Consultants and Practicalities

Which consultants did you use? What other consultants are there? How do you decide which consultants to use? How do you decide whether to do it yourself or go to a specialist? How does a client engage with consultants? What is the impact of making big changes at each stage of the project? In this episode we speak with Delia Teschendorff, director Delia Teschendorff Architecture, and client Tim, owner of Rhythm House, to uncover the answers.

Delia Teschendorff Architecture has a rigorous design focus. The approach to each individual project is unique, as each brief, site and client demands a different approach and presents a different problem to solve. Research is an important component of the design process at DTA. A projects inspiration may be drawn from history, an investigation of site or broader influences including music and literature. This approach ensures a unique experience of place for the user and the buildings position in the greater urban fabric.

Rhythm House is an extension to a Heritage 1920’s bungalow in West Brunswick. The project came with a unique brief: the family of five accomplished musicians needed a family home that also had the capacity to be a performance space and recording studio. The design strategy was to create two distinct zones within the home – quiet and loud, old and new. An innovative timber portal structural system was used as the framework for the rear extension. Designed and built in close consultation with both the structural engineer and an acoustic engineer, this portal system provided both cost and construction efficiency.

The Naked Architect is an initiative of Open House Melbourne, with support from the Architects Registration Board of Victoria, and in association with ArchiTeam. The third series was launched in 2019 as part of the year-round program of Open House.