Design and Build Adelaide
Your architect-designed home, built as intended
Ascend Living provides design and build for architect-designed homes and renovations in Adelaide. Your design stays connected from concept through construction, with the vision behind it guiding decisions throughout the build.
End-to-end design and build
One team from design to construction
Your architectural vision stays connected
Your design should still feel like your design when it is built
A carefully considered architectural design can lose something when design and construction are treated as separate stages.
Our approach is different.
We connect architectural design and construction from the start. The design is completed before construction begins with Ascend Living, helping the original design intent carry through the build.
We understand the design philosophy, the decisions that have defined the home and the quality requirements behind the documentation. Our consultants and trades work within that same understanding as construction progresses.
For you, this creates continuity between the design and the finished build.
You can stay involved in the decisions that matter while we coordinate the practical details required to bring the project together.
That connection between design and construction sits at the heart of our Design and Build approach.
What Design and Build means with Ascend Living
Our Design and Build model brings architectural design and residential construction into one coordinated process.
Ascend Living builds exclusively from architectural designs developed through Yvonne Svensson Architect, creating one connected pathway from architecture into construction.
Once the architectural design is complete including all approvals, Ascend Living takes the project into final build cost, selections and into construction. We then coordinate the consultants, suppliers, trades, materials and building work required to bring the project together.
Yvonne retains overall responsibility as the project moves into the build, helping keep the design thinking connected to decisions made on site.
For you, there is a clear path from designing your home to building it, with the people involved working from an understanding of the design behind the project.
Our Design and Build service covers architect-designed new homes, renovations and extensions across Adelaide and surrounding areas.
From architectural design into construction, the thinking stays connected.
Does this sound like the way you want to build?
The right builder is not only about the type of home you are creating. It is also about how you want to work throughout the project.
You have a strong vision for your home
You are not looking for a standard solution. You want to create a home, renovation, or architectural extension where design integrity matters at every stage.
You want to stay involved without managing every detail
You want a say in the decisions that matter without becoming responsible for coordinating consultants, suppliers and trades yourself.
We manage those moving parts and bring you into the conversation when choices or decisions need your input.
You want to spend where it matters
An architect-designed home involves choices about materials, finishes, details and how different parts of the project come together.
You are prepared to invest in creating the home you want, but you also want to make those decisions thoughtfully. We can talk through options and different ways forward, helping you understand the choices as they arise.
You want direct communication with your builder
You do not want important decisions disappearing through layers of communication.
We generally meet with clients on site each week, giving you a regular opportunity to see progress, ask questions, discuss upcoming decisions and stay connected to the build.
You want good value without compromising on design
Ascend Living provides competitive pricing for your home whilst ensuring that the design intent is maintained and delivered. We provide you with the best pricing possible with our network of suppliers and trade professionals and independent estimators. You can be sure that you will get the best value!
New homes, renovations and extensions designed around you
Ascend Living builds architect-designed residential projects across Adelaide and surrounding areas, including new homes, renovations and extensions.
Architect-designed new homes
Create a home around the way you want to live, with the architectural design developed before construction begins and carried into the build through Ascend Living.
Architectural renovations
Substantial renovations often need to balance the existing home with new spaces, materials and ways of living.
We build architect-designed renovations where the new work is considered as part of the home as a whole.
Home extensions
An extension needs to add the space you need while responding to the existing property.
Ascend Living constructs architect-designed extensions and additions that connect new work with the original home.
How we think about architectural design
Good architecture starts with understanding the site, the people who will live there and the way the home needs to work.
Design decisions can respond to orientation, sunlight, prevailing winds, room placement, natural light, ventilation, views and the relationship with the surrounding landscape. Materials, glazing, insulation and shading can also be considered as part of the home’s energy performance and comfort.
The aim is to create architecture that is energy-efficient, practical, considered and responsive to its setting, while reflecting the client’s priorities, lifestyle and design vision.
How we think about construction
Construction should carry the thinking behind the design into the finished home.
That means understanding the architectural intent, resolving details carefully and working through practical decisions without losing sight of the overall design.
We work with established consultants, suppliers and trades, many of whom have built long-term working relationships with the team. Clients remain closely involved through regular site meetings and direct communication, while construction questions are worked through collaboratively as the project progresses.
The focus is on good workmanship, practical problem-solving and making sure issues are addressed properly when they arise.
Featured architect-designed projects
Our work includes new homes, renovations and extensions across Adelaide and surrounding areas.
Old Noarlunga - New home
A new architect-designed home delivered through Ascend Living’s design and build process.
Parkside - Renovation and extension
An architect-designed renovation and extension that reworked and expanded the existing home.
One connected, end-to-end design and build journey
Each project is different, but the overall journey follows a similar path from architectural design through to construction and completion.
1
Architectural design
Your project begins with Yvonne Svensson Architect, where the design, preliminary estimates, documentation and required approvals are developed.
