Inspired Building Group’s renovation of this four-bedroom townhouse in Lawson, with plans designed by Tim Zuber from Quattro Architecture, won the ‘Renovation/Extension less than $250,000’ category at the 2022 Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards – and it’s clear to see why.

Working within the building’s existing footprint, Steve Kolak from Inspired Building Group says a key feature of the brief was to make better use of an underutilised garage space to create an open plan living area and enhance the home’s liveability.

“The townhouse had a long tandem garage, and part of the brief was to shorten the garage and extend the living area,” Steve says.

“Tandem garages are awkward, so the clients didn’t really use the second car space.

“We pinched one garage space and included that as part of the living area … We added a new window in the former garage space and made the ground floor more open plan.”

With Tim’s design, the living area of the home was increased from 174.02 sqm to 188.12 sqm and the garage decreased from 39.11 sqm to 25.01 sqm.

“We work closely with Tim on most of our projects,” Steve says. “We share common vision and passion for high quality projects. Quattro is a local architectural business started in Canberra and have expanded to Sydney as well. I suppose we both have a love for the little details that make a job special.”

While Steve says he is extremely proud of the whole transformation, his favourite aspects are the open-plan kitchen and the award-winning team’s attention to detail.

“There was a wall with walk-in pantry and we demolished that and made that one big open space,” he explains.

“The clients wanted the kitchen to be open plan and wanted to be able to sit at the kitchen bench for breakfast or occasional meals.

“We constructed a custom welded steel support to take the weight of the new stone top. The client selected spotted gum legs to support the end of the bench which would match the spotted gum hybrid floor which was also laid over the existing floor tiles.

“The legs were rebated, and the tiles cut for them to be fixed to the floor. The rebate allowed for the hybrid floor to slide under the legs, creating a seamless look,” he says.

Additionally, some doorways were moved and the existing powder room, toilet, and laundry were reconfigured to make better use of the available space.

A multipurpose room was created, designed “to be a lounge occasionally, study at times and also a guest bedroom for when their elderly parents come to visit,” Steve says. This room also provides direct access to the new two-way bathroom which can be used as an ensuite.

A striking feature of the new bathroom is the custom vanity the client sourced from a Melbourne company that was featured on The Block television series, along with a solar skylight, and a custom glass shower screen.

Steve is especially proud of “the little details that probably aren’t seen” – such as the kitchen bench support featuring spotted gum legs, and a custom cavity sliding door unit.

“The oversized commercial aluminium glazed sliding door unit was built on site. We pretty much built a custom pocket using aluminium channel to form the cavity for the door. The head track was fitted inside the pocket which also featured a soft-close function for the door. The door was also hung and glazed on site. The outside was plastered and square set to give it a modern seamless look.”

The client also wanted an outdoor entertaining area, so Steve’s team built a timber deck that completely transformed what was a basic concrete patio outside the back door.

The new 25 sqm deck flows seamlessly from the open plan living area via the oversized commercial aluminium glazed sliding door unit.

“The deck was built under an existing Colorbond pergola … with a screen to hide the hot water system. We also moved the outdoor AC unit up onto the roof to reduce noise for our clients so they could enjoy their alfresco area in peace and quiet.”

But wait, there’s more!

“Another part of the brief was to incorporate an area for a rumpus for their boys for gaming and study. An upstairs bedroom next to the stairs was turned into a great rumpus to meet their needs.”

The project was completed in January 2022.

“We are really proud of the way this project turned out,” Steve says.

“We worked really closely with our clients who were great to work with. Our team of contractors worked really hard to turn this job into reality for our clients. The majority of the job was done in the three months before Christmas (2021). Our clients had sold their existing house and had a tight timeframe. They were able to move in before Christmas with about 90 per cent of the work done. We returned in mid-January to finish off the little bits that were outstanding.

“I don’t think we left any stone unturned in an effort to deliver a beautiful new home that our clients were after, I believe with great value for money.”

And how does his team feel about winning the MBA award?

“Pretty awesome,” he says. “It’s nice to be recognised when you put in a lot of hard work to produce something special.”

Well established in Canberra, Steve says he’s been in the construction industry for around 12 years, having previously operated a building maintenance company before founding Inspired Building Group.

The Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards showcase outstanding ACT projects across the civil, commercial and residential sectors. The awards also recognise the professionals, project managers and other outstanding individuals who create a positive impact on the construction industry. The Master Builders and Asset Construction Hire Excellence Awards celebrate commitment to quality workmanship and best industry practice.

The outstanding 2023 finalists will be announced on the MBA ACT Facebook and Instagram pages in the next few months.

The 2023 winners will be announced at the Canberra region’s largest black-tie event with over 1,400 attendees on 1 September 2023. Tickets to the event will be on sale later this year.