Building Designer & Architectural Drafting FAQs
Answers to common questions about custom home design, extensions and approvals across Sydney.
Frequently Asked Questions
The best way to start is by completing our Discuss Your Project form with your project details, site address and any available plans or supporting information.
This allows us to review the site online and understand what you are hoping to achieve before we contact you. We will then call you to discuss your brief, likely site constraints and the most suitable next steps.
Once we understand the proposed scope, we will provide a clear, obligation-free fee proposal before any design work begins.
We calculate fees based on project size and complexity, not as a percentage of your build budget. We offer service levels ranging from standard construction drawings for the budget-conscious, to full-scale, detailed documentation, which includes custom cabinetry, lighting, and detailed drawings of special features. You can tailor your service package with optional extras to suit your specific needs, all of which are clearly set out in your fee proposal.
We work in clear, manageable stages, with fees paid in increments upon the completion of each milestone. Most stages have a fixed fee outlined in your proposal. The only exception is the development phase following our initial concept meetings, which is billed hourly. This provides the flexibility to refine your design exactly as you want it. However, because our concept meetings are exceptionally thorough, most clients require only minor adjustments, keeping this stage straightforward.
Clients choose Distinct Innovations because we combine high-quality design, accurate documentation, practical advice and genuine care. As a family-based business that has designed and built several of our own homes, we understand the pressure, cost and decision-making involved in a residential project. Before design work begins, we carefully review the site, budget, planning controls, council rules and client brief. Where required, we also liaise early with council and consultants to identify potential hurdles, helping reduce avoidable redesign, delays and unnecessary costs.
We provide building design and architectural drafting services throughout Greater Sydney and Regional NSW. We work regularly across:
The Hills District: Castle Hill, Baulkham Hills, Kellyville, Bella Vista, Dural, Kenthurst
The North Shore: Mosman, Wahroonga, Turramurra, Beecroft, Lane Cove, Gordon, Lindfield
The Northern Beaches: Wheeler Heights, Collaroy, Dee Why, Narrabeen, Freshwater, Manly and surrounding Northern Beaches suburbs
The Inner West: Haberfield, Concord, Leichhardt, Stanmore, Strathfield, Burwood, Annandale, Marrickville
Greater Sydney: Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, the Blue Mountains
Coastal and Regional NSW: Newcastle, the Central Coast, Wollongong, the Illawarra
If you are unsure whether we cover your area, get in touch. If your project is the right fit, we will travel to you.
We provide custom residential building design for new homes, acreage homes, knockdown rebuilds, extensions and renovations, heritage projects, duplexes, dual occupancies and granny flats.
We also have experience designing for bushfire-prone land, sloping sites, mine subsidence areas and other challenging site constraints.
Each project is designed specifically for the client, site, planning controls and intended budget.
We do not use standard or off-the-shelf house plans.
No, we are not registered architects. We operate as a boutique building design studio. Our principal designer, Luke, handles all design work and holds the formal accreditation (Building Designers Association of Australia BDAA No. 6164, Low Rise).
Luke brings over 30 years of industry experience and holds a Master of Sustainable Design from the University of Sydney, alongside formal qualifications in technical architectural drafting. He personally navigates the complexities of DCP and LEP requirements and prepares DA and CDC documentation for councils across Greater Sydney.
As a studio, we have received over 25 design awards for custom new homes, extensions, and heritage projects.
No, we are not builders. We are your design and planning partners. Our job is to prepare the high-detail plans and technical documentation you need for council approvals and construction. Keeping the design and build phases separate gives you full control. Once the design is complete, you can take the plans to multiple builders to compare quotes, ensuring you find a contractor that fits your style, budget and quality expectations.
We integrate sustainable design principles into every project as much as possible, going well beyond legal minimum requirements.
Where clients give us design freedom, we incorporate full passive design to achieve the most optimal environmental performance. This expertise is backed by our principal designer's Master of Sustainable Design from the University of Sydney.
