This upcoming podcast season will be all about designing for difficult sites. For the non-standard, non-normal, tricky sites. A cookie cutter approach doesn’t work when your land, block size and shape is different.  When you’re renovating or building, you have a unique opportunity to create a home that suits your block of land. That makes the most of its assets, minimizes the things you don’t like about it, or its immediate environment, and really celebrates the qualities of where you live, and the land you live on.  Homeowners often don’t understand the challenges that are specific to their type of block. And in doing so, they miss the opportunity to maximise the site’s characteristics, and minimise the things they don’t like about it.  Over the coming season, I’m going to be sharing specific design strategies you can use when designing a reno or new home for a trickier or difficult block.   And whilst I’ll be sharing a specific type of block each episode, the strategies I’m sharing and questions I’ll be suggesting you ask yourself, will help you whatever type of block you’re on.  So, let me explain how this season will go. In each episode, as I talk about the different types of tricky sites, I’ll be outlining:  the main challenges for that type of block, and what requires careful consideration when designing your reno or new home  the main advantages or opportunities you want to make the most of  key questions to ask – either yourself, your designer or your builder – so you design a project that is specific to your block of land, whatever it’s shape, size or type  and I’ll also be going through what to focus on to get it right if you’re choosing a home off the plan, building a custom-design home, or extending and renovating an existing home  These are the different types of blocks I’ll be talking about across this coming season.  Episode 01 Corner Blocks  Episode 02 Narrow blocks  Episode 03 Wide, shallow blocks  Episode 04 Sloping blocks  Episode 05 Acreage blocks  Episode 06 Dual access blocks  Episode 07 Blocks where main view is from upper floor  So, let’s dive in!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

Grab the bonus free download for this episode, which includes a transcript and worksheet for you to get it right on your corner block >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/cornerblock Do you have a corner block? And do you know how to design your new home or renovation to make the most of it?  There can be a range of attitudes and feelings about corner blocks.   Some people really dislike them because they feel less private, and less secure. Others think they’re great, because they feel more spacious and open to light and views – and feel bigger as a result.   Of course, specific challenges and advantages may vary based on how flat your corner block is (and I’ll be discussing more about sloping blocks later in this season). They may also vary based on the size of your block as well, and the specific dimensions of it.   However there are consistent challenges and opportunities when it comes to designing for a corner block that are worth being aware of to get great outcomes.   In this episode, I discuss the key challenges to contend with when designing for a corner block of land. I also explain the opportunities that are available, and how to maximise them.  And, I take you 10 key questions to ask about your corner block, and the home you’re building or renovating on it. These questions will help you create a home that suits your land, and creates a great outcome for your lifestyle.  Whether choosing a home off the plan, building a custom designed home, or renovating and extending your existing one, there are certain things to know so you can make the most of your corner block.  Listen to the episode now!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

Request your free E-Guide “The Narrow Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/narrowblock Do you have a narrow block? And do you know how to design your new home or renovation to make the most of it?  When I refer to ‘narrow’ blocks, I mean anything that is 10m or less wide.   For most areas, that constitutes a narrow block, and some can even get down as narrow as 4 or 5m depending on where you live. Actually, I saw a home recently for sale that was on a block that was under 3m wide!   There are specific challenges when you’re designing for a narrow block. These challenges may change as the block size and configuration changes as well.  So, I’m going to focus on big ideas that will help you think about your narrow block, and how to create a home for it. The things you can explore, and some of the strategies that designers use to solve the challenge that is the narrow block.   And I think probably the biggest priority and goal for designing homes on narrow blocks is to help them feel larger than they are. To create a sense of spaciousness and expansiveness that’s not hemmed in by their narrow width, or skinny configuration. So I’ll be sharing ideas about how to achieve that. And even if you don’t have a narrow block - these strategies will help you with creating spaciousness in your home.  However there are consistent challenges and opportunities when it comes to designing for a narrow block that are worth being aware of to get great outcomes.   In this episode, I discuss the key challenges to contend with when designing for a narrow block of land. I also explain the opportunities that are available, and how to maximise them.  And, I take you 10 key questions to ask about your narrow block, and the home you’re building or renovating on it. These questions will help you create a home that suits your land, and creates a great outcome for your lifestyle.  Whether choosing a home off the plan, building a custom designed home, or renovating and extending your existing one, there are certain things to know so you can make the most of your narrow block.  Listen to the episode now!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