2
Pre construction preparation
Ascend Living works through an all-inclusive pricing , final specifications and selections and the practical requirements needed to prepare for construction (insurances, contracts).
We discuss the various build contracts that would be suitable. We always use industry standard contracts that have been approved either by Master Builders Association or the Housing Industry Association.
3
Construction coordination & communication
We manage the build and coordinate the consultants, suppliers, services and trades .
We have open communication with our clients keeping you well informed of your project progress at every stage.
4
Completion and handover
We take the project through the final stages of construction to completion and handover.
A project team that knows how to work together
Building an architect-designed home brings together many different specialists.
Ascend Living works with an established network of consultants, suppliers and trades, including long-term project partners who understand the design philosophy and quality requirements behind our work.
This can include:
- Cabinet makers and joinery specialists
- Plumbers and bathroom trades
- Electricians and lighting specialists
- Engineers and consultants
- Suppliers and specialist building trades
We coordinate that wider team throughout construction, bringing the right people together around the needs of your home.
Learn more about Ascend Living, our approach and the people behind the business.
Open communication throughout the build
You should know what is happening with your project and have regular opportunities to discuss what comes next. Therefore, open communication is essential, and we provide our clients with:
- Weekly face-to-face site meetings
- Extra meetings when key selections or decisions need attention
- Important decisions and project directions confirmed by email
- Direct communication with trades and consultants as issues are worked through
This means you can see progress, ask questions and make decisions while the work is happening, rather than being brought in after the fact.
Design and Build across Adelaide and surrounding areas
Ascend Living undertakes architect-designed new homes, renovations and extensions across metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills and areas south of Adelaide.
Our work includes locations such as Parkside, South Plympton, Millswood, Stonyfell and Old Noarlunga, as well as areas including McLaren Vale and Willunga.
If you are planning an architect-designed residential project in Adelaide, contact use discuss your project.
What clients say about working with Ascend Living
“We are absolutely thrilled with our build. Yvonne has been engaging with us since the very beginning and has gone above and beyond, including accompanying us to the lawyers when we had trouble with the council. As property investors, we have built several times, and we can honestly say that this has been the best experience we have had. Yvonne was always easy to contact and unlike other builders, she was constantly on site, overlooking the progress. Her honesty, communication, design and expertise have been 10/10.”
Belinda
New Home — Old Noarlunga
“Ascend Living are handling our major renovation and new build, which for a first timer began as a very intimidating process. Mimi has provided clear and transparent advice throughout, and structured the build in clearly defined stages, making it less of a daunting prospect.”
Sarah List
Architectural Extension — Unley
Why clients choose Ascend Living
Design stays connected to construction
The architectural thinking behind the project continues into the build.
Always informed
Regular face-to-face communication keeps you informed and involved.
We bring options to the conversation
When decisions arise, we can discuss different practical ways forward.
We coordinate the moving parts
We manage the consultants, suppliers, trades and construction requirements behind the project.
We take responsibility
If something needs attention during construction, we work through it.
Experience backed by professional credentials
Ascend Living brings together architectural, building and project management experience.
- Yvonne Svensson holds a Bachelor of Architecture, is a Registered Architect (No. 2739), and has a Graduate Diploma in Project Management.
- Ascend Living operates under Builder’s Licence BLD 302036.
Frequently asked questions about design & build in Adelaide
Coverage across Greater Adelaide:
Metropolitan Adelaide • Adelaide Hills • Coastal Western Suburbs • Inner South • Surrounding Regions
What is a design and build company?
A design and build company connects architectural design with construction so the two stages work as one coordinated process.
What does end-to-end Design & Build include?
It includes the stages needed to take an architect-designed project from design into construction and through to completion.
Depending on the project, this can include architectural design, pricing, final selections, consultant and trade coordination, materials, construction and handover.
What is Ascend Living?
Ascend Living is an Adelaide design and build construction company that builds exclusively from architectural designs developed through Yvonne Svensson Architect, creating one connected pathway from architecture into construction.
What types of projects does Ascend Living build?
We build architect-designed new homes, renovations and extensions across Adelaide and surrounding areas.
Do I communicate directly with the builder during construction?
Yes.
We generally meet with clients face to face on site each week to discuss progress, upcoming work and decisions. Additional meetings can be arranged when selections or other matters need more attention.
Who coordinates the consultants and trades?
Ascend Living coordinates the consultants, suppliers, services and trades involved during construction.
Yvonne retains overall responsibility for the project and may delegate day-to-day work to site supervisors where appropriate.
Can I stay involved in decisions during the build?
Yes.
We work collaboratively with you on selections, options and construction decisions, while managing the detailed coordination behind the build.
Where does Ascend Living build?
We primarily undertake residential projects across metropolitan Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills and areas south of Adelaide, including McLaren Vale and Willunga.
Are you ready to carry your design into construction?
If you are planning an architect-designed new home, renovation or extension, we can help take your completed architectural vision through pricing, coordination and construction.
Talk to Ascend Living about your project, where you are in the design process and what you want from the building experience.