
The Benefits of using a Residential Architect
Residential architects – a key piece in the puzzle of brilliant home design.
You’ve likely heard of residential architects before, but do you know why they’re such an important consideration when planning a new home or renovation?
Residential architects bring a wealth of experience, and benefits, to your project – ensuring you are left with the best outcomes possible.
In this article, we will cover the top 6 benefits that residential architects can bring to your project.

Camp Hill Renovation & Addition – by dion seminara architecture
Residential Architects Can Create Homes Customised to Your Tastes!
Unlike building a project home, or purchasing an existing home, new homes and renovations designed by residential architects offer a way to end up with a home which is ENTIRELY customised to your personal tastes and preferences.
Whether you have a particular aesthetic you want the house to suit, or maybe even a combination of styles you would like worked into the one home, by utilising the skills or an expert residential architect you can rest assured that your home will be a perfect reflection of your own stylistic preferences.
It is important to note here that not all residential architects are created equal when it comes to their ability to adapt to various design styles.
Some architects will be willing to listen to your ideas and adapt their process accordingly, whilst others may not want to stray from their signature design style.
What is really important to consider here is that you should choose a residential architect whose design methodology suits your project goals.
A great way to ensure you choose the right architect for your new home or renovation project is to discuss the approach they would take with your project in a lower commitment setting, before you commission them to start putting pen to paper.
At dion seminara architecture, we offer our Design “Ideas” Advice service to give you the opportunity to do just that!
These 2-3 hour meetings are a low commitment way for us to gain more understanding of your project goals, and present you with some initial oral ideas of ways we could go about helping you achieve your goals.
To learn more about our Design “Ideas” Advice sessions, get in touch today!

Clayfield Home Renovation – by dion seminara architecture
Homes Customised to your Lifestyle!
One of the most drastic ways a residential architect can improve your project is by designing with your lifestyle at the front of mind.
By carefully considering various factors of your lifestyle, your architects will be able to make design choices which enhance the enjoyment your home provides!
Great design can enhance the way you live your life, by making design choices which improve your ability to enjoy the things you love doing most in your home.
Are you a big entertainer, who loves having friends and family over for barbeques?
If so – a great indoor-outdoor area may bring great benefits to your home design
Do you work from home?
If so – a carefully designed home office may prove beneficial to your lifestyle!
Another area that great residential architects will consider is how your lifestyle may be expected to change in the future.
For example – if you are heading towards retirement age, these future changes in your lifestyle are something that your architect should consider in your home design.
Once again – it is important to note that not all architects are created equal when it comes to their ability to create lifestyle-focused designs.
Every firm will have their own opinion of the factors which should be of upmost importance in the work they produce.
At dion seminara architecture, lifestyle-focused design is at the very core of what we do. We’ve been creating lifestyle-focused home designs for over 30 years, and we truly believe that a lifestyle-focused design methodology is KEY for all those wanting to experience the benefits of architect designed homes.

Ascot Home Renovation – by dion seminara architecture
Residential Architects Can Create Sustainable & Energy Efficient Homes
Residential architects aren’t just knowledgeable when it comes to creating aesthetically pleasing homes – they’re also experts at blending art and science in a way that produces truly amazing design outcomes.
By using design considerations such as the home’s orientation, material choices, and more – it is possible for residential architects to create homes which are sustainable and energy efficient – a brilliant thing for both your wallet, and the environment!
Our Sustainable and Passive Energy Efficient New Home in Sherwood is a great example of the benefits residential architects can bring to housing projects.
Achieving an impressive 8.7 Star NatHERS rating, the project is a testament to the sustainability outcomes that can be achieved by well considered design.
You can learn more about our sustainable & energy efficient design services here.

Sustainable & Passive Home – by dion seminara architecture
Residential Architects Can Improve the Resale Value of Your Home
Did you know that homes designed by residential architects can actually achieve a higher resale value than an equivalent, non architect-designed home?
Don’t just take our word for it though!
To learn more about the potential resale benefits of architect designed homes, you can read the interview with Brisbane Real Estate Agent Darcy Lord we published a few months ago!

Hawthorne Queenslander Renovation – by dion seminara architecture
Involvement In the Design Process
Although your chosen architect should be more than capable of designing an amazing home without your assistance, by giving you the opportunity to provide your personal input into the project direction – they can help ensure that you will end up with a home that is PERFECT for you!
When choosing a firm to design your new home or renovation project, you should pay attention to the level of client involvement the firm offers throughout the design process.
As an example, at dion seminara architecture we offer the opportunity for client input during all stages of our design process.
From our initial Design “Ideas” Advice consultations where we analyse your lifestyle needs, all the way to later stages of our design process – such as concept revisions, you can rest assured that we are seeking your feedback on the design during every step of the process.
By taking a collaborative approach to design, we can ensure that we will design a home which is cherished for it’s ability to enhance your lifestyle – both now and into the future.

Auchenflower National Trust Home Renovation – by dion seminara architecture
Make Use of Difficult Sites
Another major, though commonly overlooked, benefit of using a residential architect is their ability to make use of difficult sites and blocks – such as sloping blocks.
Sloping blocks can be very difficult sites to build on, as they are completely unsuitable for project homes, and need a well considered design by an experienced architect to be used effectively.
Not only do we have experience creating homes for sloping blocks, but we understand how to leverage the benefits – such as the potential for brilliant views – that these blocks can offer if the design is approached with a creative mindset.
You can learn more about our sloping & difficult block services here.

Bardon New Home Design – by dion seminara architecture
Why You Need a Residential Architect
Hopefully by now you can see that there are countless benefits associated with using residential architects!
I hope you managed to take away some value from this blog, and hopefully you now have some insight into the value that residential architects provide.
To learn more about all things related to residential architecture, check out our other blogs here!
To learn more about the benefits that dion seminara architecture can bring to your project, contact us here!