Approach
Our aim is to design site specific houses that improve the lives of our clients. Well proportioned spaces and forms which closely relate to the attributes of a site are life changing for the people who use them everyday.
Our method is to rigorously and logically analyse each site and brief and to arrange each response in an efficient and artful way. Central to the analysis and response is a thorough understanding of the client and their requirements.
Castlepeake Architects is a small, design focused, Sydney based architectural practice with many years experience in all types of residential architecture including new, altered and heritage houses. Our small size allows director input into every project from initial design to completion on site. We are a close knit and passionate team with a focus on design excellence and client satisfaction.
References
'We engaged Castlepeake, and in particular Martin as architect and Pip to assist with internal finishes, on a major renovation of our Victorian era home in Crows Nest. Our objective was to preserve the Victorian heritage of the home but at the same time replace a 1980’s addition to the Victorian cottage with a light filled and spacious living room, modern kitchen and dining area and an upstairs master bedroom and ensuite. We felt it was a daunting task to marry the two objectives together however Martin’s beautiful design reconciled the contrasting eras wonderfully. Martin took us through the approval process with council and worked closely and effectively with our builder ensuring the project was trouble free for us. We enjoyed working with Martin and Pip and are delighted with our “new” home.'
Patrizia and Rohan, Crows Nest
'Castlepeake’s inspiration and attention gave us the 'forever home' we were seeking. They listened and understood how we wanted to live. Their design is elegant simplicity: useful spaces, great finishes, comfortable in all seasons, a showpiece for our wonderful views of the harbour and city, yet somehow private. Castlepeake captured our tastes and aspirations, with insight into our evolving needs. Our home is environmentally sympathetic, easy to keep, hard to leave. Moreover, Castlepeake’s processes are first rate. They are personally attentive, thoughtful and responsive, and always happy and friendly. The team was professionally creative, constructive and supportive throughout. Fees were competitive and benchmarked. Their construction management was always diligent, thorough and straight-forward - making the whole project unexpectedly relaxed and pleasurable. We cannot recommend them highly enough.'
Chris and Martin, Longueville
‘It seemed to be that every time we came across a house renovation we particularly admired, it had been designed by Castlepeake. When it was time for us to renovate, we had no hesitation in getting them involved. They understood our brief and developed innovative floor plans that increased light penetration whilst keeping within the building footprint. Castlepeake were also happy for us (first time renovators) to be a part of the design process and bring our personalities into the build. Our century old Californian bungalow received a well-deserved makeover with the perfect blend of modern and old. The team at Castlepeake assisted every step of the way from concept, detailed design phase to construction and completion.’
-Ellen and Will, Artarmon
"We engaged Castlepeake to bring our 1930s largely original condition Waverton house into the 21st century. Castlepeake handled all aspects of the project, from architectural, interior and landscape design, to builder selection, to supervision and management of the build. The project ran smoothly, to time, and on budget. And, we were delighted with the end result – our house continues to bring us joy every day! We found that Castlepeake took great care to understand us and our objectives and fashioned their design accordingly. They were good listeners and deep thinkers, but also pragmatic and practical. They collaborated well with the builder. Ultimately Castlepeake delivered us a well-designed home that is both visually and practically appealing, but with no renovation horror stories to share at dinner parties. Can’t ask for much more than that! Several people who have seen their work at our house have gone on to engage Castlepeake for their own homes. We recommend Marty, Mark and Pip without hesitation."
-Sam and Katie, Waverton
"We have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Castlepeake, (and we do so regularly) to our friends and family. Mark Oxenham leads a team of highly skilled architects who have turned our vision into our dream home. At every step of the way we always felt that Mark and his team listened to what we wanted and what was important to us. His ability to maintain the original features of our home whilst making it feel modern is a true art in itself. Every single nook and cranny was thought about which resulted in a truly spectacular home.
Mark is a kind, gentle person. We found this to be very helpful when addressing difficult conversations with council and our builder; and let’s be honest, every build project has at least a few difficult conversations that need to be had.
We would highly recommend the team at Castlepeake. You won’t be disappointed!"
- Peppi and Damien, Artarmon
“Castlepeake delivered everything we asked for and much much more than we expected. The team from Castlepeake created an amazing design and were enjoyable to work with. They listened to what we wanted and really tried to understand our ideas and preferences. The design that they came back with is amazing, the space flows and is really functional as well as being beautiful. The process of engaging builders and managing the build was exceptionally well handled. They made recommendations to improve the outcome and also to reduce the cost, while maintaining quality. As with any build ,things came up, but Castlepeake managed the interaction with the builder exceptionally well and were always focused on getting the right outcome for us. The end result is incredible! Everyone who comes to the house says that the space feels great and looks fantastic. There is so much light - something that we really wanted - and the transition from inside to outside is amazing. We could not imagine working with a better architectural team and would love to work with them again (although that might be some time away as I can’t see us moving from this house for a few decades)."
- Carol and Guy, Willoughby
"Mark Oxenham and the team at Castlepeake designed a beautiful family home which in many ways exceeded our expectations. We were particularly impressed by the attention to detail and quality finishes. Mark’s calm demeaner was able to manage what at times was a complex process. Castlepeake were able to provide seamless integration of the design, approval and construction management to produce a high quality, liveable family home.
We are very happy to recommend Castlepeake."
- Erica and Simon, Kurraba Point
"Over the years we had seen Castlepeake’s work and had loved their clean modern designs. When it came time to renovate our ageing house we decided to go all in with Mark, Pip and the Castlepeake team and see what they could come up with. They produced an amazing design and then led us through the whole process with great professionalism, knowledge and care. Our family now has the privilege of living in an amazing home, one that we could never have envisaged at the beginning of the process."
- Tony, Northbridge
"We worked with the team at Castlepeake to build a home on a block that really only had a shack on it. They created something quite special and the more time we have been able to spend in it, the more the design makes sense. From the front gate, you just see enough of the natural beauty of what lies beyond. The deeper you go into the house the more the view is apparent. And the windows peel back so the place can be completely open. A lot of thought went into where the sun will be at certain times of the year etc. Quite apart from being very creative, Castlepeake have exceptionally high standards - we were building with rammed earth and they made sure what is a difficult process ran smoothly. In addition, they worked on the interior design and got the look and feel of what we were after spot on. We’ve worked with Castlepeake looking at other projects and they all have the same passion for and pride in their work - with very good reason!"
- Katrina and Tim, Umina
"Castlepeake worked with us to redesign our home in Northbridge. The success of the project is really because they took the time to understand what was important to us for a house to be a “home”. We trusted them and gave them license to design around those requirements. If we’d interfered with their design concepts too much they would not have created the amazing home we now have. Having Pip involved from the beginning to design the interiors alongside the architectural pieces that Mark led meant that the home and furnishings work together. There are always challenges with any build, and Mark led us through them with his signature calmness. Thank you Castlepeake."
- Dee, Northbridge
"Castlepeake listened to us! Many architects we spoke to wanted to build THEIR dream home, and have us fund it! Mark Oxenham has outstanding skills as an architect, integrity and excellent communication which helped us navigate through the design and building of a complex home on a steep site with a beautiful double glass-ended pool. We learnt to trust his judgement and advice, and the outcome is an outstanding home with excellent thermal qualities, bespoke sculptures, environmental considerations, plus superb 'livability' and highest quality throughout!"
- Evelyn and Andre, Cremorne
Castlepeake Homes is a separate construction company. For information about Castlepeake Homes,
click here.