After searching in City Beach for nearly twenty years, we finally found the ideal site for our family home. The site had a great ocean panorama from a second storey and required a bespoke solution to capitalise on the benefits of the site whilst limiting harsh winds and afternoon sun.
Initially we met with luxury home builders offering a 'design and construct' service but soon realised they were steering us towards building a cookie-cutter design, which did not make the most of the views or site in general. We then decided to contact John as we had seen his work through friends and were attracted to his style and portfolio of work.
We felt comfortable with John from the first meeting and felt he could really understand our brief and initial wants/needs. The design evolved through various meetings, with John always fully explaining the rationale behind what he was proposing and being pragmatic about how spaces functioned and interacted. His initial and ongoing estimates on costs also proved to be accurate and were formulated alongside the design's evolution.
John coordinated the council planning approval process and then provided excellent documentation drawings for construction, involving us all the way. Having drawings independent of builders enabled an open market competitive tender process.
We absolutely love our new family home and it is very satisfying to see the results of the design process and John's ideas being put into practice. As we have an 'upside down' family house with main living areas on the upper floor, John's design ethos was twofold: to focus and frame the ocean panorama while avoiding the house feeling akin to an apartment with a big balcony. Thus, the design also concentrated on maintaining physical and visual connections to lower pool and external areas.
We are now benefitting greatly from John's vision for our site and glad we made the investment into a quality design and documentation process with an independent architect and John in particular. We would be happy to recommend him to future clients considering a quality bespoke family home.
- Robert and Vivien, Homeowners
We have known John for many years and considering his extensive experience working with tight sites and familiarity with Cottesloe, he was the obvious choice to help us design our new home.
The brief was to provide decent sized family accommodation, a study, and a music studio on our 6.7m wide site wedged between existing boundary to boundary residences. We felt comfortable and confident working with John through the design and construction stages and he was able to achieve all our requirements within budget.
Being an independent architect meant he was able to obtain a competitive contract price through an open market tender process and deliver a high standard of design and documentation for a fair and reasonable fee. John’s creative and pragmatic approach has delivered a stunning home and ensures congenial living now and into the future.
We often marvel at how lucky we are to live somewhere so gorgeous. That is testament that the wonder hasn't faded.
We highly recommend John Lewis Architects.
- Tracey Monaghan & Peter Micheal, Homeowners
We commissioned John to design our new family home which sits on an awkward shaped site in Cottesloe, with excellent northern orientation and backed onto an adjoining park. We were living overseas during the design process, which heavily influenced our style in the initial brief given to John. The challenge of conducting all of our meetings over Skype on different time zones was never an issue and we felt involved and informed along the way due to Johns strong communication skills and patient ear.
John was attentive to our brief and budget and easy to communicate with throughout the design process. The design incorporated all of our initial requirements and then some. Seeing our vision come to life in Johns 3d imagery was particularly exciting and something that we could never have imagined at the beginning of the process.
John co-ordinated the council approval processes well and his excellent construction documentation provided a building process that minimised problems on site during construction. John had a strong relationship with our builder and trades which was critical in ensuring the detailed design components are fulfilled. Our family absolutely love the new home and it has positively affected our lifestyle in many ways. We receive many compliments on the feeling of space, choice of materials, the natural light and connection to our garden and adjoining parkland. Our desire for indoor/outdoor living similar to what we had in Asia has been brilliantly executed by John. The home provides us with communal areas for family time but enough space for separation when its required.
Commissioning any design is a leap of faith but having an architect that listens and understands your point of view without pushing his own design agenda was critical in creating our forever family home.
We can highly recommend John Lewis Architects to future clients in his market segment.
- Kym, Homeowner
Having previously built with a project home builder and then subsequently taking on an extensive renovation of a character home in Mount Hawthorn. We had a good understanding of what the building process entailed.
When we ultimately found our block in the right location but with less than ideal footing and size, we knew that we needed someone who would find creative ways to work with the space and create a bespoke home that would 'fit' within the Mount Hawthorn area. This build was to be our final one, our 'forever home'.
