Testimonials

New home in Kurrajong Village

“Both Renae and I are extremely pleased with Helen and her team from 3DE. We’ve had 2 projects completed recently, including a new build at Kurrajong and a full redesign of a large property at Grose Wold. Both outcomes were amazing. From the minute we met Helen, we knew we had picked the right Designer. Simple, easy-to-understand ideas and designs and perfectly on point when it came to what we wanted. Helen interpreted our dreams onto paper with ease, with lots of ideas on top. The added service of Helen looking after everything from 3D rendered designs right through to working with Council was such a benefit to us, making Helen and her team THE one-stop shop for our design requirements. Awesome designs were achieved. We are now engaging Helen for a project in Queensland shortly”.

Secondary Dwelling – Middle Dural

“The design prepared by 3DE for our limited-sized secondary dwelling was so well-considered, offering cost-saving features and a feeling of spaciousness without compromising visual appeal”.

“All great projects take time. The atmosphere both thermally and visually is wonderful. The height of everything is uplifting. I notice when visitors call there is a moment of hesitation – their hand moves to emulate the biblical cross, as you would before entering the great cathedrals of the world – so Helen you have nailed it! Thank you!”

Colo River Retreat

“We knew that this project – to provide us with a sustainable weekend base on our daunting site on the Colo River- would always be a challenge. We’ve long loved the site for the peace it affords away from the city, with its remoteness, its acres of bush, wildlife and a pristine river. But the existing housing, old and dilapidated, was set on a narrow, constrained site in an extreme fire zone. It lacked basic utilities and was without telephone access, and in a mobile black spot. Its only access was a four-wheel drive route via a steep 1.3km dirt road, involving switchback bends down through sandstone cliffs.

We also knew there would be a challenge in finding a builder willing and able to execute this difficult project, given its problematic site access.

Helen, you rose to these challenges beautifully, delivering us a clean and elegant, unobtrusive design that sits lightly in the bush, is sensitive to seasonal issues of sunlight on a south-facing site and, with its thoughtful design, is a joy to live in.  Your specifications addressed bushfire risk carefully and maximize cross-ventilation on hot summer days, as well as sightlines to connect us intimately to bush, cliffs and river.

Importantly, your local knowledge also connected us with Michael Denton of Kvell Constructions, our wonderful builder who worked patiently and professionally through all of the many challenges the build threw at our team- from the 2019-2020 Black Summer bushfires, requiring urgent liaison with the RFS to protect the build, to the huge Hawkesbury flood events of 2020 and 2021, not to mention the restrictions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic!

We love the detail and finishes of the completed build, and are so grateful for all of your support and input to help weather the ups-and-downs of a project that at times looked out-of-reach. In January 2020 we dug the Kvell construction sign- charred and embedded with blackened gum leaves- out of bushfire ash at our melted top gate, and it now hangs in the house as part of its story, and a reminder of the power of our environment. We feel very blessed to be able to spend time in this place, and in this very special and beautiful house. Thank you for this wonderful result!”.

“We are owner builders and blissfully happy with our new house, although it is not quite finished (we are owner builders!).  With the northerly aspect windows/doors so aptly designed by Helen, every day we sit and cast our eyes over our mountain view.  Our brief was complex – we wanted a passive solar, non-toxic house to take us into our twilight years, and our site was situated on a slope in a flame zone!  We were amazed and relieved when our DA was passed by council without any questions at all.  Thank you, Helen.  The flame zone requirements increased our costs considerably, but the house is strong enough to withstand both fire and cyclonic winds (we are located on a ridge), being built of steel and Hebel.  We are also really happy with the internal layout of our home – it works exceedingly well.  Many of our rooms are ‘not square’ and there are no long corridors – another request in our brief. The high ceilings and pitched roof are a real hit.  The reaction of our friends says it all – they comment “Wow, this is fantastic!”or “It’ll be worth 2 million when it’s finished”.  Hopefully our interior creative decisions will match the excellence of Helen’s design”.

(photos to come!)

“Our thanks go out to all involved in this milestone project and support from friends and family to push forward. The solar aspects of the design work fantastic. We look forward to taking our shoes off to walk barefooted on the naturally heated floors.  No more slippers for me Lol.  I have used the fireplace for ambience with windows open.  Still so surreal to come home to this.  We are awed by the views from every aspect and just can’t wait for the pool and landscaping to enjoy next summer”.

“We are at home with the window open, enjoying the sunshine.  I had the kids in shorts and t-shirts this morning – we walked outside and it was freezing!  I think I’m going to enjoy daytimes inside this winter!” (May 2020)

“We engaged 3DE to design our multigenerational “forever” home.

 Helen exceeded our expectations in meeting our brief, providing an energy efficient contemporary design that suited our family’s needs. Our home is spacious, light filled and includes interesting features such as timber feature ceilings. Every space is functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. No space is wasted and we have plenty of storage.

 The process from design to build was smooth and enjoyable. Communicating with Helen was easy and she happily provided honest feedback.

