"As an 'old school' builder, I have a morbid fear of architects. However 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 am looking forward to the challenge of building something unique, something that will 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.”

"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 only about 3% of building costs, and her overall costs 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 an architectural experience whether 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.”

"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.”

“Why spend money on training staff and purchasing expensive 3D software when 3D Environment can produce a realistic photo montage in just a few days for a reasonable cost."

 “Our clients have always been impressed with the images 3D Environment produces and generally request more images of their projects to fully understand every aspect of their building.

Jamie Grounds BArch RAIA  (Director) Jamisa Design Pty LTd Architects

“This spectacular property at Colo on the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales is the picturesque location for a new sustainable family home. The main priority of the owners was to build a home that would be thermally efficient and eco-friendly while also providing space and light for a family to live in."

“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”.

Hilton Fletcher BSc(Arch) BArch RAIA  Associate (Flower and Samios P L)

 “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.”

Ann and David Ward,  Upper Colo, NSW.