LVA Architects

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Mortdale, NSW
LVA Architects

We deliver innovative, high-quality design solutions across Australia.

LVA Architects is an award-winning Australian architectural practice based in Sydney, specialising in architecture, interior design, landscape design, and SDA housing.

15/06/2026

🏡 NEW RESIDENTIAL DESIGN | MALABAR BEACH NSW

Designing a house within a foreshore scenic area involves much more than creating an attractive façade. LVA Architects is developing this new residential proposal for a Development Application in Malabar Beach, within Randwick City Council.

Because the property is located in a sensitive coastal setting, the design needs to respond carefully to:
🌊 Foreshore scenic character
👀 View sharing and potential view loss
🏘️ Neighbouring amenity and privacy
🚗 Driveway access and vehicle movements
🌧️ Stormwater drainage and site runoff
🌿 Landscaping and streetscape character

For projects like this, the architect needs to coordinate closely with the wider consultant team such as.

📋 Town planner
Assisting with planning controls, view-loss assessment and the overall DA strategy.

🚘 Traffic engineer
Reviewing the proposed driveway location, gradients, sightlines and vehicle movements.

💧 Civil engineer
Developing the stormwater strategy, including drainage, detention, discharge and overland flow.

🏗️ Architect
Bringing the design and consultant advice together into one coordinated proposal that responds to the site, the owner’s brief and the planning framework.

The final image shows the architectural vision. But behind it sits site analysis, consultant coordination, impact assessment and careful design refinement.

Good coastal architecture is not only about capturing the view. It is also about respecting the surrounding views, neighbourhood character and long-term performance of the site.

New residential Development Application in Malabar Beach.
Designed and coordinated by LVA Architects.

02/06/2026

🏡 CDC APPROVAL SECURED
House Renovation & Extension | Carss Park NSW

LVA Architects has secured CDC approval for this house renovation and extension in Carss Park, within Bayside Council.

This project shows how an existing home can be transformed through a clear design process, not just a final render.

From old to new, the design developed step by step:

🔎 Step 0: Site Visit
Reviewing the existing house, site levels, street presentation, structure, and constraints.

✏️ Step 1: Hand Sketch
Exploring early ideas quickly, including the new façade, entry, balcony, garage treatment, and how the new work connects with the existing home.

🏗️ Step 2: 3D Modelling
Testing the design in three dimensions, including proportions, roof form, materials, openings, and overall streetscape impact.

✅ Step 3: Final Design & CDC Approval
Developing the design into a coordinated proposal suitable for approval and construction documentation.

A successful renovation is not only about the final “after” image.

It is about understanding what can be retained, what should be improved, and how to move the project through the approval pathway with clarity.

CDC approved.
House renovation and extension.
Designed by LVA Architects.

27/05/2026

🏡 New Residential Project | Bankstown NSW

LVA Architects has been engaged for a new residential housing project in Bankstown, located on a site affected by flood planning controls.

Flood-affected sites can be challenging, but they do not mean a project cannot proceed.

They simply need the right design strategy from the beginning. For this project, the design needs to carefully respond to:

🌧️ Overland flow paths
📐 Flood planning levels
🏠 Finished floor levels
🚗 Driveway and site access
🛠️ Buildability and construction logic
🤝 Coordination with engineers

On sites like this, good design cannot start with the floor plan alone.
It starts with understanding how the site works.

LVA Architects will work closely with the relevant engineers to resolve the flood-related constraints and develop a design response that is practical, compliant and buildable.

Good design does not ignore site constraints.
It works with them from the beginning.

New residential project by LVA Architects.

26/05/2026

✨ CDC APPROVAL SECURED ✨
Beauty Shop Interior Fitout | Haberfield NSW

LVA Architects has secured CDC approval for a beauty shop interior fitout in Haberfield.

The project is now approved through the CDC pathway and ready to move into the construction stage.

At first glance, an interior fitout may seem simple.
But in an existing commercial tenancy, approval is never just about how the space looks.

For this project, the key issue was fire safety compliance and how the proposed tenancy layout works within the existing building.

The design intent was to transform a plain vacant shell into a warm, refined and functional beauty space.

Behind the design, careful coordination was required around:

✅ Existing building conditions
✅ Fire safety requirements
✅ Tenancy layout and proposed use
✅ Services coordination
✅ Documentation suitable for CDC approval

A good fitout needs to look beautiful.
A successful fitout also needs to be approvable, compliant and ready to build.

At LVA Architects, our role is to bring together design vision and approval strategy so projects can move forward with clarity.

Architecture | Interior Design | CDC Approval | Commercial Fitout

20/05/2026

🏡 DA APPROVED | Class 3 SDA Housing – Botany NSW

LVA Architects has secured Development Approval for a Class 3 Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) housing project in Botany, within Bayside Council.

This project transforms an existing residential site into purpose-designed SDA housing for NDIS participants.

Behind the approval is a coordinated process involving:

✅ Site survey and existing condition review
✅ Demolition strategy
✅ Planning controls and DA documentation
✅ Accessibility and SDA design requirements
✅ NCC and fire safety considerations
✅ Future Construction Certificate coordination
✅ NSW DBP Act regulated design requirements

For Class 3 SDA housing, approval is not just about fitting a building onto the site.