Request your free E-Guide “The WideBlock” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/wideblock Do you have a wide block? And do you know how to design your new home or renovation to make the most of it?  When it comes to wide blocks, these can occur in different configurations.   There’s of course the more generous blocks. Ones that have nice wide frontages – so generally 15m plus – and are overall quite large in area. They can present challenges in how you arrange the home on the block so that it’s not dwarfed by the overall block itself. So it doesn’t look like a little dot on a great big horizon, basically!   At the other extreme, there’s the configurations where the block is wide and shallow. There are a lot of areas where subdivision has created blocks with a wide frontage, and their overall dimensions mean that a home will be strung out with most of it exposed to the street.   I’m going to focus mainly on those that are shallow and wide – so almost the opposite of what we discussed in narrow blocks in the last episode. The strategies will apply whether your block is shallow or not, but I’ll be specifically talking about blocks that are wider than they’re deep.  However there are consistent challenges and opportunities when it comes to designing for a wide block that are worth being aware of to get great outcomes.   In this episode, I discuss the key challenges to contend with when designing for a wide block of land. I also explain the opportunities that are available, and how to maximise them.  And, I take you 10 key questions to ask about your wide block, and the home you’re building or renovating on it. These questions will help you create a home that suits your land, and creates a great outcome for your lifestyle.  Whether choosing a home off the plan, building a custom designed home, or renovating and extending your existing one, there are certain things to know so you can make the most of your wide block.  Listen to the episode now!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

Request your free E-Guide “The Sloping Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/slopingblock   Do you have a sloping block? And do you know how to design your new home or renovation to make the most of it?  So many homeowners get in touch with me because they have a sloping block and none of the inspiration they’re looking at applies for their scenario. They’re confused about how to get a connection with their outdoor areas, about how they’ll not spend a fortune in excavation and retaining, and how to best deal with the sloping terrain.  This can apply whether their block has a gentle slope to it, is like goat country, or is somewhere in between.   And it usually becomes a case of which of these three options you’ll choose ...   do you build or renovate so our home sits elevated above the slope, floating over it  do you excavate the site to create a flat platform so the whole home can be built of renovated on one flat pad   Or do you do something in between, and step the home to marry in with the slope of the land, so you can create a connection with the site as the home terraces across the slope of the site, creating more of a split level home  Each of these choices have an impact on your costs, the type of home you can build or renovate, and the outcome you create with your home.  However there are consistent challenges and opportunities when it comes to designing for a sloping block that are worth being aware of to get great outcomes.   In this episode, I discuss the key challenges to contend with when designing for a sloping block of land. I also explain the opportunities that are available, and how to maximise them.  And, I take you 10 key questions to ask about your sloping block, and the home you’re building or renovating on it. These questions will help you create a home that suits your land, and creates a great outcome for your lifestyle.  Whether choosing a home off the plan, building a custom designed home, or renovating and extending your existing one, there are certain things to know so you can make the most of your sloping block.  Listen to the episode now!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

Request your free E-Guide “The Acreage Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/acreageblock   Acreage homes can cover a lot of different types. It can be a single acre in a suburban area where large lots are the norm ... right through to a regional or remote area, where there’s thousands and thousands of acres of a working property, with a home situated on it.  Through Undercover Architect, I’ve had the benefit of working with many regional clients, both here and overseas. And I also live on acreage myself, in the Byron Hinterland.   Over the years, and especially from my own personal experience of living in our current home, I’ve learnt that acreage homes are a really different experience of design and living.   There’s different ways to consider how they’re arranged, and how they’re used, and what functionality they need, that can vary from your normal suburban home. Even when they’re in a suburban area.   However there are consistent challenges and opportunities when it comes to designing for an acreage block that are worth being aware of to get great outcoms.   In this episode, I discuss the key challenges to contend with when designing for an acreage block of land. I also explain the opportunities that are available, and how to maximise them.  And, I take you 10 key questions to ask about your acreage block, and the home you’re building or renovating on it. These questions will help you create a home that suits your land, and creates a great outcome for your lifestyle.  Whether choosing a home off the plan, building a custom designed home, or renovating and extending your existing one, there are certain things to know so you can make the most of your acreage block.  Listen to the episode now!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