After having met with a couple of architects recommended to us we decided to engage with John as we felt he understood our brief and took great comfort in his process. Over the months of working together we built a great rapport with him, we liked that he challenged our thinking but listened to what he knew to be important components for us as a family.
Trying to fit a large family home on a small block was no easy ask but John has created a well-planned home, creating zones with levels, sense of space with light and points of warmth with texture. John kept us to budget during the design phase and was realistic about timeframes from both a design and building perspective. John successfully coordinated the council planning approval process and subsequently ran a competitive open market tender process with qualified builders.
The end result speaks for itself. We are extremely happy with this beautiful house with now call our home and could not recommend John highly enough. From the moment our guests walk through the front gate, pull up in the driveway or walk through the front door they are nothing but complimentary.
John was a pleasure to deal with.
- Kym and Clare Hayman, Homeowners
We chose John as our architect because we were impressed with the look of his past designs. We own a challenging narrow, west-facing block, and told him we wanted a resort-style, eco-friendly home that maximized our view of the river, took advantage of northern light, protected us from summer sun and made good use of timber and stone.
John's design gave us exactly that, along with many other features that served to perfect our original vision. Not only does our narrow home feel spacious, it is a joy to live in.
During the planning and building process, John's knowledge of council regulations, building practices, interior and exterior design helped us immensely. As our project manager, he was always approachable, promptly dealt with any problems that arose, maintained a good rapport with our builder, and kept us up to date at all times.
John's knowledge of materials, colours and interior fit-out across literally hundreds of items that require decisions for any new home, was of enormous value. During the build process, he carefully managed the flow of decisions required while continuously saving us a lot of time,money and anxiety by pointing us in the right direction and making what could easily have been a very stressful time an enjoyable one.
The end result, which we now call home, has far exceeded our expectations and has left only fond memories of the build process. I would absolutely recommend him to others.
- Carol and Phil Ryles, Homeowners
When we began looking for a property to build on and an architect, John was recommended by one of his previous clients. We approached John at that time and he provided valuable input into the site selection. John helped identify the specific positives and challenges of potential sites before our purchasing decision.
Having secured our block, the design evolved over various meetings and discussions with John. Working with our brief, John helped us maximise the site’s potential for ocean views whilst sheltering from strong winds, harsh western sun and navigating the other houses around us. He was an excellent resource to guide us through the design process, the many decisions we needed to make, and to manage our expectations about the process ahead.
John's knowledge of the council rules was important and he managed the council approval process for us without much fuss. John prepared detailed construction drawings which provided a great base for a smoother construction process. He handled the building tender/builder selection (which saw the building prices come in within estimates) and then oversaw the construction stage.
John's relationship with our builder and contractors was obvious and beneficial in that he was always an excellent conduit between the builder and ourselves. John managed any issues as they arose and we always felt fully informed.
The end result is a home that absolutely meets our brief, is architecturally dramatic, without being ostentatious, and provides excellent quality of space, materials, and natural light. The house is a joy to live in and has added immeasurably to our quality of life.
Our home design and build was an amazingly smooth process in large part due to John. We clearly saw John's excellent design and communication skills, very detailed, but importantly practical, design and construction knowledge, and coming together with his project management skills throughout the construction.
We would be very happy to recommend John to future clients contemplating a bespoke architect designed home.
- Home Owners, City Beach
We had bought a block in Cottesloe for our dream home and wanted an architect to help make that a reality.
We discussed our ideas with a number of architects including John.
We chose John because he was practical, understood what we wanted to achieve within our budget and most importantly was really easy to deal with. John knew which areas were important to spend on and where we could save in others, while being conscious of the core design elements. He also had some great concepts on zones within the house, natural light, airflow and how to make the house 'work' for the whole family which we are now benefiting from.
Our project was unique in that we were overseas and not living in Perth for all of the original design and documentation, council approval, tendering and for 75% of the construction process. Accordingly we relied heavily on John to project manage for us with a lot of Skype calls at various stages.