It is about balancing:
♿ Accessibility
🏠 Liveability
🔥 Fire safety
📐 Compliance
🛠️ Buildability
🤝 Long-term support needs for residents, carers, and providers

Good SDA housing should be compliant, functional, dignified, and genuinely liveable.

This project now progresses from DA approval into detailed coordination and Construction Certificate documentation.

DA approved.
Class 3 SDA housing.
Designed by LVA Architects.

12/05/2026

✍️ Before the documentation.
🏛️ Before the DA approval.
🏗️ Before the construction.

Many projects begin with a simple hand sketch.

This early concept study for a house renovation in Kingsgrove explored how a contemporary extension could connect with the existing home while improving:

🌿 connection to the backyard landscape
☀️ natural light
↔️ spatial flow
🏡 openness and liveability
🧱 relationship between old and new built form

At sketch stage, the focus is not yet on finishes or materials.

It is about resolving the bigger architectural questions:

🔹 How should the new addition connect to the existing structure?
🔹 Where should natural light enter the home?
🔹 How can internal spaces feel larger and more open?
🔹 How does the project sit within the site and surrounding context?

Hand sketching remains one of the fastest and clearest ways to test design thinking early in the process. It allows ideas to be explored freely before moving into detailed 3D modelling, DA documentation and construction drawings.

For this project, the approved design evolved from these early studies into a refined extension that balances contemporary living with the character of the original dwelling.

✍️ Hand sketch by LVA Architects
📍 Kingsgrove, NSW

07/05/2026

FROM OLD TO NEW ✨🏡

DA lodged for this house renovation and extension designed by LVA Architects.

This project explores how strategic renovation design can completely transform an existing home without requiring a full knockdown rebuild.

The focus was on:
✔️ Modernising the streetscape presence
✔️ Improving natural light and spatial quality
✔️ Creating a more functional family home
✔️ Delivering a buildable and cost-effective solution
✔️ Maximising long-term property value

Good renovation design is not about spending more. It is about making smarter architectural decisions with the existing structure and site.

Designed by LVA Architects

03/05/2026

🏗️ What gets built on site is not just drawings—it’s coordination.

We recently attended a site coordination meeting for an absorption trench installation within one of the more stringent councils in Sydney when it comes to stormwater compliance.

This project is currently being designed and managed by LVA Architects, where the focus extends beyond documentation to ensuring that what is built on site aligns with the approved intent.

📐 On paper, the system looks straightforward.
🚧 In reality, the ex*****on depends heavily on how well the details are understood and coordinated on site.

During the inspection, several key questions emerged:

🔹 Are the trench depths and setouts aligned with the approved drawings?
🔹 Is the geotextile wrapping installed correctly?
🔹 Are inlet / outlet levels coordinated with the pit and pipework?
🔹 Has allowance been made for maintenance access and long-term performance?
🔹 Have observation risers and cleaning eyes been installed?

These are not design issues—they are coordination issues. And this is where the role of the architect becomes critical.

By bringing the builder and plumber together on site, we were able to:
✅ identify missing or unclear details
✅ clarify intent against the approved documentation
✅ resolve issues early before they become costly rework
✅ ensure the system performs as designed and complies with council requirements

In projects involving absorption trenches, especially under strict council frameworks, delays and failures often don’t come from design.

They come from gaps between design and construction.

⏱️ A coordination meeting at the right time can prevent weeks of delay later. Because once the trench is filled and covered, there is no easy way back.

Good projects are not just designed well. They are coordinated well.

Designed and managed by LVA Architects.

27/04/2026

We are proud to share that LVA Architects has been selected as a Finalist in the 2026 Australian Small Business Champion Awards under the Professional Services category.

This recognition is a meaningful milestone for our practice and reflects the work we have been committed to building: thoughtful architectural design, clear approval strategies, and practical project delivery across residential, commercial, heritage, accessibility, and Specialist Disability Accommodation projects.

For an architectural practice, every project requires more than drawings. It requires persistence, technical care, coordination, problem-solving, and trust from clients, consultants, builders, and the wider community.

Being recognised among thousands of businesses across Australia is an honour, and we are grateful to everyone who has supported LVA Architects on this journey.
Thank you to the Australian Small Business Champion Awards and Precedent Productions for this recognition.

We look forward to continuing our work with the same focus: delivering architecture that is considered, compliant, buildable, and meaningful.

LVA Architects
Architecture | Interior | Landscape | Accessibility | SDA Housing

23/04/2026

✨Great to attend an inspiring evening at Heritage Wharf, Jones Bay, surrounded by Sydney’s vibrant design community.

Kevin Pham, Director of LVA Architects, together with our Senior Technical Advisor - Mr. Xuan Hoang, joined a high-energy night celebrating contemporary design, immersive experiences, and meaningful industry connections.

Events like this are a great reminder that architecture is not only about buildings—it’s about people, ideas, and the conversations that shape the future of our built environment.
🙏Thank you to the organisers for bringing together such an incredible community of designers, creatives, and innovators.
Looking forward to more collaboration and inspiration ahead.

Address

Peakhurst
Mortdale, NSW

Telephone

+61434883128

Website

http://lvaarchitects.com.au/

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