Design is all around us. When it’s well done, it makes things work, giving us comfort, efficiency and pleasure.
I feel energized and inspired every time I think of what good architectural design does to our quality of life. Design impacts every single day of our lives.
Likewise, home design impacts the families who live in said homes. To me, designing a family home means touching people’s lives – impacting them every single day for the long term. That is a huge responsibility for me as a designer. It is what creates meaning to me and the reason I have dedicated my entire professional career to pursuing excellence in.
From the Beginning…
Architecture and art have interested me since my early days. My subject choices at school were driven by my goal of studying Architecture at UNSW and UTS Sydney.
I have continued with architecture and design my whole life and never considered any other career, because I love the challenge of imagining and developing design solutions to buildings.
I am inspired by excellent design, which must both work and simply look elegant.
My first employer was a renowned Danish architect, a truly inspiring mentor, from whom I learnt the importance of excellence in design and interpersonal skills.
In the early 1980s I commenced my own business contracting my services to mid-sized architectural firms designing commercial projects. I resolved how the ‘concept design’ could be constructed and was excellent at problem solving and ‘detailing’. ‘Detailing’ involves working through exactly how both the broad and fine points of the project were to be constructed. Detailed plans are simply the instructions for builders to follow.
At the end of the 1990’s I decided on a new direction for my business, I wanted to work closely with families designing their own private homes. I still gain professional satisfaction presenting a broad range of flexible design solutions that provide a sense of style and good taste which improves the quality of life for each family. Guiding the owners on how they spend their money wisely, efficiently and effectively when expanding and renovating their home is a key element of my design process.
My Ultimate Goal
I have a strong belief that families require a designer who can understand the individuality of each family’s needs, their future plans and their budget.
From this understanding, my goal is always to design an exciting and well-considered home that you can choose to live in forever.
It provides me with an incredible sense of pride when families come to me years later, telling me how much they still love living in the home that I designed.
That is my purpose for every project I undertake.
Where I Am Today
Living in North Turramurra, I decided to have my company specifically focus on designing major extensions, renovations and new homes on Sydney’s North Shore.
This allows me to specialise in the nuances of the local Council’s regulations. I also provide specialised designs for homes in Bushfire areas and Heritage areas.
It is wonderful that the architecture of the North Shore is varied, and the homes have a special elegance, unique character and quality that makes them ideal for extending to meet the lifestyles of today.
The concept of sustainable solutions has always been an integral part of my design direction. On the North Shore of Sydney many homes are ideal for updating and a better outcome can often be achieved by working with the existing home. I find it ethically far more responsible to update a well-constructed home rather than knock it down.
Fulfilling my lifetime dream to specialise in family home designs I choose to run my business, Martin Kolarik Home Design, as a Building Designer.
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