B.Architecture Melbourne University
How long have you been an architect?
Too long. I graduated in 1975, started working 1976. Did a degree at Melbourne Uni. Went overseas, came home and began to practice. I have always practiced by myself.
Who were your first clients?
My first clients were my family and friends. It starts from there. Then you meet friends of friends and it grows from there. The longer you do it, you work out who you want to work with again and who is a waste of time. It comes from experience. Eventually you have a list of people you like to work with and a list of people you don’t.
How long have you had dealings with Slattery & Acquroff?
I’m not quite sure. It’s been a long time. With one particular builder, I have virtually done every stair in every home. Occasionally you work with other builders that aren’t quite as good and they have their own stair builder. But generally I use Slattery and Acquroff.
Do you design the stair and let the builder contract the stair builder?
Yes that’s generally how it works. A simple stair any body can do. Anything that is a bit more difficult I call up Rob Acquroff and say ‘this is what I want to do, how do I go about it?’ One particular job I had a difficult stair and Rob told me how to design it. There is no point in me drawing up something that can’t be built, it is a waste of everyone’s time.
Have you had stairs designed in direct consultation with Slattery & Acquroff?
Yes anything that is a bit tricky, I will give them a call. Because that’s what they do.
What is the process when designing a stair?
A straight forward stair is just access, designing something and giving it the space you need. The ones that are tricky are because you want to make them a feature. Now I know how that works, so I call up and say ”this is what I want to do, is this still the way it works? Is there a better way to do it now, or do you do it differently?” Because I’m sure you build stairs differently now than you did 25 years ago. It doesn’t take much, so after the consultation I pass it on to the builder with a rough costing. But even that doesn’t work because it always ends up being more expensive (laughs)
Do you standardise the stairwell?
No, never.
So each stair is different?
What I call a normal stair, is a concealed stair or semi concealed. In other words it’s just about access. It’s purely functional. I know how much space I need, I know how it works. I can do those stairs in my sleep. Other than that it’s just making sure you have enough space for it and then it’s just structural.
Are there any stairs which are special to you?
There are a couple. I can remember doing one in Hume Road in 1995 which was just a straight stair but it was really good. It was done 12 years ago, you walk in there and you think it could have been built yesterday. We did a fancy house where you didn’t do the stairs but you did the handrail, the handrails were carved and turned and pretty shmick.
What type of materials do you tend to focus on when designing a staircase?
Well again if it’s a functional one they end up hidden. It’s carpeted so I just use custom wood. If it’s a timber stair I have a liking for the dark red timbers the Sydney bluegums and things. It’s the reds. We actually did two stairs in Hume Road. The second had exposed stringers and treads, all in Sydney blue gum. The choice of timber is a personal thing. Tastes are always changing. Because the lighter timbers like the maples have a run and
then people get tired of them and move to the darker timbers. I just think the reds have a richer look about them. But it’s only a personal opinion and if someone says ‘I would rather have a maple or lighter timber’ that’s fine too.
Do you consult with clients about these choices?
Yes of course, they just worry about the aesthetics but it’s their home and their money so they get a say in the process. At the end of the day it really doesn’t make that much difference. If it is done well and finished and its part of the whole environment it really doesn’t matter which way you go.
Which architects do you admire both historically and still practicing? And have you been influenced by them? And does your style reflect aspects of their work?
Historically, you go through people like Frank Loyd Wright, he is just drummed into you. And all the 20th century architects. All the historical figures…but they are overseas. But in Australia it’s interesting. Robin Boyd is probably the greatest Australian architect and certainly when you look at their work in hindsight it is pretty good. We have phenomenal architects working now, Nonda Katsilidis does a great job, Denton Corker Marshall do a great job. It’s certainly spectacular work but I’m not sure that a lot of it is client friendly. But the clients obviously like it. Some of it is so hard edged, it’s like the Japanese architects, it’s phenomenal to look at but I don’t know how comfortable they would be to live in. Having said that I don’t live in them and the clients probably love them.
Do people look to aesthetics over comfort? Or are aesthetics more important than they used to be?
Yes and no. it depends on what you want. The people who choose cutting edge architects know what they are in for. They often don’t get much of a say. Its ‘pay the bills and this is what you get’. But they are happy with that, otherwise they wouldn’t do it. But Australian architects are as good as anyone in the world.
When designing a house how much emphasis do you place on the stair?
I don’t place emphasis on the stair. It really comes from the client. We have ways of doing things. If you put a stair in the entry and make it a feature then the client has to understand that in normal day to day living they are going to be up and down that stair in the entry, which is probably not where you would want it to be. So I like to put in two stairs, one which is still functional but mostly for the look and the back one does most of the work. Or they say ‘I just want the stair for practicality’ and sometimes they put a straight stair in a window so it does both. It has an impact but it is still just part of the design. It’s just part of the process and fits in as part of the picture.
Do you think a staircase is something which is essentially focused on functionality, or can it be more than that?
No, it can be more than that. It really depends, it has to function obviously; but it is vertical access. If you have a two storey home, some people want to make it a feature and some people don’t. There are no right or wrongs. We often don’t have a view, you are building in the suburbs and have nothing to look at either side. So you make the views internally. One of the ways to create a view internally is to exploit the staircase, with a void that gives you something to make a feature inside. Otherwise you’re building a first floor with a stair between which you can’t see. Some people don’t like open stairs, it makes them nervous. It just depends on who you’re working for.
Do you think it’s a mix of the two? Or do more people lean toward a feature stair?
It’s 50/50. One of the first questions I ask in the brief is ‘what do you want to do with a staircase? Do you want a feature stair or something more practical?’ If they say they don’t care then I can explore the options.
Do the visions you have for staircases often go unrealised because the stair builder is inadequate?
Stairs are like a whole heap of trades. People have absolutely no comprehension. It’s not their fault, they just don’t know. They think a stair builder is a stair builder… what’s the big deal. A stair is not something that is given in a costing, it just comes in under the construction cost. But I can do whatever I want with my stairs because I can ring up Rob Acquroff, so I don’t have any issues at all.
Do customers see stairs as important? Are they generally satisfied with the stairs you design?
They are important. One particular customer just wanted a stair which was wide and he was happy. A feature stair is an expensive item. Well above that of a functional stair. I have to have the budget to allow me to do it. If the budget isn’t there then I don’t even think about it. Even if the client says they want a feature stair I tell them they will need more money.
Do you think it is a cost that pays dividends?
Um, yes. In my own home for instance, my stair is completely concealed. My sons are older and I only have one at home. I designed my place so that I live completely on the ground floor and my sons have bedrooms upstairs with a bathroom, with a completely concealed staircase so that if you don’t know where it is you won’t see it. This means that I can’t dump their rubbish on the stairs and it can stay there without me seeing it. I keep my stair as purely functional so that when the boys are all gone upstairs almost doesn’t exist and I live on one level. So I don’t have people saying ‘what’s upstairs?’ For the record you are the best. What some people don’t understand is that not all tradesmen are the same
