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Design with Conscience.
Design for a better future. 

Today's typical Australian home is built effectively as a large, leaky tent.

The average Australian home is built fast, cheap, and to minimum standards. It's built with little, or no, consideration for how a family will realistically enjoy it, how long it will last, or what energy is practically needed to keep it warm in winter, and cool in summer.

Just because it's convention, it doesn't mean it has to be. 

Building a healthy, robust, energy efficient home should be the standard, not a luxury.

It is possible today to design a home that's future focused: a home created to function well now; as a family's needs grow and change over time; and a home created to minimise, or even counteract, carbon production to build, and to run.

If you're building a home, build it better.
Building better demands specific, and purposeful design.

Design with conscience for our future.
Design and build better, today.

Consciously Imagined.
Strategically Detailed.
Purpose Built Design.

Our designs are purposefully focused on achieving environmentally sustainable design, with optimum performance outcomes.

We consider characteristics of each primary material: how much carbon is required to produce it, how will it be brought to site, how long it will enhance the quality of the design, and how long will the materials last.

It's also important to consider how a material will affect the thermal performance, and the health performance, of a home. Done well, this enables a home to require minimal energy input to run, as well as being a comfortable, and quiet, home to live in.

Did You Know?

"Buildings are a critical piece of our transition to a lower-carbon future. They are where we live, where we rest, and where we work – and they are responsible for about 40% of global energy consumption and about one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions." 

World Economic Forum, 2021

Designed to be energy efficient from the very outset, a home can be...

  • Low energy reliance, reducing ongoing carbon emissions.
  • Comfortable to live in all year round, despite how cold or hot it is outside.
  • Healthy and quiet indoors, due to the benefits of enhanced insulation and high performance windows.
  • Clean, filtered air, which reduces the risk of pollutants, for better health (and, you can always open the window!)
  • Cheaper cost of running (heating and cooling), as compared to a conventionally designed and constructed building.

Contact.

If you're looking for an architect to help with your project, this form is the best way to reach us.

Contact us here...

"Cathi put some concepts together for us 20+ years ago for a rural site that we wanted to build a family home on. Cathi’s passive solar design made the most of the north facing aspect and wedge-shaped block.

The resulting home has been a delight to live in and we could not imagine living anywhere else. This home is part of who we are, and we have evolved together over the years. The house is a testament to how well Cathi was able to understand and interpret our needs…"

Phil, Koroit, VIC.
New Home, country Victoria.

“I could see Cathi understood where we were at.

I knew how I wanted it to function but I didn’t know how I wanted it to look, or how it could look.

That is where Cathi came in.”

Donna, Thornbury
Sunseeker

“We could not have been more pleased with the end result of our renovation designed by Cathi Colla Architects. It achieved all our goals within our limited budget, giving us greater indoor space, bringing much more light into our home and creating spacious outdoor living area.

The renovation has significantly increased the potential sale value of our home by much more than it cost us (to build). Cathi introduced us to an excellent builder who was easy to work with, and managed the project exactly according to the estimated time line.

We have no hesitation in recommending Cathi Colla Architects to others planning to renovate their homes.”

Linda, West Brunswick
Existing Home Renovations + Extensions, West Brunswick, VIC.

“It was during construction that their (Cathi Colla Architects) value shone through for me.

I remember the first site meeting. They were asking questions that I would never have dreamed of asking at the time. They were able to nip a couple of issues in the bud – issues that would have become crises had they not been worked through early.

They dealt with the issues in a calm and constructive manner with the builder.”

Ciara, Brunswick East
Light Source, Brunswick East, VIC.

“Thank you for your professionalism, dedication, decisiveness, and committed nature to which you conducted your role as a superintendent on this project.

Having now completed a few projects, it is becoming easier to recognise the architects who can combine their attention to detail, creativeness, and architectural style with a practical approach to building.

I would most definitely be happy to work with you again in the future..”

Angus (Project Coordinator), Richmond
Existing Home Renovations + Extensions, Brunswick East

This project displays a thorough understanding of the aesthetic and functional subtleties of residential space, and skilfully revitalises this prosaic mid century suburban house.

It manipulates outlook, function and circulation to create a sophisticated contemporary dwelling.”

Jury Comments, Architeam Awards, 2011
Architeam Award – Alterations and Additions to Existing Home, Thornbury, VIC

“I would like to take this opportunity to express both the City of Melbourne’s, and my, appreciation of the effort that your company expended, and the fine architectural result, that has been achieved. I have received nothing but glowing reports on all aspects of the project.

I would like to personally thank Cathi Colla for her involvement, and her assertive point of view, in endeavouring to achieve the results of which she had asked, and we would expect. She was, at all times courteous, and a pleasure with whom to work.”

James A. Jackson, City Of Melbourne (City Projects Division)
Melbourne Tianjin Gardens, Melbourne, Victoria (with Williams Boag Architects)

“When we sat down with Cathi and went through the scheme I was really impressed.

Cathi had listened to our requirements, addressed them, and came up with some really interesting ideas for our apartment. I was impressed with Cathi’s attention to detail and professionalism.

The work she did exceeded my expectations.”

Don, Toorak
Existing Apartment Alterations, Toorak, Victoria

“Thank you Cathi, you were brilliant! After three years of no direction, finally we have a professional.
Thank you for an excellent presentation and clear ideas.”

BH and MD, Owners Corporation (Clifton Hill)
Re-Clad 12 Dwellings, Town Houses, Clifton Hill, VIC

“We found that the services you provided far exceeded our expectations.
We especially appreciated the time and effort you put into understanding our needs, and clarifying the brief. This was very much appreciated, given that we are living on the other side of the world.”

Bernadette H., Vancouver
Existing House + Site Appraisal, North Sydney, NSW
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