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Kick Start Your New Home

We get it – life’s busy.
You work hard, the kids are at school.
Your weekdays and weeknights a full.
Your weekends are similarly full with family, friends, sport….

Life, and your weeks, fill up quickly with the day-to-day. Before you know it you’re at the end of another year and your new home design still hasn’t begun!

Back when you bought your home it was charming house. It was exciting, novel, and you had great intentions to renovate in a few years.
But now?
Now, the kids are growing up fast. 
And your current home remains dark, small, draughty, and in need of even more work now!

Life’s too short for hesitation – let’s not have your kids grow up before you renovate!

Let’s get your project going.
Let's Kick Start your new home a whole lot closer to reality. 

Fitzroy North house by Cathi Colla Architects

What's a Kick Start Consultation?

This “Kick Start Consultation” has been created for anyone that is considering a new home, or renovating and extending their home.

Our Kick Start Consultation is your an opportunity to speak with a local residential renovation expert about your aspirations for your home, and introduce you to the who, what, where, and how of designing and building in the inner city.

This introductory service is a no obligation consultation with Cathi, of Cathi Colla Architects.

 

Landing

Kick Start your project and be positively prepared for the fantastic opportunities of a successfully anticipated new home.

A Kick Start Consultation will assist you to...

Provide clarity on your project brief – what's likely to be a challenge, what is likely to work, and what hidden opportunities are ahead.

  • Give you a reality check of project your budget – do it early on, and it will save you a lot of grief later!
  • Inform you of a realistic timing of all of stages required for the design, the likely permits and construction processes.  

Who is a Kick Start Consultation intended for?

This Kick Start Consultation is for homeowners in the Melbourne area* who are considering – or are already on the path towards – renovating, extending, or rebuilding a home.

Our Kick Start Consultation would suit an individual house, a terrace, townhouse, or apartment.
It’s also suitable for a multi-generation home.

* ‘Area’ is defined as within a 20km radius of our studio location.

Who isn't this for?

We believe in architecture that is ‘fit for purpose’, and design to enable a comfortable, healthy home for now, and for a healthy future.

If you are a developer, or are renovating a home for resale, then a Kick Start Consultation isn't for you.

What will happen in your Kick Start Consultation?

We will discuss your project aspirations and your brief (programme), budget, timing, and any barriers that might be in your way to getting your renovation started. Then we will discuss some creative possibilities, Statutory Planning and Building restrictions that might apply to your site, as well as a likely timeline for your project. Ideas and sketches are likely to result from this discussion.

Our Kick Start Consultation is intended to occur at your home**. This is so that Cathi can meet with you – the decision maker(s) – as well as to meet your home. If you do not wish to meet at your home, our Kick Start Consultation can alternatively be hosted at our studio nearby in Rathdowne Street, Carlton North.

This Kick Start Consultation will take up to 1.5 hours.

**Note: We're able to consult on an alternative property location, such as for a holiday home. In this case, we'd defer to information supplied by you (or information readily available online). If so, our meeting will occur at our studio.

Kick Start Consultation.

Your Kick Start Consultation will include a meeting at your site (with you, and any other decision maker). This meeting, along with a preliminary walk through of your home or site, will begin to establish an essential understanding of the opportunities and limitations of your site.

 

In our meeting, you will receive: 

  1. A copy of the Planning Property Report applicable to your site (if your site is located in Victoria).
  2. A preliminary indicative layout, created during your meeting, in the form of a sketch layout and/or thumbnail sketch.
  3. Discussion on ball park construction cost – based on recent projects of similar scale, location and/or complexity.
  4. Discussion on project schedule – in relation to recent projects of similar scale, location, and/or complexity.
  5. And finally (and if you are interested!) we can discuss less-conventional building processes, including, but not limited to, Passivhaus, low carbon living, and biophilic design.

 

What you won't receive in this Consultation

This consultation is not a design service, not is it an inspection service. This Consultation is an introductory offer only. Cathi Colla Architects cannot provide, or be expected to provide, review or advice on the condition of your home.

Our Kick Start Consultation does not provide advice on construction cost(s), timing, or building conformance matters. Any advice will require verification via further consultation with Cathi Colla Architects (and/or their preferred consultants) undertaken under a formal Client and Architect Agreement.

How much is a Kick Start Consultation?

Well – how valuable is your time?

We understand that your life is hectic. We recognise that a home renovation or new build is a massive undertaking.

We respect your time – and we don’t want to waste it.
We value your time and your efforts towards making this change. 

A Kick Start Consultation session is priced at $750 (plus GST).
This cost is inclusive of our preparation time, and up to 1.5 hours in total.

Your Local Architect –
Designing for locals and our community for over 20 years.

Cathi Colla has been designing, documenting, and collaborating with locals to create and build their new homes in the Carlton North and inner suburbs for nearly 25 years.

That means Cathi has been problem solving, negotiating with local Planning and Building Authorities, and building a strong network of consultants, builders, and subcontractors for the same amount of time.

Cathi Colla is also a Fitzroy North local. Cathi and family have been living, working, schooling, and playing in the area for over 20 years.

Cathi has also been down the renovation path herself. She recreated her own leaking, draughty, shambles of a shack in Fitzroy North into a comfortable urban oasis. It’s now a contemporary home full of natural light and contemporary character.

It’s warm and cosy in winter, and cool in summer. We love it.

This is your opportunity to meet Cathi to discuss your own specific project aspirations and challenges.

Let’s Kick Start your project now, with your best renovation step forward.

To book your Kick Start Consultation, simply email the studio here.

Simply email us with your project address and your phone number. Then we'll get in touch with you to organise a meeting time and payment.

Let's get your home moving in the right direction (and definitely before the kids grow up!).

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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