John ran the building tender process and achieved a competitive price and then managed our builder throughout, including the budget and cost to complete aspects. We really appreciated the benefit of having an independent architect.
John's detailed construction drawings made the construction process as smooth as possible and his practicality and ability to work with us and the builder resulted in a process that came in on time and on budget.
We are extremely happy with the end result and we would have no hesitation recommending John to others.
- Paul Early & Stephanie Schmidt, Homeowners
We met with a number of architects and design and construct firms when assessing our options for designing and building our new home.
From our very first meeting, we were impressed with John's consideration of how we wanted to live with our growing family. John did not initially ask us what we wanted our house to look like but focused on what aspects of our day to day lives were important to us. He could therefore enable us to focus on 'what we wanted to achieve' and release us from the concern of 'how we planned to achieve it'.
The 'how' evolved through discussions and sketches as John very successfully moulded our list of likes and dislikes into a home that functions perfectly for our family. His design has taken into consideration how our family interacts with each other and the spaces around us.
Great architecture just feels good. The spaces John has created for us are truly wonderful to live in.
We are immensely happy with the design of our home and John has been instrumental in creating it for us. We have then successfully referred him to friends and have recently commissioned him for another home for ourselves.
- Homeowners, City Beach
We have now moved in to our completed home and can honestly say that we wouldn’t change a thing. John's design has maximised the benefits of our specific site. The design captures our views perfectly, shields us from the strong ocean winds and westerly sun. All this while providing an environment of abundant natural light and volume with-in a well considered and cohesive 3 dimensional building form. The different zones of the house works exactly as planned for our large family and internal and external living areas integrate extremely well.
After being recommended by a previous client, we enjoyed working with John and Simon through the design and documentation stages. John was very good at explaining the thinking behind bigger picture design ideas as well as more detailed areas of consideration. We feel he nailed our brief brilliantly and the project flowed on well from there.
John coordinated the planning approval process through council and then produced very detailed construction drawings which the builder really appreciated.
I would be very happy to recommend John Lewis Architects to prospective clients considering an architect designed residence.
- Daryl Cook, Managing director – Dial a Glass, Glass Processing Australia
Our long held family holiday house on a unique piece of land surrounded by natural parkland and water views had reached its use by date. The brief was to come up with a 21st century design that would satisfy a wide range of family members, be low in maintenance and worthy of the location.
I approached John Lewis after seeing a number of appealing homes on his website. John visited the original 1960's building with me, and took the time to understand the potential of the site and how to fully capture all the benefits of the location.
John's initial sketches and then developed design were well received by all and the final contract drawings left nothing to chance for the tender and construction process. John conducted the tender process and was on hand during the construction process to iron out any construction issues that arose.
The end result is an excellently designed, well proportioned house that maximises the benefits of its unique location whilst minimising the challenges associated with the site. The house is a pleasure to holiday in and is a very relaxing environment with an abundance of natural light and views from every corner of the home.
I have no hesitation in recommending John Lewis as an architect for quality residential projects.
- Peter Baker, Nedlands WA
Deciding it was time for a change of home we were fortunate to secure a large elevated block in the hills with city and coastal views.
Having built 3 homes over the past 25 years using builders and drafting designers I felt it was important to capitalise and maximise the benefits of our unique site and explore the opportunity of perhaps engaging an architect.
Not being previously connected to any architects I happened across John Lewis Architects whilst searching the web. The home designs on John’s web site are impressive but more importantly, John’s design philosophy and practical building experience encouraged me to take the first step of meeting with him. What evolved from our first site meeting and subsequent consultations/conversations discussing our design brief, personal living circumstances, likes and dislikes is quite simply spectacular.
John's ability to design a unique home with an amazing mixture of building materials encompassing spectacular architectural design elements completely fulfilling our brief and individual living circumstances is a truly specialised skill which I have not had the privilege of experiencing in any of my previous homes.
It's a testament to John's ability to listen to our needs, creatively encompass the unique aspects of our site and then enhance them through clever architectural design that has really added value to the completed project and is something I will be forever grateful to him for. It has definitely been worth the investment in an experienced architect such as John.
