time were providing some narrow-lot designs, they were never a primary focus. Our clients were finding that their choices were limited and they often had to compromise when it came to liveability, practicality and budget. We realised there was a need for a builder to take ownership of the narrow-lot market and provide a diverse choice in home designs, sizes and prices.

Since 2005, we are confident in our position as Perth’s narrow-lot specialists, having designed and built hundreds of homes for our customers.

OUT OF THE BOX

Designing houses for narrow lots is often challenging, but I’m extremely passionate about bringing our clients’ vision to life and meeting their needs. Making the most of their block, maximising living spaces and creating appealing elevations is a very rewarding process that requires thoughtful planning.

Street appeal is especially important when working with narrow lots as you have less area to make an impact, compared to traditional frontages. While some might view this as restrictive, I think it opens the door to creative solutions.

INNOVATIVE IDEAS

Interesting roof lines, inventive uses of cladding, as well as stone and timber features, are just some of the ways we create the wow factor in a narrow-lot house design. The design thinking continues inside the home as well.

By nature narrow lots tend to result in a long house that, if not well designed, can have an excess of dark passageways and wasted space. One of the keys is to be innovative with the transition zones of the home. Turning the top of a stairwell into a study, building storage or a bookshelf into what would have been unused space or using passageways to make a connection to outdoor spaces and bring in natural light are some of the ways this can be achieved.

For me, designing homes for narrow lots is always diverse and interesting. No two clients or client briefs are the same and our team members always challenge themselves to achieve the best results in terms of design in the most effective and innovative way possible.

In today’s market, narrow-lot clients are looking for a home design that will maximise their living area, enable them to have usable outdoor spaces and achieve this at a price point that isn’t going to blow the budget.

Residential Building WA, builder of Perth’s Telethon Home for 11 years, we are backed by one of WA’s largest residential building groups. I work with a very experienced and passionate team and quite simply, we all love what we do.