Site first
We assess the block, design both residences and build them. LATTICE in Matraville and SOL in Bondi Beach were designed and built by SHORE.
Duplex and dual occupancy / Sydney
Duplex builders in Sydney
Two residences on one site, designed and built with the proportion and care of a single architectural home.
AXIS / Chifley · Duplex Facade
01 / The proposition
Two homes. One considered piece of architecture.
A good duplex should not read as one house copied twice. Each residence needs its own light, privacy and outdoor space. The pair still has to sit well on the street as a single composition.
We begin with the site, its orientation and its planning controls. Then we shape the two homes together, from the party wall and the entries to the materials each side will share.
We design and build duplexes for families planning to live in one and sell or rent the other. We also build for owners developing both. The brief sets the balance between the two.
- Architectural design
- Interior design
- Construction
The first decision
Is your site suited to two homes?
Not every block can carry a duplex. Frontage, area, zoning, access and the council's controls all decide what is possible. The approval path matters too. Some sites qualify for complying development under the NSW code. Others need a development application. We read those constraints before any design is drawn so the pair is shaped for the path your site is on.
A duplex sequence
From one site to two finished homes.
A duplex asks more of the early stages than a single home. These are the steps we work through, confirmed around your site and brief.
Site and title
Survey the block and read its zoning, frontage and access. Confirm what the title allows before the brief is set.
Two briefs, one plan
Define how each home will be used, then test the layout, the party wall and the outdoor spaces against the controls.
Design as a pair
Develop the architecture and interiors so each residence has its own character within one street presence.
Approval
Coordinate the consultants and prepare the application for complying development or a council assessment.
Build
Construct both homes under one program, with the party wall, services and shared details resolved before work starts.
Handover
Complete each residence to the same standard and hand over the documents needed for your next step, whether that is living, leasing or selling.
Ways to work with us
Begin with the site or bring a design forward.
Some duplex owners come to us with a block and a brief. Others already hold drawings. Both can lead to the same standard of finished homes.
Drawings first
If a designer has already developed the duplex, we review the documentation and discuss a construction scope. AXIS in Chifley was designed by Superior Design and built by us.
Explore our work
Duplexes we have built.
Sydney
Duplex projects across Sydney.
Our duplex and dual occupancy work runs across Sydney, from Bondi Beach and Matraville in the east to Eastwood and Carlingford in the north west. FERN in Balgowlah and SOLICE in Carlingford are dual occupancies now under construction. Every site is assessed against its own council and controls.
Questions to bring early
Duplex builders, before the drawings.
Can my block take a duplex?
It depends on the zoning, the lot size, the frontage and the council's controls for your address. Some sites qualify for complying development under the NSW code. Others need a development application. We check the site before design starts.
What is the difference between a duplex and a dual occupancy?
Dual occupancy is the planning term for two dwellings on one lot. A duplex is usually the attached form, with the two homes sharing a party wall. Detached dual occupancies sit side by side or front to back without touching.
How do you keep each home private?
Privacy is designed in from the plan. We place windows, entries and outdoor spaces so neither home looks into the other. The party wall is detailed for acoustic separation to meet the building code for your design.
Do you build duplexes to sell?
Yes. We build for owners who plan to live in one home, for families sharing a site and for owners developing both. SOL in Bondi Beach is one of our completed duplexes.
Can you build a duplex someone else designed?
Yes. Send the drawings and the approval status. AXIS in Chifley was designed by Superior Design and built by SHORE.
Start with the site
Tell us about the site for your duplex.
Share the address, how you plan to use the two homes and where the design sits today. We can help you read the site before the brief is set.
Discuss your duplex