- Steve and Melanie Hall, homeowners
We have worked as the builder with John Lewis for over 10 years on a number of his client's projects.
Johns drawings, specification and documentation is extremely detailed and accurate, which assists us in costing the project accurately and also obtain competitive prices from trades and suppliers whilst minimising issues on site. Being both a registered builder as well as an architect, John has a good understanding of construction costs and methods, ensuring his clients benefit from having a minimum amount of variations during construction, keeping the costs to budget, whilst still ensuring the clients achieve their dream home.
We have found John to have a very strong attention for detail and has extremely high standards and expectations for his client's projects. He always works closely together with the builder to meet these standards.
The process of construction is always wrought with challenges, however as johns drawings are extremely detailed , this allows our trades to accurately carry out their works to an extremely high standard. John is extremely approachable and easily contactable should any matters arise on site that need his attention. He works closely at all times with both builder and client as necessary to ensure matters are resolved quickly, ensuring the smooth progress of the build. There is always strong communication between John, the builder and the trades, making the construction process smooth and enjoyable for everyone involved. From our years of experience working alongside John, we have found that everyone who comes into contact with John: the clients, trades and suppliers, all find him down to earth and approachable and extremely easy to work with.
We thoroughly enjoy working alongside John Lewis, Each house we have built for John is unique in a different way and are always proud of the homes we construct together through strong teamwork. From a builders point of view, we would highly recommend John Lewis to new clients, as an architect who is easy to work with, has exceptional vision and a unique understanding of design and construction.
- Frank Davidoff, Time builders
We initially commissioned a building company to prepare a design and build quotation. After almost committing, something didn’t feel quite right so we explored the idea of an architect designed project. We are greatly relieved that we did. The difference in the end quality and value of the project is profound.
After interviewing 3 architects we were attracted to John's realistic approach, obvious design ability and practical experience. During the design process, we worked thru a few alternatives before settling on the final design. John effectively communicated the advantages and challenges of the options and we always felt well informed to make decisions. It was a very good collaboration.
After negotiating council planning approval, the technical working drawings were of an extremely high standard which made the building process so much easier as there was no margin for error.
John conducted a competitive open market tender for us which meant we obtained the best value in the current market conditions. This is as opposed to being stuck with a non-comparable single price if dealing with a design and construct builder. John then went on to assist ourselves and the builder through the construction phase very competently. With his experience he was often able to trouble shoot potential issues ahead of time.
We are very glad we proceeded with an architect and John in particular. This has added considerable value to our project and resulted in a house we will be able to live in happily for years to come.
- Josh and Holly Zucal, homeowners
Our project was to build our new home on a vacant block in Cottesloe and we had spoken to several architects. The thought of a project design and build contract even passed through our minds.
We were about to make a decision when by chance we were speaking with friends who had just built with John Lewis. They suggested we speak with him before going any further. We did and after an initial meeting with John we decided he was the architect for us.
He explained the benefits of using the services of an architect and not to be fooled by the apparent 'extra' cost up front as at the end of the day the combination of an independent architect and builder appointed through a selective tender process would end up costing about the same (or possibly less) than an upper market 'design and construct' builder, but with a superior outcome in terms of design, practicality and use of space.
We decided to retain John and were soon reassured we had made the right decision as he was very attentive to our brief and details even down to any significant items of furniture we wanted to keep in order to accommodate them in the design.
Through ongoing consultation with us, he designed a delightfully modern, attractive and practical home and during the process:
- Listened to and took on board our wishes;
- Guided us (sometimes persuasively) where his architectural and building experience indicated we were not on the right track;
- Completed very detailed construction drawings rather than relying on long specifications seldom read by builders and subbies;
- Worked through the approval process with a difficult Council;
- Ran the tender process and recommended qualified builders in addition to our choices;
- Assisted with selection of finishes, best suited building products, colour schemes, lighting and so on;
- And he always responded promptly to any of our queries or concerns as the building progressed; and did all of the above with good humour and in a deceptively relaxed manner.
