VINCENT RIZZO, Brighton, Victoria
Working with Vos Architecture + Design on our home renovation was an outstanding experience.
Our Brighton home, a neglected 1970s property, required significant maintenance and a complete overhaul in both functionality and style. We needed an expert to guide us through this complex renovation, and we found that expertise in our architect, John Vos.
John’s blend of skills as an architect, interior designer, project manager and his knowledge of engineering and construction was invaluable. His extensive experience with high-end multi-million dollar homes, apartments, and small renovations provided him with a unique ability to maximise value from the design, construction, and material selection.
John provided clear and structured guidance from the start, transforming a potentially stressful process into a smooth and manageable one. His deep knowledge of modern home renovation techniques was evident in every step, from the initial design phase, builder selection and management, construction oversight to the final touches. John’s expertise helped us update our home into a stylish, contemporary space, incorporating the latest design trends with our personal requirements.
A major highlight of working with John was his ability to identify cost-saving solutions without compromising on quality. By selecting high-quality, budget-friendly materials, he ensured that we received excellent value for our investment.
John’s attention to detail was impressive. Every aspect of the renovation was meticulously planned and documented, which prevented surprises during construction and provided us with peace of mind.
The project included a complete demolition and re-planning of the kitchen and bathroom areas. John designed new joinery and selected new fittings and finishes throughout the house, including tap-ware, sanitary-ware, floorboards, carpet, and lighting. He also integrated a new feature stair and concealed air conditioning, significantly enhancing both the functionality and aesthetics of our home.
John excelled in effective communication with ourselves, our builder and suppliers to keep the project on track and minimise delays. His connections to high-quality suppliers ensured that we received top-notch materials and services, which elevated the quality of the renovation. John skillfully guided my wife and I through complex design and build decisions, ensuring that both our visions were respected and integrated.
One of John’s key strengths was knowing when to assert his professional opinion. He was firm with us and the builder when necessary, ensuring that project objectives were met even if it wasn’t what we or the builder initially wanted to hear.
Thanks to John’s project management skills, the renovation was completed in 9 months, well ahead of the 12-month timeline estimated by our contacts. Remarkably, it could have been finished in 6 months if not for some changes we requested during the process.
John’s transparency and communication kept us informed about progress and issues, allowing us to make timely, informed decisions. His accurate estimates and budget management ensured there were minimal financial surprises, and unexpected challenges were efficiently handled.
Our experience working with John on our Brighton home was highly positive. His blend of guidance, expertise, cost-saving strategies, attention to detail, effective coordination, reliable supplier connections, and strong advocacy made our renovation a success.
Initially, we considered managing the project ourselves due to our connections and experience, but John’s involvement proved invaluable in saving us time and money. We now understand the immense value an architect brings to such projects and would highly recommend John for any future projects.
JEHANGIR SANDHU, Mont Albert North
“Working with John was a positive experience from the very start. He understood our brief but at the same time he guided us through other options that maximised our project potential. We are now well settled in our new home and the whole family enjoys the spaces we have available to us.“
DAVID YAN, Caulfield North
“I first became involved with Vos Architecture & Design during mid-2015 when we were considering an alteration and extension for our 1930s Art Deco home in Caulfield North, VIC. I had spoken with a “short list” of five architects at that time about their vision for our home and John was the most passionate and considered architect we had met. He has since exceeded our expectation throughout the project.
I provided a tough brief to John to introduce significantly more light and space and seamlessly link the modern sleek living space with original 1930’s home. I also had a modest budget to work with so all costs had to be contained. John came up with a creative and innovative design for our home that we would never have thought of. John’s design for a two storey Art Deco inspired pavilion joined to the original home is sympathetic to the original home and its surrounds whilst providing a modern home with all rooms full of light and space. The house featured a wide hallway running through the original home which opened up into a large, open-plan living area flooded with natural light. Despite the modest land size, three new spacious bedrooms with floor to ceiling windows are also added while maintaining a fantastic size backyard. John’s attention to even the smallest details was incredible. I now have an extremely beautiful, totally unique, and functional home with many synergies.
