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Design Style
Our architectural design policy is to promote a best-fit between client functional requirements, expectations and budget. As a result we don’t promote any single “office style” of architectural design. Our design work ranges widely in style, from design "statements" in built form, to simple utilitarian structures. Clients capitalise on this flexibility to achieve buildings that are crafted to suit the distinctive needs of each project, within the limitations set by the budget.
Project Management
The practice provides a personalised professional service and a quick, budget conscious response to client needs. Our business management policy is to keep overheads low and pass the savings on to our clients. It is company policy that small jobs receive care and attention as well as the large jobs: no job is too large or too small. We provide steady services without razzmatazz, just well tried and successful ways of getting good value for our clients. Our design and project management activities cover a broad range including residential, commercial and educational architecture, work in the heritage field, and archaeology.
Cost Control
Emphasis on control of cost is a philosophy critical to the success of any project. Our track record in cost control is exceptional. The system revolves around control of the cost before it is committed, rather than "Historical Cost Reporting" in the course of the project. This is done following the traditional four stage Management Control Cycle of: 1) Establishing a preliminary project budget, 2) Reporting against the budget through a preliminary design, 3) Identifying variances between the budget and client expectations, and 4) Taking action to return to the budget by detailed design, specification, and pre-tender estimates. We can save up to 10% on some project budgets through competitive tendering, and save up to a further 20% through detailed specification, ensuring that contractors and sub-contractors are informed of the items required to complete any given project, thus reducing variations.
Peter Kabaila
BSc(Arch), B Arch(UNSW), Dip Ed, BA Hons, PhD(ANU) - Architect & archaeologist.
For his graduation year in architecture, Peter was one of the ten students selected to study under the architect Harry Seidler, and was awarded a Distinction grade for the graduation project. After completing the course, Peter travelled extensively and lived in England, where he worked on middle eastern projects, which included water feature courtyards, the award winning Al Kharama hospital in Baghdad and the Dolphinarium in Kuwait.
On his return to Australia, he moved to Canberra and worked as design architect for contracts to the Department of Defence, ASIO and Special Services Section (DHC). These contracts covered a wide spectrum, ranging from detailing ballistic furniture, to commissioning of art works for office interiors.
This led to the formation of Black Mountain Projects with Amanda Gaunt in the late 1980s. Over the following decade, Black Mountain Projects specialised in projects which creatively refurbished old buildings, and combined them with new structures. The practice thus established its credentials in designing, and managing to tight budgets, a wide range of complex educational, commercial and residential building projects.
Educational and heritage consulting is another branch of the practice. Peter's involvement goes back to the early 1980s, working with heritage architect Peter Freeman on projects such as the Braddon Historic Precinct conservation plan, and the historic landscape of Ainslie Primary School. Later, in his spare time, Peter obtained teaching qualifications. He then obtained top qualifications in heritage related topics at the Australian National University: in the course of researching a PhD in historical archaeology, he has presented the research case in written form; defended it amongst his peers; and written and published four books on settlement history and Aboriginal archaeology.
Qualifications, Awards
2000, Doctor of Philosophy, Department of Archaeology, ANU.
1994, Bachelor of Arts, First Class Honours, Dept. of Archaeology, ANU.
1993, Graduate Diploma in Education, (Australian History). Univ. of Canberra.
1980, Bachelor of Architecture, University of New South Wales.
1977, Bachelor of Science in Architecture, University of New South Wales.
2004, First Rate Accredited Energy Assessor, ACT.
2000, Associate Member, Centre for Archaeological Research.
1999, Heritage Adviser Course, Quarantine Station, Manly.
1994, Registered Architect, NSW. Registration no. 5853.
1984-96, Archicentre Professional Advisory Panel, member.
1984-86, Marion Griffin Measured Drawing Competition Panel.
1984, Associate of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects.
1984, Registered Architect, ACT.
Amanda Gaunt
Dip Ed, BSc(Arch), B Arch(UNSW) - Architect & educationist
After graduating in architecture at the University of New South Wales, Amanda travelled through Europe and the USA in the early 1980s, and lived in England where she worked as design architect on projects in England such as the Blue Circle Cement Plant and for middle eastern projects such as Doha Zoo in the Arab Emirates, where she designed the mosque.
Upon her return to Australia, Amanda worked in Philip Cox's office in Sydney.
Later, moving to Canberra, Amanda established Black Mountain Projects as a joint consulting practice with Peter Kabaila, and worked on a mix of residential and commercial building projects. Combining architecture and design with her interest in education, Amanda obtained teaching qualifications at the University of Canberra. She then taught computer aided design and technology, woodwork and metalwork for five years in schools and colleges.
Following her full-time return to architectural consulting, Amanda specialises in computer draughting. Much of her work over the past decade has been in educational architecture, where Amanda's teaching experience has played a key role, assisting schools to translate their client brief into building projects.
Qualifications, Awards
1988, Graduate Diploma in Education. University of Canberra.
1984, Registered Architect, ACT. Registration no. 737.
1981, Bachelor of Architecture, University of New South Wales.
1978, Bachelor of Science in Architecture, University of New South Wales.
2006, ACT Colleges Design Exhibition at University of Canberra. managed and implemented.
2003, Prodesktop software course for Technology Teachers in ACT, organiser.
2002-06, TEACT, Technical Educators ACT, member.
1984-96, Archicentre Professional Advisory Panel, member.