Westlake

Our Westlake clients already knew that going up was the way to go. We understood why immediately—the breezes and the views to be captured were undeniable. The 2nd floor addition project was simply a matter of designing the space to fully embrace these natural advantages, which was complemented by a deck extension to enhance their outdoor living potential.

A surveyor is required to provide a contour and detail survey for any second story addition project. This provides the perimeter of the building, the overall heights of the existing roof and gutters, and shows the building’s placement on the block of land. This is important when adding a 2nd story to a house, as the higher the building, the further away it is required to be from the boundary. The survey will also show any sewer lines or services on the block so we know whether our extension design will potentially impact these underground services.

This is the fun part for most people – having their ideas for a 2nd floor addition put onto paper. The lower level was to remain as is, with the addition of a simple deck extension and pool area, plus a master suite with a living area and elevated deck to enjoy the aspect. As their building designer, I presented a few layout options that embraced breezes, outlooks, and natural light. Raked ceilings and carefully placed windows became key features of this second story addition, ensuring the new level felt spacious and connected to the Brisbane climate.

A soil test is required to determine whether the soil is problem soil or not, which affects the footing size and type for the 2nd floor addition. The engineer is required to ensure that the existing building can support the upper level when adding a second story to a house. The engineer will provide steel details to support the new level above, designing them to ensure minimum impact to the existing lower level. The structure for both the new upper deck and lower deck extension will also be designed to meet Australian standards.

The certifier is sent all the latest plans including the site plans, floor plans and elevations plus the engineering for the second story addition and deck extension. The certifier’s job is to ensure that what is being proposed is compliant with the National Construction Code (NCC) and local Authority requirements. The certifier does a final inspection at the end of the project to ensure that the builder has built what was proposed. They’ll check things like pool fencing compliance and correct balustrade heights for safety, particularly important for elevated decks in 2nd floor additions.

While coordinating all of these external consultants and approvals is a bit of a process, this is all handled for you in my pre-site building design package.

This Westlake extension and top storey addition was completed in partnership with Michael from m.ewaldBUILDING.