Conversations with an Architect - Luxury Designs - What Makes Them Luxurious and How to Achieve Luxury?
Updated: Aug 27
In this week’s “Conversations with an Architect,” we take a closer look at what makes a luxury home and how to achieve luxury that lasts. For decades, Mel Gawi and his team at Architeria Architects and Interior Designers have been appointed to design some of Melbourne’s finest homes. Quality and timelessness are the keywords their clients are looking for. But what is luxury, and how do these homes differ from a standard residential design? I sat down with Mel Gawi to dig deeper.
“Designing a luxury home vs a standard home can be different in some ways,” Mel explains. Luxury often means large, and large homes involve more complex planning, structure, services and construction decisions than your average home. Add interiors, and the cost of getting these decisions wrong can be significantly high.”
The first question generally involves the budget. How much does it cost to design a luxury home in Melbourne?
“There’s no single figure, since luxury homes vary enormously in size and complexity, and often the level of finishes is a key factor when it comes to cost. But I will say it is important to separate architectural and other consultancy fees from the actual construction cost. For a substantial home, the architectural process would include concept design, planning, detailed design, working drawings and building permit drawings before moving on to coordination with structural and civil engineers, energy consultants, landscape designers, interior designers (who, by the way, we are lucky to have in-house), and many other specialists. Once we take all this into consideration, we generally assess the project's size and complexity to determine our fees. The biggest variable is construction. A high-end home with extensive stone, detailed joinery, large glazing, high ceilings, basements, swimming pools and sophisticated building services can cost several times more per square metre than a conventional house.”
Mel then advises that clients should set a realistic budget before the design becomes too advanced. He thinks that there is little benefit in designing a $10 million house when the client’s construction budget is $5 million. Being clear about what can and cannot be achieved within the client’s budget is one of the most important discussions both before and during the design process.
So, if I am after a luxury home, what should I look for when choosing an architect?
As with anything, experience is the key factor. You wouldn’t go to a standard home designer for a luxury home. Experience with the type and scale of the home you want to achieve is important.
Designing a 250 m² house is not the same as designing a 1,500 or 2,000 m² residence. On a large luxury project, there can be complicated structural systems such as basements, lifts, pools, mechanical services, extensive landscaping and sometimes hundreds of construction details. Does your architect have a track record with these types of buildings? Do your homework. Look at the architect's completed work, but don't judge them only on attractive photographs. Ask how they resolve planning issues, how they produce their construction documentation, and how involved they are once construction begins. Does the architect have construction experience? You also need an architect who listens,” Mel continues. “A luxury home should reflect the people who will live in it. The architect's job is not to force their personal style onto the client. It is about understanding the client's lifestyle and aspirations and then turning those ideas into good architecture.”
What I read into this conversation is that luxury is often synonymous with large. Does size matter? What is it that changes so dramatically between a 1,000 and 3,000 square meter home?
“At that scale, you are almost designing a small building rather than an ordinary house.
Circulation becomes extremely important. If you simply make every room bigger and connect everything with corridors, the house can become uncomfortable and exhausting to live in. To avoid this, you must create different zones. There may be formal entertaining areas, everyday family spaces, children's areas, guest accommodation, offices, gyms, cinemas, wellness areas, pool facilities and staff or service areas. All these add to the square meters. You also must think about how people move between floors and from one side of the house to the other. How do the building and the zones connect? A successful large home should still feel intimate. You shouldn't feel as though you have to walk through a hotel every time you go from the kitchen to your bedroom. That is one of the biggest challenges in designing very large residences: to keep it homely. And this is often where good and integrated interior design matters.”
You hear about two families with similarly sized homes spending differently on their build costs. While much of it is down to builders’ margins, are there any other reasons for this?
“Yes. Square metres alone don't determine the price. A simple rectangular building is relatively efficient to construct. Once you introduce basements, complicated roof forms, large cantilevers, curved walls, extensive glazing, detailed façades and large structural spans, costs rise quickly.
Another factor is the selection of finishes, they have an enormous impact. Natural stone, imported tiles, custom windows, detailed timberwork, prestigious joinery, and high-quality fixtures can add millions of dollars to a large project. Then there are the things people don't always see: air conditioning, hydronic heating, lighting control, security, home automation, lifts, audio-visual systems, pool equipment and other services. These can become major construction packages in their own right.
