Proposed Bespoke Five-Bedroom Residence – Barrister Garden 1. PROJECT OVERVIEW We have acquired two adjoining plots within Barrister Garden, each originally measuring approximately 23.5 m × 40 m. The combined property therefore measures approximately: 47 m × 40 m – approximately half an acre. The estate currently has four approved house concepts, one of which is the “Amazon” design. The attached Amazon architectural drawings, floor plans and exterior renderings should be used primarily as a reference for the required external architectural character. However, we do not wish to simply enlarge or modify the existing Amazon floor plan. We would like the architect to approach the project as a complete bespoke redesign from first principles, taking advantage of the substantially larger combined site. The existing Amazon plan was designed around approximately 480 m² of built-up area on a quarter-acre plot. The new residence will be considerably more spacious and should be designed specifically around our family's requirements. The architect should therefore have considerable freedom regarding the internal planning, orientation and configuration of the residence. The principal requirement is that the external architectural language remains recognisably related to the Amazon concept, sufficiently to comply with the estate's architectural requirements. The exterior may nevertheless be refined and modernised, producing a more contemporary and luxurious interpretation of the Amazon design rather than an exact reproduction. 2. OVERALL DESIGN PHILOSOPHY The objective is to create a modern, elegant, spacious and highly functional family residence that feels luxurious without becoming unnecessarily oversized or inefficient. The design should prioritise: - Generous but proportionate spaces - Controlled natural daylight - Excellent indoor air quality - Good indoor/outdoor connection - Privacy between public, family and service areas - Logical and efficient circulation - High ceilings where appropriate - Strong visual connections between important spaces - Modern architectural detailing - Practical everyday family living - Adequate storage throughout - Long-term usability - Energy efficiency - Future-proofing - Efficient utilisation of the half-acre property The architect should avoid creating oversized rooms merely for the sake of increasing floor area. Spaces should instead feel deliberate, comfortable, well proportioned and architecturally resolved. An approximate residential scale of 650–750 m² may be used as an initial planning reference, but this should not be treated as an absolute limitation. Because the development will incorporate a basement, terraces, recreational spaces and ancillary areas, the eventual total gross built-up area may reasonably exceed this figure. The final size should ultimately be determined by achieving the required accommodation and good architectural proportions rather than meeting an arbitrary square-metre target. 3. BUILDING CONFIGURATION The proposed residence should comprise: Basement + Ground Floor + First Floor + Second/Recreational Floor The second floor should be lighter in accommodation than the principal floors and should primarily accommodate recreational, flexible or private-use spaces. A compact residential lift should connect all four levels, from the basement through to the second floor. The lift should preferably be integrated discreetly adjacent to or close to the principal staircase so that the vertical circulation is consolidated rather than having the lift positioned as a separate architectural feature. The lift only needs to comfortably accommodate approximately two persons and should not consume unnecessary floor area. The staircase itself should be treated as an important architectural element of the house and integrated carefully with the double-volume spaces and overall circulation. 4. SITE PLANNING Because the property now consists of two combined plots, the new house should not simply occupy the position or footprint of the original Amazon house. The architect should reconsider the entire site from first principles. The residence may preferably be offset towards one side of the property, subject to planning and estate setback requirements, rather than sitting directly in the centre of the plot. The intention is to create a substantial and usable landscaped garden and outdoor entertainment zone on the other side and towards the rear of the property. An indicative side separation of approximately 4 metres from the perimeter boundary may be considered where regulations permit, although final setbacks should comply with all applicable requirements. The site planning should establish a strong relationship between: House → Outdoor Terrace/Veranda → Garden → Swimming Pool → Gazebo/Outdoor Lounge → Sunken Firepit/Entertainment Areas These elements should feel like components of one coordinated mas