Residential architecture across the Northern Beaches, from Manly and Dee Why to Mona Vale. Coastal renovations, additions and new homes designed for approvals, buildability and cost.
The Northern Beaches runs from Manly and Freshwater through Dee Why, Collaroy and Narrabeen to Mona Vale, Newport, Avalon and Palm Beach, all under Northern Beaches Council since the three former councils merged. The housing is varied: post-war beach cottages and fibro shacks on the peninsula, brick and tile homes across the plateau suburbs of Frenchs Forest and Belrose, and newer houses on the escarpment blocks with ocean or Pittwater views.
Coastal location brings its own controls. Blocks near the beach can sit within a coastal hazard or erosion area, the lagoon and creek catchments bring flood planning levels into the design, and the bushland suburbs of the plateau and Pittwater are often bushfire-prone. Salt air and exposure also inform material choices and detailing. Council assesses a DA against the Northern Beaches controls and the former council DCPs that still apply in parts of the area.
Our work here is typically coastal renovations that open a cottage to the outdoors, rear and second-storey additions, granny flats on the deeper blocks, and new homes on view sites. We read the overlays for the block first, design for the pathway that applies, and document the project for the builder of your choice.
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 Northern Beaches →Granny flats and secondary dwellings designed for clarity, compliance and repeatability across sites.
Secondary Dwellings in Northern Beaches →Extensions and renovations designed to integrate seamlessly with the existing home.
Additions & Alterations in Northern Beaches →Dual occupancy design that balances planning controls, site constraints and market appeal.
Dual Occupancies in Northern Beaches →Approval-ready documentation aligned with the right planning pathway.
DA & CDC Documentation in Northern Beaches →Clear, coordinated drawings prepared for pricing and construction.
Construction Drawings in Northern Beaches →Coordination with engineers, certifiers and other consultants as required.
Consultant Coordination in Northern Beaches →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 Northern Beaches, so the survey, the locate and the drawings come from one team.
Beachfront, lagoon-side and creek-side blocks often are. The mapping is public, and we check it for your address at the start, because a flood planning level or coastal setback changes floor levels and position before any layout is drawn.
Usually yes, subject to the zoning and overlays for the lot. We assess whether a rebuild or a substantial addition is the better outcome for the site and the budget, and document whichever you choose.
It can. Councils consider the impact on neighbours’ views as part of a DA on the Northern Beaches, and a design that shares views rather than blocking them is far more likely to be approved without changes.
We prepare the full submission and the consultant reports it needs, lodge through the NSW Planning Portal where agreed, and respond to council’s questions through assessment.
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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