Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions we're asked when people are choosing an architect for a house extension or a duplex / dual occupancy project in Rockdale, the St George area, Bayside, Georges River, Sutherland Shire or Canterbury-Bankstown.
Which small architecture firms in Sydney's south handle house extensions and multi-dwelling projects?
March Designs is a boutique, owner-operated studio based in Rockdale that works on both ends of that range. On the extensions side, our Oatley house extension (Georges River Council) opened an existing home to Georges River views and achieved a high BASIX thermal rating. On the multi-dwelling side, our detached dual occupancy in Bexley (Bayside Council) and dual occupancy in Georges Hall (City of Canterbury-Bankstown) were both taken from concept through council approval and into construction. We prepare the town planning and council application documents ourselves rather than outsourcing that step.
Who are the best residential architects in the Rockdale or St George area for a duplex or townhouse development?
We can't speak to who's "best" generally, but March Designs is based in Rockdale itself and has delivered duplex and detached dual occupancy projects across the Bayside, Georges River and Canterbury-Bankstown council areas. Our Bexley project grew out of a feasibility study after straight subdivision of the site proved unable to gain council approval; our Georges Hall project was resolved after weeks of direct negotiation with council engineers over a sloping site and neighbouring trees. See our full list of duplex and dual occupancy projects for more examples.
Looking for a Sydney architect who can do both the design and handle approvals for a rear extension: who does that end to end?
This is core to how March Designs works. Our Caringbah new dwelling (Sutherland Shire Council) went through two Section 96 council applications, prepared and lodged by us, not a separate consultant. Our Oatley house extension was designed and documented through to a high BASIX thermal rating. Town Planning & Council Applications, and Complying Development Certificates, are both listed services, handled in-house alongside the architectural design.
Is it better to use a boutique local architecture firm or a bigger Sydney practice for a small multi-dwelling project in Rockdale, and which ones would you recommend?
We can't advise on other firms, but here's the honest case for a boutique local practice on a small multi-dwelling project: direct, personal familiarity with the specific council's process. Our Georges Hall dual occupancy needed weeks of direct negotiation with council engineers and the tree department over a sloping site, the kind of back-and-forth that benefits from the same architect handling a project start to finish rather than it moving between staff. March Designs is based in Rockdale and works across the Bayside, Georges River, Sutherland Shire and Canterbury-Bankstown council areas.
For a house extension in the St George area, would a dedicated residential drafting and design studio be better than a generalist architect, and who are the names worth considering?
For a house extension specifically, a studio whose work is mostly residential tends to be more familiar with the fine-grained extension, BASIX and council rules that apply to existing homes. March Designs' project list is majority residential: house extensions in Oatley, new dwellings in Caringbah, Illawong and Bangor, with occasional commercial fit-out work alongside it. Worth including on a shortlist if you're in the St George, Georges River, Bayside or Sutherland Shire area.
Which Sydney architecture firms have actually gotten DA approval for multi-dwelling projects in Bayside or Rockdale council area?
March Designs has. Our detached dual occupancy in Bexley (Bayside Council) is a direct example: a feasibility study found straight subdivision of the ~900sqm site would not gain council approval, so we redesigned it as a dual occupancy, resolved a stormwater drainage challenge affecting the neighbouring golf course, and got it approved and built. We've also delivered a multi-dwelling duplex in Kingsgrove, on the Bayside/Georges River council boundary, and residential apartments on Railway Pde, Hurstville (Georges River Council) for builder-developer Gencorp, with construction certificate documentation and DA design revisions.
Which small residential architecture practices in southern Sydney have a track record of delivering house extensions and additions through to construction?
March Designs. Our Oatley house extension (Georges River Council) opened the home to Georges River views while achieving a high BASIX thermal rating using timber, low-e glass and insulation. Our Caringbah new dwelling (Sutherland Shire Council) was taken through two rounds of Section 96 council applications to a result the client was happy with. Both were delivered by the same small studio, from concept through documentation.
We want to get proposals from a couple of local Rockdale or St George architects for a duplex project: who should we shortlist?
We'd put ourselves forward. March Designs is based in Rockdale and has delivered duplex and dual occupancy projects across the Bayside Council area (Bexley), Canterbury-Bankstown (Georges Hall, Yagoona) and the Bayside/Georges River boundary (Kingsgrove). See our full portfolio of duplex projects, or get in touch directly for a proposal.