It is clear from the above that I am extremely pleased with our new home. John always listened to what we were wanting to achieve and I had complete faith in John. John also provided us invaluable advice at each stage of the project from design to construction, and made sure our concerns were always addressed with the utmost professionalism. Every part of the house was carefully considered.
We give John and Vos Architecture and Design our strongest recommendation and we wish them every success in the future.“
PETER AND TRISH HANRAHAN, Clifton Hill
“We chose John (Vos Architecture) after interviewing a short list of other architects. John was realistic in what could be achieved on our inner city block and came up with an interesting functional design that met the prime requirements of our design brief. He was able to come up with numerous solutions to problems created by a difficult municipal authority and we are looking forward to enjoying living with John’s design.
We have no hesitation in recommending John’s services to any potential client who will find his calm, friendly and thoughtful approach to the project and dealings with his clients a genuine asset.”
NED ZAATARI – Pascoe Vale South
“My experience working with Vos Architecture & Design has been excellent. John is a true professional who brought design skill, attention to detail, and management skills to our project. He has thorough understanding of the process with local councils and getting things built.“
VAN CAMACHO, Bulleen – New Home
“John has done a fantastic job of designing our ‘dream’ home. Great service and nice work, John. We are now on the stage of getting a building permit and getting quotations for contract issue.“
LES WHITE, Keilor East Townhouses
“John came recommended to us by a family member, as someone of skill and integrity. We provided him with a loose brief for the design of 2 townhouses in Keilor East, that they simply be modern, luxurious and cost effective. The two concept floor plans he provided for our review considered a variety of issues such as openness of areas, capturing of sunlight, flow of spaces, adults and kids zones, resale value, building cost, and simple engineering.
Once the layout was selected, he moved on to the 3D drawing stage, where we saw our dream come to life. Working in with council, John dealt with the challenge of creating a design which we would love, and also gain the approval of the Townplanning Department.
Our experience working with Vos Architects & Design has been excellent. John is a true professional who brought design skill, attention to detail, and management skills to our project. He has thorough understanding of the process with local councils and getting things built.“
DOREEN PARAVIZZINI, Balwyn North
“If you’re building a home to live in, we would highly recommend Vos Architecture. We considered other architects and had difficulties with the work they had provided. As our area is governed by restrictive laws, our dream home design was a constant ‘back to the drawing board’ with council’s planning department. We had considered other sketch design layouts which also fell short. Some of the designs had the Powder Room off the kitchen area, another located the pantry facing my entertaining area. Even the simple things were not right.
We were referred to John Vos who took control of the process, sorted design issues and used his experience to work through the pain of council approvals. It was truly refreshing to have a professional listen to me and incorporate my wants into my home design. John offered lighting, heating and interior design suggestions. He included a large walk in pantry, gave my son some much deserved noise buffering and privacy, and turned a dead space into a beautiful TV wall unit. My kitchen definitely has the ‘wow’ factor. John advised lowering the ceiling to define the space, added feature light fittings, and guided me on storage and material suggestions. In his 3D computer model, he was able to show me views of different angles of the same space, and show them at different times of the day. I could see how the shadows changed the look of the area, and I could then really understand what it would look like before it was built.
I wholeheartedly recommend John as a man of conceptual talent with the practical tools to back that up. Coming up to twelve months back home, my kids still remind how cool the house is. I watch them prepare their food for themselves with ease, lounging around, and just enjoying each other’s company. In two words: ‘saved us’.“
THEO SISMANELLIS, Business Owner
One of the best Architects that I have worked with over the last 25 years or so. Attention to detail, good knowledge of the trade and brilliant detailed drawings. Would highly recommend John and his services. Definitely the Architect I would use for my own property. 🙂
GEORGE PASSAS, Business Owner
Vos Architecture and Design is one of the best architectural practices we’ve had the pleasure of working with. As a builder there is nothing we like more than a project that has been properly thought out and documented. Their ability to work within their clients budget whilst maximising the design criteria is key to their success. I would have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone for both commercial and residential projects.