Sanctum Design

I hired Jamie to come up with a design for an extension to an Art Deco house that was purchased as a "renovator's delight". The only mandate I gave him was not to try to match old with new as I wanted the extension to be a modern design that complemented rather than blended in with the existing 1930's dwelling. The design Jamie came up with was fantastic and after a few alterations to the design to fit it in with budget, we finalised the design and started construction. Jamie was also able to help us find builders to tender for the work which helped a lot. Would definitely recommend Jamie's work.

We worked with Sanctum over three projects and found them to be very professional and willing to work to our briefs. Would highly recommend them to anyone wanting a beautiful architectural designed home that ticks every box in regards to practicality, style, and cutting edge design.

I have worked with James from Sanctum on a number of residential architectural projects that have required an interior designer. James has always proven to be an excellent designer and project leader. His attention to detail is admirable. His relationships with the client are clearly of high priority, he has excellent client skills and ends up becoming good friends with them and having long term professional and personal relationships with them. The warmth and character of his designs set his work apart from other architects I have worked with before. I have totally enjoyed our collaborations and would welcome the opportunity of working with him anytime.

My wife and I hired James Cooper from Sanctum design for plans, colours and some finishes for our new house build. We have just moved in and are extremely happy with the service provided and would have no hesitation in using this firm again. James was very helpful in his communication with our local council and with the builder that we employed. The house not only looks good but is also very functional. The rooms are well proportioned to the rest of the house. My wife and I could say the we enjoyed the building process. James was very helpful in that he listened to us. He did challenge us on some of our ideas and I must say that he was right in his ideas.

James was an absolute pleasure to work with. He understood exactly what we wanted to achieve with regards to the feel and flow of our new home. His calm demeanor was a constant source of relief, in what is a long and exhausting, but very rewarding adventure. His meticulous detail in achieving a high standard, with a brilliant finish, and a harmonious balance with our environment, has created the one of a kind, bespoke home of our dreams. Thank you James Love Michael & Jina xx

James Cooper of Sanctum designs was engaged to design two contemporary homes on adjoining blocks overlooking Middle Harbour in Sydney. Strict design parameters, including an irregular site in a bushland setting, a cliff on one side of the site, rigorous council controls, construction for Flame Zone, and a tight budget created challenges for Sanctum. James Cooper has an enviable reputation for clever, efficient and sustainable design principles, which enabled him to meet and exceed my expectations. His passion for design, depth of experience, attention to detail and ability enabled him to create an Award Winning Design. The exploration of various designs, enabled James to create a contemporary home with almost due north orientation, to take advantage of the expansive views over Middle Harbour and at the same time blend seamlessly with the surroundings. The outstanding feature of the design is its efficiency and absolute comfort; Cool in summer and warm in winter. The high thermal and acoustic ratings of the house make it both comfortable and cost effective year round. I estimate I save about 40% annually in electricity costs alone. The home design won the Award for Building design of the year 2013, and The Premier Award for Design Excellence New residential Buildings 2013.

Sanctum design took the project of our dream home from concept to completion. Sanctums principal James Cooper is passionate about his projects, informative, tasteful and professional. We chose to build a contemporary home with sustainable elements. Sanctum are respectful of the owners choices and changes! They worked well as a team with our builders and other trades people, and were prepared to step in as necessary. The team at Sanctum design made building our home a pleasure.

Sanctum Design is innovative and creative. They've delivered an excellent design for our next 20 years in our existing 18 year old residence on 5 bush acres. We wanted to build value and a great design environment into the secluded property. James worked very well with us to use the natural bush environment and seclusion within the design. Very collaborative in their approach in the design work, planning and construction stages. Happy to recommend.

I have worked with James Cooper at Sanctum Design on 3 luxury multi million housing projects over the past 7 years and it has always been a pleasure dealing with him and his team. He has a great ability to listen to what the client wants and bring it to life. I have enjoyed a very collaborative relationship with James where he comes up with great designs whilst seamlessly incorporating changes to respond to the client's wishes and feedback. James is also very proactive in identifying cost savings through intelligent design whilst always making himself available promptly to his clients when required. I would recommend James and the team at Sanctum without reservation.

James from Sanctum Design transformed our house into a home and home office. The initial appeal was the design of the e.Box as a home office. Our idea was to put in the far corner of our backyard. James provided so much more than this unique office design. He worked out the best location so that it combined with the house and yard. The best part is how it connects to our house while still being a separate work area. The result is more privacy, more usable area for our kids and the perfect place to work from. James' expertise, attention to detail, clever and practical approach has resulted in a fantastic workspace and living area.

James, Danny and the team at Sanctum Design produced the plans and specifications for our latest completed project in Northbridge, Sydney, NSW. Working with Sanctum Design from a Builders point of view was very fair, collaborative and productive. Any requests for information were answered quickly and concisely. The documentation provided was accurate, comprehensive and logically detailed. The overall design, liveability, thermal comfort and build-ability of the completed project are of the highest standards. We highly recommend Sanctum Design to prospective clientèle.