The short version
You’ll have a design you can take to council and builders with the hard parts decided, so approvals and pricing are based on drawings that match the build you intend.
You’re looking for a scheme that won’t fall over at DA because key decisions were left loose. If you proceed, I’ll confirm the measure-up date and send a short checklist so I can start with the right information.
I start by measuring what exists and checking what the planning rules will actually allow. Then I draw a small set of sketch options that test layout, scale, and sunlight. Once you pick a direction, I lock in the decisions a builder needs to price, and I document the design in a DA-ready set.
About me
I’m Tom Kearney, a residential architect, and I run Honeysuckle Studio as a one-person practice focused on house design. Most of my work starts with an older weatherboard or brick house and a big decision ahead: extend, go up, or start over. My job is to turn that decision into a documented design that can be assessed, priced, and built.
I’m picked when the brief needs to survive two tests at the same time: council rules and builder pricing. I don’t leave major moves to be “figured out later” on site. I show you the choices as drawings, explain the planning risks in plain words, and I push decisions forward in the order that stops redesign loops.
Selected work
A few recent house design projects that show how I test planning rules, sunlight, and buildability before the DA set is lodged.
Portfolio
Rear extension redesign. Started with a hand-sketched layout that pushed too far into the rear setback. I reworked the plan into two options, kept the same rooms, and brought the footprint back inside the controls without losing the living space.
Second-storey addition. Designed an upper level that met height and overlooking limits while keeping the stair position buildable. The final scheme kept three bedrooms upstairs and avoided a costly steel transfer by aligning walls with the structure below.
Knockdown rebuild DA set. Took a concept that was oversized for the site and rebuilt it as a compliant envelope first, then planned the rooms inside it. The DA set went in with the shadow diagrams needed to answer the neighbour and council questions early.
“The drawings made decisions easy, and the builder’s price matched what we expected.”
Homeowner, planning an extension
How I work
I keep this kind of job moving by separating the “can we do it?” questions from the “how do we build it?” questions. Each stage ends with a small set of decisions for you, plus the next drawings needed to keep council and builder feedback aligned.
1. Measure and check Week 1 I visit to measure the existing house and confirm the site basics that affect the design. I then review the planning controls in Newcastle LGA and map the constraints that will shape the footprint, height, setbacks, and private open space. You’ll answer a short brief checklist so I’m designing to the right priorities. 2. Sketch options Weeks 2-3 I draw concept floor plan options that test layout, circulation, and how the addition sits on the site. I’ll talk you through the trade-offs between the options, including any planning risks and the parts that will drive cost. You pick a preferred direction and the must-haves to keep. 3. Design development Weeks 4-6 I develop the chosen option into a resolved design that a builder can price. This is where I lock in room sizes, openings, stair and roof moves, and the overall building form. I also run 3D massing and shadow studies so the design responds to the questions council will ask. 4. DA package Weeks 7-8 I prepare the drawing set for DA submission and coordinate the pieces that come from your consultants. You engage the engineer and BASIX assessor directly, and I incorporate their inputs into the package so the submission reads as one coordinated application. Before lodgement, I run a final check against the controls we started with.
Measured base plans
A measured plan set of the existing house as a reliable starting point for design, pricing, and DA drawings.
SITE AND CONTROLS SUMMARY
A clear summary of the key Newcastle LGA planning controls that affect the design, plus the constraints and opportunities they create for your site.
CONCEPT PLAN OPTIONS
A small set of concept floor plan options with notes on the trade-offs, so you can choose a direction with the planning and cost implications in view.
3D massing and shadows
Massing views and shadow studies sized for council review, used to test height, bulk, and solar impacts before the DA set is finalised.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT DRAWINGS
A resolved drawing set that locks in the decisions a builder needs for a meaningful price, including the geometry that controls cost and complexity.
DA DRAWING PACKAGE
A coordinated DA-ready drawing set, incorporating the inputs from your engineer and BASIX assessor so the submission documents match each other.
What it costs
These three options use the same 8-week process and drawings, with more design exploration and coordination as the scope steps up.
Priced items
Getting started
If you’d like me to hold a start date for your house design, sign below and I’ll book the measure-up.
1. Sign the proposal to confirm the scope and fee. 2. Pay the 40% booking invoice within 14 days. 3. Send through any plans you have, then we’ll lock in a measure-up time.
Signature
Fee summary
Payment
A 40% deposit is due when you sign to book the work. The remaining 60% is due when I hand over the finished work. Invoices are payable within 14 days.
Changes. If you change the brief, the planning pathway, or the project scope, I will confirm the extra drawings and fee in writing before I do the extra work, so pricing stays predictable.
Your inputs. To start, I need your brief, budget range, and any documents you already have (contract, agent plan, previous approvals). Delays to these inputs can move the week-by-week timeline.
Measure-up access. You’ll organise access to the site for the measure-up, including roof space and underfloor where safe. If I can’t reach an area, I’ll note it on the base plans and work around it.
Consultants
If engineer and BASIX inputs are needed, you’ll engage them directly. I will coordinate what I need from them for the DA package, but their advice, timing, and fees sit with them.
Approvals. I’ll prepare drawings to support a DA, but council decisions sit with council. If council requests changes after lodgement, I’ll quote the extra time before I revise and resubmit anything.
Ownership and use. Once the final payment is made, you own the issued drawing set for this project and site. I keep the copyright to my drawings and can reuse non-identifying details for future work.
