Considered residential design across the Upper and Lower North Shore, from Chatswood and Gordon to Wahroonga and Lindfield. Sensitive additions, character homes and secondary dwellings on established sites.
The North Shore stretches from the harbour suburbs of the Lower North Shore, such as Mosman, Cremorne, Neutral Bay and Lane Cove, up the Pacific Highway through Chatswood, Lindfield and Gordon to Wahroonga and Hornsby. Our studio sits in the middle of it at Lindfield. The homes are mostly established: Federation, Californian bungalow and inter-war houses on generous blocks on the Upper North Shore, and tighter harbourside blocks with views to protect on the Lower North Shore.
That established character drives the planning questions. Ku-ring-gai, Willoughby, North Sydney, Lane Cove and Mosman councils each have their own LEP and DCP, with heritage conservation areas, foreshore and view-sharing controls, and strong landscaping requirements. Much of the work is a council DA assessed on merit, which rewards a design that fits its street and a submission that is complete and well argued.
The projects we see most on the North Shore are sensitive additions to character homes, second-storey additions that keep the original frontage, secondary dwellings in deep rear gardens, and the occasional knock-down rebuild or dual occupancy where the controls allow. We design and document each one for its pathway, and the builder of your choice builds from the set.
Every project starts with a clear read of the local planning controls and the likely approval pathway, then design and documentation developed in parallel so the drawings price and build as intended.
Residential design and documentation built with approvals and construction in mind from day one.
Building Design & Drafting in North Shore →Granny flats and secondary dwellings designed for clarity, compliance and repeatability across sites.
Secondary Dwellings in North Shore →Extensions and renovations designed to integrate seamlessly with the existing home.
Additions & Alterations in North Shore →Dual occupancy design that balances planning controls, site constraints and market appeal.
Dual Occupancies in North Shore →Approval-ready documentation aligned with the right planning pathway.
DA & CDC Documentation in North Shore →Clear, coordinated drawings prepared for pricing and construction.
Construction Drawings in North Shore →Coordination with engineers, certifiers and other consultants as required.
Consultant Coordination in North Shore →Before a design is fixed, the underground services on the block need to be found and the site surveyed. LCG Locating, part of the LCG group, maps utilities and scans concrete across North Shore, so the survey, the locate and the drawings come from one team.
In most cases yes, provided the addition respects the original roof form and the streetscape, particularly in a heritage conservation area. Setting the new level back behind the existing ridge is a common approach, and we resolve it with the council controls in mind.
On the Lower North Shore, councils assess whether a proposal unreasonably blocks a neighbour’s harbour or district view, using the planning principles set by the Land and Environment Court. Height, bulk and position are designed to share views rather than take them.
For a listed item, usually yes. For a home in a heritage conservation area that is not itself listed, a heritage impact statement is often enough, and we coordinate it as part of the submission.
Suite 106, Level 1, 345 Pacific Highway, Lindfield NSW 2070, on the Upper North Shore. Meetings are by phone, video or at the studio.
Send through your site details and a note on what you are trying to achieve. We will come back with the right approval pathway and next steps.
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