Studio West Design: Building Design Perth Hills and Country WA

Sharon has a "previous life" of 13 years as a successful I.T. professional, working in many demanding roles Australia-wide and overseas including software developer, senior software engineer, business analyst, object-oriented system designer, technical writer and website developer.  In a bid to change the pace of her lifestyle and slow down a little, Sharon worked as a TAFE lecturer for several years teaching computer studies, multimedia and website development.  This change allowed Sharon more spare time to go back to part-time study ... and to follow her passion for architecture.

Sharon's building industry experience includes several years employment with one of Perth's award-winning project home builders, working in a number of roles including Draftsperson, Senior Draftsperson and most significantly, Assistant to the Head of Design.  During that time Sharon gained a wealth of experience while working on a large volume of residential homes and unit developments with leading designers and architects.

With a passion for country homes and the various challenges they can bring, Sharon knew that the only feasible way for her to gain more expertise in country homes and increase her knowledge of traditional and alternative building materials was to move out to her 5 acre hills property and establish her own design studio, which she did in early 2006.

This move has given Sharon the opportunity to broaden her expertise immensely in the area of country home design.

Qualifications

• Certificate IV in Residential Drafting
• Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training
• Diploma in Information Technology (Software Development)
• HIA Certified Greensmart Professional
• ABSA Accredited Energy Efficiency Assessor

Memberships

• ABSA (Association of Building Sustainability Assessors)
• AIBD (Australian Institute of Building Designers)
• Earth Solutions Group & Avon Valley Environmental Society (Northam)

This combined with 8 years building industry experience you can be assured that Sharon has the ability to handle the most demanding project.  In her spare time Sharon enjoys working outside on her bush property, playing her piano, and is a regular volunteer at a local wildlife care facility.

Recently Sharon travelled to Victoria to attend a weekend "Econospace Framing" workshop with Irish architect Peter Cowman.  Whilst on the course Sharon learned how to build a timber-framed house using a construction method developed by Peter himself, which allows the owner-builder to construct a sustainable self-contained cabin for under $5,000.  Sharon will soon begin construction of her own Econspace cabin on her 5-acre bush property at Wooroloo, photos will be posted here so stay tuned.

If you would like to know more about Econospace framing, or have any other questions please don't hesitate to contact Sharon using the Contact form.