DREAM The seed for Dancing Dragon Design was sown a lifetime ago when, totally entranced, my 10 year old self entered my friend's A-frame home for the first time. Nestled in a suburban forest at the top of a hill, its soaring ceilings, full height glazing and mezzanine sleeping lofts enthralled me. Up until that moment, I had believed homes could only have low, flat ceilings and be crammed with dark, minimally ventilated rooms with limited space and no stimulation for creative thought. Years later while studying architectural design, the eternally fascinated child within serendipitously discovered the Feng Shui principle of the dragon, or energy, being able to move freely within a space. The instant mental image was of a dragon dancing - beautiful, joyous and free. Time elapsed and tangental research uncovered the belief that when dragons dance upon the earth, they make the dreams of humans into reality and so Dancing Dragon Design was born, with the underlying desire to manifest the dreams of humans in a three dimensional form. DESIGN Intrinsic to any good design practice is the consideration of sustainability principles: geographical location; site conditions; prevailing breezes; solar orientation; local building practices and available materials; recycling; and current technologies; all provide a general starting point to the design process. Of equal importance to environmental and budgetary considerations is human or social sustainability. Commonly broadcast concerns over an ageing population, housing affordability and smaller lot sizes have direct implications for housing design and by necessity our homes need to become more fluid in their use of space. In an era of greater family diversity, it is not viable to take a 'one size fits all' approach. In what can potentially be a multi-generational dwelling, or source of additional income, consideration needs to be given to the distribution of public and private areas and the utilisation of external space to not only maximise this potential but allow for a continued connection to nature. It is an exciting time to be a designer! DETAILS After several years working for Territory based Architectural and Building Design firms where I cemented my knowledge of the NT Planning Scheme and National Construction Code on primarily large scale projects, I spread my wings to realise my original intent of being a residential designer and started Dancing Dragon Design in 2015. In the ensuing time, I have completed a range of projects encompassing new builds, granny flats, a multiple dwelling, additions and alterations to existing homes and freestanding entertaining areas in locations ranging from Berry Springs to Parap and others in-between. Each project has given me the opportunity to work with local builders, certifiers, engineers and sub-contractors along with some wonderful people intent on realising their homes potential, reinforcing for me that home is truly where the heart lies. If you are seeking something a little bit different and ready to embark upon a journey, then please call us today!