LVA Architects

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Mortdale, NSW
LVA Architects

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Sydney architects for DA/CDC approvals, alterations & additions, new homes and SDA housing.

27/10/2026

🏡 New project: a knockdown rebuild on flood-affected land in Dundas Valley

Our client wants a two-storey home where his parents can live under the same roof, with their own separate entry. A good brief. The site is where it gets interesting.

Council’s flood advice identifies the land as affected by floodway and flood storage, with overland flow from the local catchment.
The block also falls away from the street towards the rear.

📐 On a site like this, the floor plan is not the first decision. The levels are.

Before we refine the layout, we are resolving:

- Habitable floor levels above the flood planning level, with freeboard confirmed with Council’s engineer
- How water moves through the site, so the subfloor, fencing and landscaping do not block flow
- Garage and driveway levels that work with the street and the flood constraints
- Entry stairs and rear access that suit both households, including the parents’ separate entry

Get these right early and Council has a clear, coordinated DA to assess. Get them wrong and the redesign starts after lodgement.

📍 Planning a new home on flood-affected land in Sydney? Start with the flood information and a detail survey, then design.
✏️ Sketch is indicative only. Final levels are subject to Council’s flood engineer.

23/10/2026

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗯 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁.
Our team has carried out a slab inspection on our Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) project in Yagoona on a 701 m² site.

Before the pour, our concrete setout documentation dimensioned every critical element to the grid:
- Toilet setdowns for step-free bathrooms
- Floor waste and pe*******on locations
- Drainage recesses at thresholds for level access
- Slab edges, hobs and rebates for framing and brickwork

On site, we checked each item against the drawings.

In SDA housing, the slab carries a lot of the design. A setdown that is a few millimetres out, or a floor waste in the wrong place, can affect whether a bathroom is truly step-free. Once concrete is poured, the only fixes are core drilling, cutting or re-pouring. Each one costs time and money, and can lead to awkward conversations with the certifier.

Clear setout drawings give the builder certainty before the pour. They let trades coordinate services with the slab instead of working around it, and keep what is built consistent with what was approved.

Most projects do not fail because of design alone. They fail when the documentation is not clear enough to build from.

Thank you to the builder and site team for the coordination on this one.

21/10/2026

What could you build on your land? 🏡

Enter your NSW address and see your zoning, height and floor space limits, and what could work on your block. Free, about a minute, no download. Full PDF report by email.

👉 https://www.lvaarchitects.com.au/lva-apps/

Demonstration address shown. Preliminary check only; results vary by property.

21/10/2026

🏡 What could you build on your land?

It is the first question we hear from homeowners, investors, builders, developers and agents, and it usually comes before anyone is ready to brief an architect. So we built a free tool to answer it.

📍 LVA Site Checker uses live NSW planning data. Enter an address and in about a minute it shows:
- Zoning
- Maximum building height
- Floor space ratio and site area
- The best indicative option
- Which development types look likely, possible or unlikely

📄 A full PDF report can be requested by email.
📱 No download: it runs on a phone or computer from our website.

It sits alongside three more free LVA Apps:
🏘️ Duplex Checker
🏠 Granny Flat Checker
⚖️ CDC vs DA Checker

👉 Try the free tools: https://www.lvaarchitects.com.au/lva-apps/

ℹ️The Site Checker is a preliminary desktop check: results vary by property, and every project needs a site-specific assessment and the applicable approvals.

16/10/2026

🏡 𝗔𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲. 𝗔 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴.

LVA Architects is pleased to have secured design approval to renovate an existing home in Cranebrook into Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA), designed to meet the 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗣𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 (𝗛𝗣𝗦) category.

The design focuses on supporting NDIS participants with significant physical impairment and very high support needs—while keeping the comfort, privacy and welcoming character of a home.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀?
✅ Assess the existing home early. Floor levels, structure and space all influence what is achievable.
✅ Think beyond the ramp. Accessibility matters throughout the home, from bedrooms and bathrooms to outdoor areas.
✅ Coordinate early. Structural provisions, assistive technology and building services need to work together.
✅ Design for people. Compliance must sit alongside dignity, choice and everyday comfort.

𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲.
As registered architects, registered design practitioners, qualified access consultants and accredited SDA assessors, LVA Architects brings these requirements together from the start—helping projects progress more smoothly through design and approvals.

📩 Thinking about an SDA renovation or new home? Message LVA Architects to discuss your property’s potential.

06/10/2026

🏗️New project: a Specialist Disability Accommodation apartment in Lidcombe

LVA Architects has been engaged to lead the renovation of an existing apartment in Lidcombe, converting it into a High Physical Support (HPS) SDA home for an NDIS participant.

Today we were on site for the measured survey.

Designing SDA in an existing apartment is very different to a new build. The structure, floor levels and services are already in place, so every decision needs to work with what is there.

