About Highlands Heritage

Imagine strolling through your own home, awestruck by the reality that once existed only as a shared dream. That's the magic Graham at Highlands Heritage Architecture + Design conjures. He's not just an architect; he's a dream weaver, a gentle nudge towards the impossible, and a firm hand holding you steady throughout the journey. So, if you're looking for an architect who's more than just a technical mind, someone who weaves your hopes and aspirations into bricks and mortar, look no further than Graham. He's the architect who builds not just houses, but homes that hold the echoes of laughter, love, and a lifetime of memories waiting to be made.

 

Our business has had the pleasure of building several of the projects designed by Graham Ormsby of Highlands Heritage Architecture + Design and worked extensively with Graham during the projects. Graham has an incredible attention to detail; he works with the Owner and the Builder to deliver the best outcome to suit the Owners wishes and requirements whilst maintaining the stability of the project budget. Graham’s designs are functional and practical without comprise as to quality. His documentation is clear and concise. We highly recommend Graham’s skills to anyone looking for an Architect and it is a pleasure working alongside Graham.

We used the services of Graham Ormsby of Highlands Heritage to give us ideas on how to make our historical cottage more suitable for modern day living but to preserve its heritage character. Graham’s insightful ideas and drawings have enabled us to have a very comfortable and workable home. He was able to do that without any detriment to the original style and look of our house. He worked in with our builder to resolve a couple of very perplexing problems. He saw the solutions immediately. Graham also enabled us to deal with our local authority quickly and without fuss.

I have had the pleasure of working closely with Graham Ormsby as a consultant town planner on several projects, particularly those with complex heritage issues. I wholeheartedly recommend Graham's involvement in any undertaking that requires a combination of highly skilled architectural design, strategic development thinking, and expertise in heritage matters.  Graham's extensive experience, both locally and abroad, is exemplified by the exceptional quality of his work and his adept handling of client interactions. His commitment to excellence and his ability to navigate the complexities of architectural and heritage considerations make him an invaluable asset to any project team.

We appointed Graham as our architect to undertake a renovation to our existing home. The house required numerous enhancements to various living spaces together with complete renewal of the existing kitchen and master-bedroom ensuite.  After taking the necessary time to hear our objectives, Graham provided a series of imaginative schematic drawings which evolved into the masterplan. He was at all times accessible, reliable and very efficient with developing the documentation and delivered an exciting concept that far exceeded the functional enhancement we had originally envisaged.  Graham is affable, conscientious and a highly skilled and experienced architect.

We feel very fortunate to have found Graham and HHAD through HiPages on our arrival in the Southern Highlands.  Thanks to Graham’s professionalism, his array of contacts, knowledge and expertise in the industry, we are now enjoying the benefits every day as a result of his design. As seasoned renovators, we are living in by far, the best house we have ever done.  We found him friendly and easy to work with, nothing was too much trouble. His understanding of our initial ideas and ability to finesse them into a more cohesive, useable and stylish design has been wonderful.

We were very pleased with the very professional and skilled architectural services provided by Graham Ormsby.   He carefully listened to our requirements and had no problem adjusting his preliminary and final plans according to our needs.  His skill in imaginative and creative design exceeded our expectations.   He was a great communicator and always responded promptly and professionally to our questions during the building of our extension. He is a highly experienced heritage architect.  Graham vastly improved our living space, including kitchen, bathroom/laundry and living room.  The living room has become the centre of our home and provides us with an indoor/outdoor space: so ideal for entertaining.   A gentleman to trust, and to work with him is a pleasure.

Collaborating with Graham on our multi-generational design and build project was akin to a true partnership. His calm demeanour and unwavering patience guided us through every step of the process. Graham’s ability to translate our vision into reality resulted in a superbly designed contemporary home that leaves us in awe.  Graham expertly helped us to navigate the constraints of a tight budget and the rising cost of building materials, following the COVID-19 pandemic. His ability to provide elegant and pragmatic solutions without compromising our vision ensured a seamless building experience. 

As a builder, I have worked on many of Graham's projects and can appreciate why his clients think highly of him. In addition I have used Graham as an architect on some of my own projects. The latest of projects I used Graham was on my 40 year old penthouse apartment which needed transforming to bring it up to today's living standards. Graham Ormsby and his team listened to my brief and understood my needs and wants.  He introduced colours, styles, space and bespoke furniture that suited my lifestyle by the beach.  Grahams design talents and attention to detail surpassed my expectations making this into something truly wonderful to live in. I would not hesitate to recommend Graham to anyone in need of an amazing renovation or new build design.

Graham and his team passionately embraced my project with genuine enthusiasm and expertise. They listened intently to my ideas and then developed a vision that reflected not only their intensive architectural experience, but also demonstrated a deep understanding of my passions for the project. The difficult nature of my off-grid build was met with deep technical knowledge, and genuine enthusiasm to rise to the challenge. Their holistic approach considered every aspect of living indoors and outdoors to produce a spectacular result that exceeded my expectations. I look forward to working with Graham and his team again in the future.

I have had a long-standing client/architect relationship with Graham Ormsby over many years. We have collaborated on a number of projects including my home which was completely transformed from a derelict Paddington terrace to a contemporary home. Its design remains fresh and relevant today. His architectural interpretation of other projects I have been a party to ranging from Federation to Georgian have been equally transformative.

 

Graham and I have worked together on a number of projects as co consultants. Graham appreciates the value for his clients by having an integrated design solution – the landscape becomes an integral part of the architecture. This allows for a comfortable balance of indoors and outdoors – providing a relaxed atmosphere for the clients – perfect for the Australian environment. Graham uses lighting as part of my landscape design so that the outdoor spaces are equally important at night as they are during the day. Consultants working with the clients in the way that we have, creates an ideal solution – the clients can feel comfortable that everything will work together.

Graham and his team are simply a delight to work with. Being a 'designer' myself makes it all the harder I think for an architect when they have a client like me who changes their mind constantly, has to reduce ideas to meet budget constraints and simply just can't sign off because there's a 'bright new idea' to be explored. Yet Graham and team have met every challenge with consummate professionalism, a smile and an attitude that has been at all times respectful making communication comfortable. Not always found in the design world from my experience after 25 years of running my own agency. Would I work with them again... absolutely and I hope it will happen because a positive, stimulating and warm collaboration is a rare and wonderful thing. We are still a long way from finished on this project but I am sure the outcome will be all I am wishing for and more.