Our long-standing commitment to this approach is demonstrated by projects like Verandah House at Twin Creeks Estate, which achieved a 7-star energy rating back in 2009 over a decade before it became the legal minimum.
You can view our work in this area by viewing our sustainably designed projects portfolio.
We meet the mandatory NSW BASIX (Building Sustainability Index) requirements by integrating environmental performance into your home from the first sketch. Because our principal designer holds a Master of Sustainable Design from the University of Sydney, we do not just add expensive fixtures at the end to tick compliance boxes.
We address the three core BASIX targets of water, thermal comfort, and energy from day one using correct site orientation, natural ventilation, and passive solar design. This approach naturally achieves the required state targets, potentially lowers your running costs depending on your usage habits, and makes your home more comfortable. Once the design is optimised, we coordinate the formal assessment to generate the required BASIX certificate for your DA or CDC application.
Yes. We have experience designing custom homes and extensions for challenging sites, including steeply sloping blocks, restricted-access properties and land affected by mine subsidence. We assess site levels, access requirements and planning constraints early so the design works with the land rather than against it.
Mulgoa House is one example. The project required us to balance a custom acreage home with strict planning controls, environmental protection requirements and a Flame Zone bushfire rating. The elevated site also raised concerns within the local community about the visual impact of a large home within the rural landscape.
Through careful site planning, design development and consultation, we secured approval for an award-winning residence that responds to its bushfire risk, minimises its visual impact and respects the surrounding rural setting.
Yes. We have extensive experience designing bushfire resilient homes across all risk levels, from standard requirements up to the extreme Flame Zone ratings. We specialise in homes that are safe and aesthetically pleasing, and we understand how to navigate RFS requirements using non-combustible materials.
Our expertise is demonstrated by our work on:
Mt Riverview House A National Award-winning home designed to strict BAL-40 standards.
Mulgoa House A custom home specifically designed for Flame Zone, the highest level of bushfire risk.
Merealba House (Lake Macquarie) A developer project expertly navigating BAL-29 constraints on a sloping block.
Malton Road Dual Development (Beecroft) A two-home subdivision balancing bushfire compliance with strict heritage restrictions.
Yes. We have extensive experience achieving council approvals for heritage projects all over Sydney, particularly in Epping, Leichhardt, Concord, Strathfield, and Burwood. We specialise in preserving the character of Federation and Victorian homes while adding seamless, modern rear extensions.
Our heritage work has been recognised with multiple national and state awards:
Salt St House (2025) Winner, Best Heritage and Finalist, Alterations & Additions, BDAA National Design Awards
Strathfield House (2017) Winner, Residential Interiors and Commendation, Alterations & Additions $500k & Over, BDAA National Awards
Creewood House (2013) Winner, Heritage/Adaptive Reuse; Winner, Alterations & Additions up to $250K; Winner, Paul Dass Memorial Award (the highest award achievable at BDA) BDA NSW. Winner, Best New Development Involving Heritage Canada Bay City Council Design Awards. Featured in The Daily Telegraph Home Magazine.
Excelsior St House (2012) Winner, Residential Alterations and Additions over $250K, BDA NSW. Featured in Winning Design Magazine.
Yes. Dual occupancy and duplex design is a significant part of our work and one we find particularly rewarding. These projects require careful planning from the start. We need to understand how the block can be subdivided, what each dwelling needs to achieve individually, and how both homes relate to each other and the streetscape.
A recent example is a large block in Beecroft where we managed a full subdivision, designing a single-storey home on one lot and a double-storey home on the adjoining lot. Each was tailored to its orientation, outlook, and planning controls.
For that project, we also produced a complete Schedule of Finishes for each of the homes giving the developer a full project portfolio to hand to their builder covering exactly how every finish, fixture, and fitting should be specified and installed. This meant the builder could quote and work from a single, authoritative document. We handle the complete design and documentation for DA or CDC submission across Sydney and Regional NSW.
You can see our duplex and dual occupancy projects here.
