Ascend Living Adelaide
Architectural continuity from design into build
Ascend Living is an Adelaide design and build construction company creating architect-designed homes, renovations and extensions through thoughtful design, experienced people and a passion for beautiful built environments.
Our story
Ascend Living grew from a love of creating well-designed homes and seeing good architectural ideas carried all the way through construction.
We believe the environments people live in can influence how they feel, connect and enjoy everyday life. That makes architecture about more than appearance. For us it’s about creating spaces that respond to the people who live there, the site around them and the way the home needs to work.
Ascend Living builds exclusively from architectural designs developed through Yvonne Svensson Architect, creating one connected pathway from architecture into construction. Yvonne retains overall responsibility as the project moves into the build, helping keep the design thinking connected to decisions made on site.
For us, designing and building a home is a shared journey between client, architect and builder. Everyone brings different experiences, knowledge and priorities to the project, which all add value to the end result.
Designing around people, place and environmental performance
Every home starts with a different site, different priorities and a different way of living.
We are passionate about making the most of the environmental opportunities each site presents. That means looking carefully at orientation, sunlight, prevailing winds, room placement, natural light, ventilation, views and the relationship between the home and its surroundings.
Energy efficiency is part of that thinking from the design stage. Depending on the project, this can include insulation, solar shading, low-emissivity glazing, double or triple glazing, thermal mass and passive heating and cooling strategies.
Building materials matter too. We consider performance, durability and energy use alongside opportunities to reduce embodied carbon through material choices and locally sourced products where practical.
For renovations and extensions, the existing home becomes part of the response. New spaces and materials need to work with what is already there, while improving the way the home functions and feels.
The aim is to create architecture that responds intelligently to people and place, while making thoughtful use of energy, materials and the environmental opportunities of the site.
Homes designed for the way you want to live
Our clients often come to us with a wanting something better, not just a house, not a “cookie cutter “ but a well thought out home that they can be proud of and enjoy living in.
For some, it is a completely new architect-designed home. For others, it is a renovation or extension that changes how an existing property works and feels.
Either way, they are generally not looking for a standard solution.
Our customers value design and are prepared to invest in creating the home they want, but they also want to spend thoughtfully and understand the decisions being made along the way.
That is where collaboration becomes important.
We listen to what matters to you, then bring our architectural and construction experience into the conversation.
There is rarely only one way to solve a design or construction problem. We can provide suggestions, options, directions and different pathways you may not have considered, then work through those choices together.
A collaborative way of working
Every client has different priorities.
Some want to be closely involved in every major selection. Others prefer to make the important decisions and leave more of the day-to-day detail with us.
We work with both.
Our role is to give you the information and options you need when a decision matters, while coordinating the wider project behind the scenes.
That can mean discussing alternative materials, working through a construction detail, considering different ways to resolve a problem or bringing the right consultant or trade into the conversation.
You remain part of the project without needing to become its coordinator.
We manage the moving parts while keeping you connected to the choices that shape your home.
Communication
Good communication is not something we leave to chance.
During construction, we generally meet with clients face to face on site each week. If an important selection or decision needs more attention, we meet more often.
Our communication approach includes:
- Overall Schedule of Works, ensuring time slots for each trade in the correct sequence.
- Weekly face-to-face site meetings
- Additional meetings when key selections or decisions need attention
- Emails confirming decisions, meeting directions, pricing and project documentation
- Direct face to face site discussions with trades ( many cases daily to ensure work progress and particularly when design or construction details need working through)
- Phone conversations for practical problem-solving, scheduling and coordination
- Texts for quick confirmations and minor decisions
The same direct approach applies to the consultants and suppliers involved in the build.
When a problem needs working through, we organise the relevant people involved ( preferably face to face) to discuss the issue and determine the best way forward.
It keeps communication practical, reduces misinterpretation and gives everyone a better understanding of what needs to happen next.
A project team built through long-term relationships
An architect-designed home depends on many different people doing their part well.
Over the years, Ascend Living has developed relationships with consultants, suppliers and trades who understand the way we approach residential design and construction.
This can include:
- Cabinet makers and joinery specialists
- Plumbers and bathroom trades
- Electricians and lighting specialists
- Engineers and consultants
- Suppliers and product specialists
- Other specialist building trades
Many of our cabinet makers, suppliers, engineers and consultants are long-term project partners who have worked across different projects with us.
That familiarity matters.
They understand the design philosophy and quality requirements behind the work and know that architectural details are there for a reason.
New trades can also be introduced when a project requires different expertise. They are generally engaged through recommendations and after we have considered their suitability for the work.
Together, that wider team contributes the specialist knowledge needed to take a home from architectural documentation through to construction.
Good construction takes more than following drawings
A construction drawing tells a trade what needs to be built.
Understanding the thinking behind it can help people see why it has been designed that way.
That distinction is important to Ascend Living.
As construction progresses, questions inevitably arise. Existing conditions may need to be worked around. A detail may need further discussion. Several practical solutions may be possible.
We work through those situations collaboratively.
The aim is to resolve what is happening on site while still considering the architectural thinking behind the wider project.
If something needs attention, we address in the now it rather than leaving it unresolved or buck passing which could delay the project or further complicate the build sequence.
Our values
- Building long lasting client relationships
- Listening and engaging with clients’ needs and desires
- Honest and unbiased advice
- Well documented and efficient designs
- Professional work ethics
Our aims
- To design that contributes positively to the natural and built environment.
- To provide projects that run smoothly and on time using our project
management tools & techniques with open communication - To provide value for money through cost efficient design and construction
using proven techniques and standards. - To provide well designed homes of highest quality and longevity.
Architectural and construction experience behind Ascend Living
Ascend Living brings together architectural experience, residential construction and project coordination.
Yvonne Svensson holds a Bachelor of Architecture, is a Registered Architect No. 2739, and holds a Graduate Diploma in Project Management.
Ascend Living operates under Builder Licence BLD 302036.
Yvonne retains overall responsibility across Ascend Living projects, with day-to-day work delegated to site supervisors where appropriate.
That gives the wider project a consistent point of responsibility while drawing on the experience of the consultants, suppliers and trades involved in delivering the home.
Creating homes through design, collaboration and construction
A home brings together a site, a design, a budget, many individual decisions and many different people.
We believe the best way to manage that complexity is collaboratively.
Listen carefully. Design thoughtfully. Bring experienced people together. Communicate openly. Work through problems when they arise. Keep the reasons behind the design in view as construction progresses.
That is the approach behind Ascend Living.
If you are considering an architect-designed new home, renovation or extension in Adelaide or surrounding areas, we would be happy to hear what you are planning.