We are thankful for Helen’s ideas and expertise in completing this project. “

“A Second Touch of Genius.

After leaving the Kurrajong property brilliantly designed by Helen, we had a sea change to Lennox Head.  We purchased a ‘knock down’ house on a beautiful block overlooking the  water.  So it was over to Helen to come up with another design masterpiece!

She had to work around very strict council restrictions and come up with a design that also satisfied our long list of requirements, particularly relating to maximising water views from all levels and to build a duplex !

As always, Helen is fantastic at integrating ideas, hers and ours.

The design process constantly evolved, and after much debate, the use of copper on the roof became reality, followed by some panelling.  A perfect coastal material and the appearance is stunning.

Suspended cantilevered concrete slabs, polished and endless as they flow into decks, with cornerless doors to give uninterrupted views.  Her space management was exceptional to comply with very stringent constraints.

Once again Helen has created a dream home for us, hopefully the second will be it !!

We would recommend the team at 3de, for Warwick can’t be forgotten, to help realise your building dreams”.

“We wanted a simple, thermally comfortable, low impact and sustainable home, with extensive, useable outdoor areas; for our rainforest setting. We saw a couple of Helen’s designs under construction and we were really impressed by the clever use of space in the floor plans to maximise the northerly aspect.

Winter sun and ventilation in summer were highest on our priority list, along with the separation of the parents’ bedroom from the kids. Helen responded quickly and offered a great depth of experience in problem solving some of our requests…

We were most delighted with the design and 3D modelling of the house. The series of images looked just like photographs of what the house would look like and we could really imagine what it would be like to wake up there each day!

We found that Helen was able to inform us about many aspects along the way, including composting toilets, grey water systems, roofing options, polished concrete flooring, window choices, colour options and solar hot water systems… She always communicated clearly, was well organised and positive about our ideas and respected our preferences…

Once we got to the council documentation stage, we were once again amazed at the level of detail which Helen and Warwick completed for us. The Basix certificate confirmed the energy efficiency and sustainability of the house, and the detailed plans and site information was very well received by council.

We’ve now been in the house for six months and have lived through a winter with glorious sunshine streaming in every room! The polished concrete floors proved to be a real heat bank and the house remained warm into the evening even in mid winter. The weather is now warming up and the need for ventilation is increasing. We have been very pleased with the flow of air through the house and it appears to generate its own breeze!

Every day we notice how as you move around the house … every room is connected to the outdoors and all rooms have differing views outdoors, so you always know what is going on outside. This is very helpful when supervising children or keeping track of chooks trying to dig up the garden. The sounds of the forest at night come through the big sliding doors which is a delight.

We are all very happy with our new home and find it to be very comfortable, peaceful, airy and spacious. We were very happy with the service from 3DE and firmly believe that it was worth the investment to achieve a great design for our home. It has proven to be a great decision.

We would be very pleased to recommend 3D Environment to others wanting to build a sustainable and comfortable home.”

“We contacted Helen to assist us in designing a new home for our family in Kurrajong.  After meeting Helen, we were very confident that she would design the perfect home for us – and she did not disappoint!  Helen considered all of our requirements and personal style and also made suggestions which have only improved upon our initial brief.  Helen has also taken into account the environmental impact of our home, but has incorporated this in a commercial and cost effective manner.  She applies both practicality and a beautiful aesthetic to her design and we would have no hesitation in recommending her”.

… and just recently we shared a celebratory drink with P and A who said:

“This project was a rollercoaster of highs and lows.  Dealing with Helen in the planning phase was fun and very exciting.  Helen put a lot of time and effort into understanding what sort of home we wanted and needed as this would be our forever home.  As owner builders, building was a challenge but thankfully we have now moved in and it is great.  The house is a really lovely space to be in and the time spent in the planning stage was well worth it.”…   “We absolutely love living here, it’s such a pleasure to live in a home which responds to the changing seasons and it really is comfortable all the time!”

“The house is performing very well – we are delighted with it.  With no heating on, the inside temperature has only varied between 18-24 degrees throughout the year.  We’ve been warm in winter and cool in summer and the solar rebate covered the gas bill so our total cost for last winter was $10”.

“Paul and I wanted to thank you for creating a great design for our family home . Well, how lucky we were to come across you Helen. You were professional, patient and generous with a wealth of knowledge in sustainable living ideas that allowed us to end up with a beautiful home that is ideal for our family’s needs, and blends perfectly into the bush setting of our property”.

“We hardly notice the seasons as we never feel too hot or too cold in our home, always warm in winter and cool in summer.  We have so many visitors who simply don’t want to leave, the house is always full of friends and laughter.

The house is exactly what we wanted, the design suits all of us, and our needs perfectly.  Neighbours regularly stop as they go by and compliment me on what a great house it is, so well suited to the environment around, and so clearly … keeping environmental impact to a minimum and being fire safe.   Many neighbours say they feel inspired to build something similar and see that it is possible to have a house that is both fire safe and aesthetically pleasing without it costing the earth in so many ways”.