Yes. Done well, a custom-designed granny flat can add meaningful value to your property and provide flexible accommodation for family members or rental income. The key to a good outcome is design that genuinely integrates with your existing home in materials, scale, and layout rather than feeling like a bolt-on addition.
We handle the full design and documentation for custom secondary dwellings, including CDC and DA submissions, designing for compliance with the Housing SEPP and your local council's requirements from the start. If you are considering a granny flat, get in touch and we can assess whether your block is eligible and what is realistically achievable.
Our services can include site and planning review, concept design, design development, architectural drafting, DA or CDC documentation, consultant coordination, Construction Certificate drawings and NSW Planning Portal lodgement, depending on the agreed scope. Contracted clients may also add interior detailing, schedules of finishes and construction-phase site visitation services to their fee proposal.
It depends on your site, planning controls, and whether the proposed design complies with NSW planning standards.
A CDC (Complying Development Certificate) is an approval for projects that meet strict state planning rules under the NSW Housing Code. It is typically assessed by a private certifier and can often be approved within 2 to 5 weeks.
A DA (Development Application) is a merit-based assessment lodged through the NSW Planning Portal and assessed by your local council. It allows more flexibility in design but usually takes longer, commonly 2 to 4 months or more depending on council workload.
Yes, we handle both Development Applications (DA) and Complying Development Certificates (CDC).
We prepare the architectural plans and coordinate all supporting documentation required for the NSW Planning Portal. Whether your project requires a standard DA approval or qualifies for a CDC, we design your project to comply with local LEPs and DCPs from the start.
We can navigate the portal and lodge the application on your behalf, or we can hand over the complete package for you to lodge yourself.
We have extensive experience in councils right across Sydney including The Hills District, Hornsby, Parramatta, Blacktown, Penrith, the Inner West, Canada Bay and the Blue Mountains. While we cannot guarantee approval, we are committed to providing the highest care and quality work to avoid costly delays and resubmissions.
No professional designer or architect can ethically guarantee a decision by a Council or certifier, but we are committed to giving your project the best possible pathway to success.
As a family business, we value your time and capital as much as our own. We prioritise rigorous pre-site analysis to determine the true feasibility of a project. If we believe a proposal is not viable, we will tell you honestly before we begin any work.
For complex projects, a core part of our process includes pre-lodgement meetings with Council. This allows us to get an early feel for their desired outcomes, restrictions and concerns before we even put pen to paper.
We operate with professional integrity. We do not take on projects and just hope for the best. Instead, we apply 30 years of industry experience to prepare robust, compliant applications.
Ultimately, we cannot know or predict if a Council or certifier will find something they do not like during their assessment. However, our thorough approach is designed to minimise risk and give your project the highest chance of a positive outcome.
Most residential projects in Sydney typically take around 3 to 6 months to progress from initial concept design through to final assessment.
The design and drafting phase usually takes around 4 to 8 weeks, depending on the complexity of the home and how quickly design decisions are finalised. Once the drawings are complete, the application is lodged through the NSW Planning Portal and assessed by either a private certifier (for CDC applications) or the local council (for DA applications).
Assessment timeframes can vary, but generally range from 2 to 12 weeks or more, depending on the pathway chosen and the workload of the relevant local council or certifier. Please note that these timeframes can extend if the council or certifier requests amendments or additional information during their review.
Yes. We identify, engage, and coordinate the necessary external consultants for your project. This often includes structural engineers, land surveyors, bushfire assessors, or heritage consultants. Coordinating these professionals as part of our service ensures all technical information aligns with the design for a smooth approval process.
While we do not provide building or project management services, clients may add our Site Visitation service to their fee proposal.
This optional service allows us to maintain a design presence during construction through regular scheduled site visits, communication with the builder and clarification of our drawings and technical documentation. Our role is to help ensure the design intent and carefully developed details are understood and carried through during the build.
Site Visitation does not replace the builder’s responsibility for construction, supervision, workmanship or compliance.