Our whole design and building process went virtually without a hitch. The end result exceeded our expectations. We are now convinced that John's independent architect / builder combination was the right approach for us and we would not build a home any other way. Thanks for your efforts and guidance during 2016/2017 John, and for a great end result.
- John and Jean Durack, homeowners
When we decided to build a house we had some very specific design ideas but having spoken with a few architects felt dejected about our chances of implementing them. John had just completed a house for friends and when we saw it we were very impressed. We subsequently met with John, engaged him very quickly and the dream started to become a reality.
Despite having concentrated on more contemporary designs in the past, John had no hesitation in embracing the design concepts that we had long admired on Long Island in the US. His passion for getting all the details exactly right along with his thoughtfulness, his patience and his good humour were pivotal not only to our working relationship but to the design outcome. John is an architect without ego or attitude and his desire to give you something that makes you happy is what drives him yet he manages to balance all that with making sure that all the elements are in sync with a sense of flow and practicality.
Throughout the building process John was quite literally our rock and mentor. The beauty and functionality of the house will make it a space that we can truly savour in the years to come. Our builder told us that they have had more inquiries about our house than about any other they have built which is indeed a testament to John's design skills. John is already designing a house for another of our friends. His talent and reputation speaks for itself.
- Kerry and Matt Zilko, homeowners
John designed and then supervised the building of our first new house. From the vision of his initial plan to his eye for detail with the finishing touches, John demonstrated his architectural flair with a good dose of practicality that really resonated with us. As well as listening to our ideas he provided valuable input into what might work best.
He worked closely and collegially with the builder to troubleshoot any problems and ensure that his high standards were maintained. He played an important role in providing direction with regard to choices for the internal and external finishes. The whole process was fun and we would design and build again with him again if the opportunity arose.
- Carolien Giele and Bastiaan DeBoer, homeowners
We met John after seeking a second opinion on plans for two side by side narrow lot houses, initially produced by a builders designer. The time and cost to start over again was a tough decision, but that was outweighed by the way John proposed to work with the sites. He produced a substantially better result with much more usable indoor and outdoor space, along with more natural light and volume than we thought possible. Although John's cost was higher, he has delivered more value than the builders designer could ever hope to. This has definitely shown us the benefits of investing in an experienced architect vs a builders designer, as for the same build cost we have a much better result, that we know will also pay dividends when we come to sell in the future.
We are very pleased with the house, it looks terrific and is incredibly easy to live in. With the constraints of such a narrow block, John has got a lot into it and it all really works. Everyone is surprised by how big and bright it feels.
His guidance during the design phase delivered exactly what we wanted at the price we had in mind, and the advice & support during construction definitely made it easier than expected. We are really looking forward to the years to come in our new home.
So thanks again for all your help, we really appreciate it.
- Dan & Bree, West Leederville
John did a great job creating a design to meet our needs and fit our block.
He asked lots of questions and listened to our answers, coming back with a concept drawing that we loved. Then it was just a matter of refining the details and keeping us regularly involved in the process.
John's practical experience ensured that my builder had carefully detailed yet very workable plans leaving little to chance. The end result being a home we are really enjoying living in. Thanks John.
- Mike Rowney, Managing Director, AusTim
During the time we were thinking about building we happened to view one of John’s houses in our local area and the design features impressed us. Soon after, we became aware of several other houses John had designed nearby and realized that the essence of his style was in line with our taste.
On meeting John we found his friendly enthusiasm reassuring, and felt that he was someone we could work with. While planning our house he listened and met our brief accurately. John's building experience was also invaluable for practical elements along the way.
It has been reassuring to have his eye for detail and knowledge of the elements that warrant attention. Having now lived in our house for 12 months we are proud to call it our home and it is constantly admired. His architectural elements are obvious and result in a sense of space and flow, natural light and complementary finishes, all executed with restraint using clean lines.
John provided us with the perfect background from which to add own character, and it is now a very pleasing blend.