What were we expecting when our builder suggested a lady that he was impressed by, and then told she was an “environmentally friendly” designer? Generally we had been “practically” environmentally conscious within reason but never particularly seriously.

Our prior experience over the preceding months with a leading rural building company had left us with overpriced plans for a house that was basically an adjustment of their ideas on our block.  Our experience with Helen was totally different.

Although expressing and pressing her ideas firmly, she listened intently during our initial briefing session and over the period of a few months she moulded and changed a few ideas to create a brilliant concept of design which encompassed all our dreams and blended it beautifully into the landscape , while creating a definite statement, which will hopefully be a joy to live in and a valuable asset AND be environmentally friendly!!

We initially wanted timber floors, but now have gorgeous polished concrete that will be thermodynamic. We have a wonderful variety of materials creating variety, interest and great heat efficiency. We have individualised living spaces that all families need . The experience has surprised me, as I always thought architects and designers were too expensive and just annoyed builders. (My father is a very “practical” architect).

The value was amazing for what we achieved as a percentage of overall expense, and her overall cost estimates came fairly close to budget, without any fanciful extravagances that architects are famous for, but lots of individuality and great but practical design features.  The visual concepts that we were shown throughout were like we already had photos of our new house; they were incredible.

We would recommend 3DE/Helen to anyone contemplating a new home design experience whether they are environmentally pro-active or simply wanting to be environmentally conscious. ”

“Helen’s ability to listen to our ideas, ask the right questions and impart some of her own insightful thoughts combined to bring our dream home to reality. Our remote bush location meant we had to be sensitive to so many issues including environmental and economical, while still achieving a desired level of comfort, style, energy efficiency and practicability. Helen helped us realise all of this and more in such an accommodating and professional manner.”

“Helen Lloyd Martin is a unique and extremely experienced designer specialising in ecological sustainability. Her proven skills and her ability to create custom designed buildings and detailed computer generated documentation come with years of experience. Her sensitivity and creativity combined with her professionalism, her passion and vision is what stands Helen apart from other designers.

I would recommend Helen Lloyd-Martin to anyone seriously looking for a competent, experienced designer with proven ecological design skills. She Is not only passionate about making a difference with each project she undertakes, she designs for lifestyle and natural comfort and her buildings ‘sit lightly’ on the planet.”

“We were both impressed with your professional approach and your
obvious expertise and we will recommend your services to any other people that might be considering having some work done”.

“Warwick is always a pleasure to work with.  He engages with the project, contributes positively and appropriately, and is one hundred percent reliable.

Because of his easy manner and thorough professionalism CFA and 3DE have continuously worked together on numerous projects across about fifteen years.

Our collaborations have culminated in many highly successful buildings.  The team members of CFA have a strong working relationship with 3DE and look forward to each new collaboration with Warwick”.

“Warwick is very good at quickly interpreting our design ideas and turning them into high quality 3D images and movies of our projects. This allows us to effectively communicate our designs to our Clients and Councils”.

We stumbled across Helen by chance when looking for someone to design our home, and are very pleased to have done so. She immediately understood what we were trying to achieve in designing a passive solar house, and had lots of suggestions from her practical experience, for us to consider as we went along. She is generous with her time and knowledge, and it was wonderful to watch the bones of our home evolve.

I would recommend Helen to anyone wanting to create a home that is different, particularly one with an environmental focus.

“As an ‘old school’ builder, I have a morbid fear of architects. So, I must admit I was very pleasantly surprised to find Helen very easy to work with. It is refreshing to find a designer who will take the time to listen to a builder’s thoughts, concerns, ideas and not treat him like some uneducated fool.

After nearly 30 years in the building industry I looked forward to the challenge of building something unique, something that would stretch me beyond brick veneer and concrete roof tiles.

I have been impressed with the level of detail and her intricate knowledge of her design, whenever there was a question or a problem she always knew exactly what I was talking about and how or why that particular item was designed that way. I look forward hopefully to working with her on future projects.”

 “Warwick…. has worked with Flower & Samios P. L. during the last decade… He has worked on a number of different projects during this period. All work has been carried out with ArchiCAD…”

“He has primarily been involved in the preparation of:

– construction documents for single storey and multi storey aged care facilities

– building perspectives

– design development sketches…

“We have found him to be thorough and timely with is documents, and we appreciate this cooperative work approach. He has always acted in a responsible and reliable manner…

“We have no hesitation in recommending his services”.

I thoroughly enjoyed working with you; your honesty regarding budget and potential issues was refreshing. If we intend to do any building etc, I know the phone number to ring”.

“We would like to thank Helen and Warwick for the personal and professional experience we received when designing our new home with your company.  You were able to take our own ideas, wants and needs and incorporate them into a design that we are thrilled with.  The result is an attractive, energy efficient home that will blend into the environment of our site perfectly.”…

“The entire process was smooth, in particular the passage of the plans through council where there were no additional questions asked, testament to the professional documentation you supplied with the application”…

“We would recommend your services to anyone wanting a home that is designed to be energy efficient, practical, attractive and above all, feels good to live in.”