Request your free E-Guide “The Dual Access Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/dualaccessblock   What is a dual access block? Well, this is what we call a block that has two frontages – at opposite ends of the home.  This may be via two street frontages, because for some reason there’s been a subdivision that’s left a sliver of land only one block deep. Or it may be because the home faces a park where pedestrians can arrive at the home – but it has street access for car at the other side of it. Or perhaps, it has rear lane access at one end, and a street frontage at the other.  Your home may not have dual access strictly speaking - but perhaps it overlooks a park, or reserve area or golf club to its rear. However, as a result its back is more exposed, you might have popped a gate in your back fence, and you end up having two frontages as well. So some of these strategies used for dual access blocks will also apply to you.  If you’re listening in Australia, you may be familiar with the last season of The Block, which featured dual access blocks. There was a street on one side, and a laneway at the other end of each site. Old cottages were relocated to the front of each site, with a new two-storey extension designed for them.   The extension had a kitchen / living /dining and deck at the rear, and then a garden. Then, on the rear laneway, a two storey building was built, which had garaging at the lower floor, and a studio over the top. These are also known as Fonzie Flats – in honour of Arthur Fonzarelli from Happy Days. If you don't remember Happy Days, I’m showing my age here. But it was a TV show we watched as a kid, and Fonzie lived in a flat over the Cunningham’s garage.   I'm not kidding though - this type of development is seriously known as a Fonzie flat in the property industry. And so I'll talk a bit more about this design strategy for dual access blocks, later in the episode.  There will be some parallels between a dual access block, and a corner block. However, I find that dual access blocks require some different thinking because of what happens to a home when it’s basically straddling between two public interfaces. What happens it has to face or address a frontage at either end of the block, maintain security and appear like its not turning its back, can be a bit different to the exposure of a corner block.  However there are consistent challenges and opportunities when it comes to designing for a dual access block that are worth being aware of to get great outcomes.   And, I take you 10 key questions to ask about your dual access block, and the home you’re building or renovating on it. These questions will help you create a home that suits your land, and creates a great outcome for your lifestyle.  Whether choosing a home off the plan, building a custom designed home, or renovating and extending your existing one, there are certain things to know so you can make the most of your dual access block.  Listen to the episode now!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE

Request your free E-Guide “The View from Upper Block” which includes a transcript of this podcast >>> www.undercoverarchitect.com/viewfromupper   Is your main view from the upper floor of your home? And are you needing help with how to design a home to best suit this?   I receive so many questions about how to design a home when your best view is from the upper level. Especially from homeowners who have young families, and are grappling with where to locate the major living areas of the home.  Do your living areas get located on the upper floor where you can make the most of the view, but then accept that they're a storey away from the garden? Or on the lower floor where your living spaces can then have a great indoor / outdoor connection, but then don't have the view as part of that everyday living space?  Having a view can add some serious dollars to the value of your home. It can often improve natural light, and natural ventilation too, as you're exposed to sunlight and breezes in your home.   So if your view is amazing from upstairs and invisible from the lower floor, that might have already made the decision for you about how to arrange your spaces. Or, if your block is narrow, your main view is out to the streetside of the home and your lower floor is going to be all garage door and entry, then again, your decision may be simple to put living on the upper floor.  If it's not this straight forward, or perhaps your main view is to the rear, then ultimately only you can make the choice that suits your needs and your home.   However, there are some challenges and opportunities to consider, and questions to ask, so you create the best outcome for you.   In this episode, I discuss the key challenges to contend with when designing for a block of land when your main view is from the upper level or floor. I also explain the opportunities that are available, and how to maximise them.  And, I take you 10 key questions to ask about your 'View from Upper' block, and the home you’re building or renovating on it. These questions will help you create a home that suits your land, and creates a great outcome for your lifestyle.  Whether choosing a home off the plan, building a custom designed home, or renovating and extending your existing one, there are certain things to know so you can make the most of your 'View from Upper' block.  Listen to the episode now!  FOR RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST CLICK HERE