- Jennifer Bamber-Mayes & Tony Vigano, homeowners
We engaged John to design our new house after seeing what a great job he did designing a house on a tiny, difficult block near our previous home. We watched that house being built and were amazed that so much space and light could be achieved in such a small area. When we bought a small narrow block we turned to John without hesitation.
Well, our experience both with the design and the building of our house has been a real and ongoing pleasure. John's design is all we wanted it to be and the appeal of our house is commented upon almost daily by neighbours and people passing by, as well as the tradesmen on site. It sparks everyone's interest and we can't believe how often we are approached by people asking about the design and wanting to have a look around. It is so open, airy and lovely to look at both from the inside and the outside. Yet, at the same time, it is a practical family home with a huge amount of storage and no wasted space. In fact some of our friends have been so impressed that they have engaged John to design a new home for themselves as well.
On a personal level we have found John to be approachable, friendly and easy to deal with. He has paid attention to what we wanted and has welcomed our involvement in the design process. We have been consulted yet guided the entire time. He has maintained his interest in the project, and is always available for suggestions and advice. His aim has been to design for us a beautiful, practical home that will be a joy to live in.
We believe that this has been achieved to an outstanding degree. We are glad that we are the lucky ones who live in it.
- Andrew and Anne Bochenek, homeowners
Our nasty 70's house was in need of a major overhaul. Previous owners had had a go at it with limited success. We were open to the idea of either a significant extension/renovation or a total demolition and were initially hesitant about using an architect. Until we met John Lewis.
At our initial meeting John obviously listened intently taking pages of notes to get a real feel for how we lived our lives. He came back with a plan that ticked every box and the finished result dragged our tired old house into the modern world with style, form and function.
We just adore our beautifully designed outdoor living zones all year round. The seamless indoor outdoor flow exemplifies that casual Australian way of life. We have also been delighted with Johns suggested double sided fireplace that's adds to the warmth of an open family meals and living area.
We wouldn't hesitate to recommend John for any project.
- Peter Taylor, homeowner
After meeting with some of Perth's leading Architects and Designers we commissioned John Lewis to design and oversee the construction of our dream home. After our very first meeting with John we felt he understood our vision and had the knowledge and experience to deliver a quality home to suit our lifestyle and withstand the test of time.
Having never built a home before, John was efficient and worked closely together with us to make the process as easy as possible. He made himself readily available to us at all times and his professional service was second to none, which was a refreshing change.
Not only did we benefit from his architectural knowledge and experience, but his creativity and attention to detail was outstanding and is now evident in the finished product.
We are now thrilled to be living in an amazing home and it is a testament to John's talent and expertise. We have no hesitation in recommending John Lewis for any architectural project and will confidently commission him again.
- Chris & Melissa Tsokos, homeowners
After finding our dream block of land and endless weekends scouring new display homes & builders, it was recommended we contact John Lewis Architects to help with our home design.
From our first meeting & brief which was Contemporary/Modern, Open Plan living for a growing family with an emphasis on outdoor entertaining and room for the children. John was very understanding, easy to talk to and from the first concept drawings he exceeded our expectations. John was very helpful with selecting colour schemes and interior design.
We have a fantastic home & all credit to John for his design and creativity. We would definitely recommend John Lewis Architects to anyone contemplating building a new home.
- Peta & Paul McVittie, Bicton
I have been involved with John Lewis as a client twice and as the builder for 6 of his client's houses. Thus I have experienced working with John Lewis Architects from both sides of the construction process. John has an excellent knowledge of domestic construction gained from his many years experience as an architect and registered builder. He is also a master of maximising the potential of the site in terms of light,space planning and volume manipulation whilst still maintaining a strong architectural integrity to the 3 dimensional form. He achieves all this with-in the constraints of council/statutory restrictions and budget/client requirements.
John is not a 'prima donna' architect and is easy to deal with, as well as being a very good communicator who always keeps you informed during the process of getting a project designed and built. I would have no hesitation in recommending John Lewis Architects to future potential clients.
- Tom Maras, T Maras Pty Ltd, Registered Builder