But I can’t stress enough that luxury is not simply about making everything expensive. Good design is about deciding where the money matters.”
Another frequently asked question is, what is the difference between an architect-designed luxury home and a builder luxury home?
“A volume or project builder generally starts with a product. I don’t dispute that they may have a collection of designs that can be modified to some extent. That can work very well for clients who want a predictable process and are comfortable choosing from an established design system. An architect normally starts with the client and the site.
We assess the land, orientation, views, slope, planning controls, neighbouring properties and how the client actually wants to live. From there, we design something specifically for that family and that property. When someone is investing several million dollars in a home, I believe there is considerable value in creating something that belongs to that particular site rather than adapting a standard plan. A cookie cutter is a cookie cutter regardless of the size.”
Many luxury homes sit on larger sites. Let’s talk about the acreage homes. What can you tell us about designing luxury homes on acreage?
“Acreage gives you freedom, but it also creates its own set of design challenges. On a suburban block, the boundaries often determine the house's position. On a large property, you might have dozens of possible locations, which is great; however, you need to consider views, orientation, access, existing vegetation, bushfire requirements, topography, privacy and the relationship between the house and the landscape. One mistake is simply putting an enormous house in the middle of a large block. It doesn’t always work. A good acreage home should feel connected to the land. The arrival experience is also important. Long driveways, gates, landscaping, garages and the way the building gradually reveals itself can all become part of the architecture.”
Are steep sites something clients should avoid?
“Not necessarily. Some of the most interesting homes can be created on difficult sites. A slope can give you extraordinary views and opportunities for different floor levels, undercroft spaces and basements. But it has to be handled properly. Trying to force a flat suburban house onto a steep block usually results in enormous retaining walls, excessive excavation, and unnecessary cost.
I prefer to work with the natural levels where possible. A carefully designed split-level home can follow the terrain and often create much more interesting internal spaces. Another important consideration is for the architect, structural engineer, and civil engineer to work together early on, because decisions about levels can have a major impact on excavation, retaining structures, and construction costs. But to recap, steep sites can allow for the most magnificent designs. Think sea views, and you get the idea.”
Most people have an idea of what architects do during design, but how about during construction?
“This is where a good architect with construction knowledge can add immense value. Drawings are extremely important, but construction involves thousands of decisions. Questions come from builders, engineers, subcontractors and suppliers. Sometimes site conditions are different from what was expected. Sometimes products need to change, or details need to be refined. The architect helps protect the original design intent while finding practical solutions to these issues. On complicated luxury projects, I believe having the architect involved during construction can be particularly valuable.
A small, wrong decision made on-site can affect the appearance of an entire façade or create a problem that is very expensive to correct later. The earlier an issue is identified, the easier it normally is to resolve.”
What are the biggest mistakes you see clients make, and how do you avoid costly mistakes?
“The first is starting with unrealistic expectations about budget. The second is rushing the design. It is far cheaper to move a wall on a drawing than to do so after concrete has been poured. We encourage our clients to take the time to understand the plans, room sizes, furniture layouts, ceiling heights, window positions and how they will actually move through the home. Another mistake is making major decisions too late. Kitchens, bathrooms, lighting, mechanical services, automation, pools and landscaping should be considered much earlier than many people realise. My approach is very simple: solve as many problems as possible before construction starts. The quality of the documentation is extremely important. Builders should not have to guess what the architect intended.
And finally, appoint experienced people. On a multimillion-dollar home, choosing consultants or contractors purely because they are the cheapest can become very expensive later.”
If I were to ask you for one piece of advice to someone about to design their dream home, what would that be?
“It would be to take your time at the beginning. A substantial luxury home may take several years from the first sketch to completion, and hopefully the family will live there for decades. Don't rush the design just because you are excited to start building. Get the planning, proportions, room relationships, structure and major details right first. A successful luxury home isn't simply measured by its size or cost. For me, the real measure is whether the house is beautiful, functional and still feels right for the family many years after it was designed.”
Considering a luxury home? Call our friendly team at Architeria Architects on 03 9894 5805 to discuss your home design!
"Mel Gawi is the Principal Architect at Architeria Architects. Architeria designs luxury residences, classical and contemporary homes, acreage properties and substantial residential projects across Melbourne, Sydney and beyond."
Creative Director and Interior Designer
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