🔍What we looked at today:

▪ Step-free access to the courtyard
▪ The bathroom layout, falls and waterproofing
▪ Where a ceiling hoist can be safely supported
▪ Power, emergency backup and assistive technology
▪ The full journey from the street to the front door

Because this is an apartment building, the works also need to be coordinated with strata, the building's fire and services systems, and the certifier. Getting that strategy right early is what keeps an SDA project on track.

🙏Thank you to the participant and their household for welcoming us into their home today.

💬 Planning an SDA project or an accessible home renovation? Send us a message for an initial conversation.

LVA Architects | Sydney
Architecture · SDA Housing · Accessibility · DA, CDC & CC

29/09/2026

🏗️ LVA Architects has been engaged to lead the design and documentation of a new 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝟯 𝗦𝗗𝗔 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 in 𝗕𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗦𝗪 𝟮𝟯𝟮𝟯, to be lodged as a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) application.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲:
- 2 x High Physical Support (HPS) bedrooms
- 1 x Onsite Overnight Assistance (OOA) room
- Common facility area for residents and support staff

The site is a 525 m2 vacant lot. Because the project is going through the CDC pathway, the documentation needs to be right the first time. There is no room for a design that will be sorted out later.

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲:
♿ Site planning and accessible paths of travel to every part of the dwelling
📋 Confirming the project meets the complying development criteria before design is locked in
📐 Compliance with the SDA Design Standard, NCC 2022 and AS 1428
🔧 Coordinating consultant input so the certifier receives a complete, consistent documentation set
⚖️ Design and Building Practitioners Act obligations for a regulated design
💡 A CDC can be a faster and more certain pathway, but only when the design, compliance and consultant coordination are resolved before lodgement.

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, not from the design idea itself. As an Accredited SDA Assessor and Registered Architect, I see the value in getting this right from day one, so the finished home works for the participants who will live in it and gives providers and investors certainty. We look forward to sharing more as the project progresses.

📩 If you are planning an SDA project in NSW and need architectural or SDA assessment support, feel free to get in touch.

24/09/2026

𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆
Many clients expect a renovation to be a simpler version of a new build. In practice, it is often more complex.

A new build starts with a clear site. A renovation starts with someone else's decisions.

LVA Architects has recently been engaged to lead the renovation of a large two-storey home in Concord, together with a new secondary dwelling at the rear.
Before any design decisions are locked in, our focus is on understanding the existing building, confirming the right approval pathway, and identifying the risks that could affect cost and program. It is a good reminder of why renovation needs its own strategy.

Here are the key differences we see on real projects:
𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀:
𝟭. 𝗨𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀 - hidden structural issues, old services or previous unapproved work often appear only once walls are opened.
𝟮. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘄𝗮𝘆 - exempt, CDC or DA depends on the existing building, site constraints and how much is retained.
𝟯. 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 - new work must meet current requirements, and where it meets old work, careful coordination is needed.
𝟰. 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 - latent conditions and demolition make renovations harder to price. Contingency is essential.
𝟱. 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 - staging, access and safety affect design, documentation and construction.

At LVA Architects, we treat renovation as a strategy exercise before it becomes a design exercise. Understand what exists, what can be approved and what it will likely cost, then design within that reality.

If you are planning a renovation and unsure where to start, we are happy to talk through your options.

22/09/2026

✅ DA Approved in Peakhurst! 🏡

We're excited to share that Georges River Council has approved our design to transform an existing commercial building into a family home.

The project includes:
🔄 Change of use from commercial to residential
🏗️ A new first floor addition
🔧 Retaining the existing rear garages and workshop
🌿 New landscaping

Every approval has a story behind it. This one involved a busy road frontage, a corner site with drainage requirements, and making smart use of the existing building rather than starting from scratch.

📖 In our latest blog, we share the full journey, including:
🧭 Why the approval pathway came before the floor plan
🔊 How we addressed road noise early
📋 What the conditions of consent mean for the owner
📐 What happens next at Construction Certificate stage

👉 Read the full story here: https://www.lvaarchitects.com.au/da-approval-from-commercial-premises-to-family-home-a-change-of-use-da-in-peakhurst/

💬 Thinking about converting, extending or renovating a property in Sydney? Send us a message. We're happy to talk through the right approval pathway for your project.

17/09/2026

🏡 DA APPROVED! Class 3 SDA Housing – Bankstown, NSW
Great news from the LVA Architects team! 🎉

We've just secured DA approval for a Class 3 SDA housing project in Bankstown, one of our most challenging DAs to date.

The land sloped significantly down to the rear, which meant a lot of extra thinking before a single wall went up:

☀️ Solar access and sightlines checked for every neighbouring window
⛰️ Cut and fill volumes carefully calculated to reduce environmental impact
🔧 Civil and fire engineering coordinated from day one
♿ Full compliance with SDA Design Standard requirements

Tricky sites like this are where good design and good planning really matter. Proud of the team for turning a difficult block into an approved, liveable outcome for future residents. 👏

📍 Bankstown NSW
🏗️ Design and DA approval by LVA Architects

Address

Peakhurst
Mortdale, NSW

Telephone

+61434883128

Website

http://lvaarchitects.com.au/

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