The owner, Maya & her kids had been watching us work next door at Simon & Sally’s home for some time, where we were already updating an old deck & patio cover into a space that they could use & enjoy.
Maya had two old, narrow timber decks that were not only rotting & falling apart, but didn’t allow for any space for her to entertain with friends or for the kids to play. They were simply used as walkways or a space to dry clothes - it was a wasted space.
The brief was to create some space - give them an area downstairs that
was connected to the internal living areas, but the area also needed to give her opportunities to not only relax but to be more formal if she chose to, with a outdoor table & chairs for larger gatherings.
Her block of land was not only in a Bushfire Flame Zone, but it was on a severe slope so there was already limited access to the backyard.
Maya was looking to create a space not only downstairs, but upstairs - a separate area for the kids, where they could just be or even just hang with their friends.
The block of land was typical for Pretoria Parade, which is a steep road that winds its way down & around sharp bends into a gully at the base.
Most of the area is classed a Bushfire Flame Zone (BAL FZ), which we were already aware of, after completing a similar project directly next door.
Because Maya was juggling work, kids and a busy household, she didn’t want an outdoor area that became another thing to maintain.
The challenge was finding a solution that not only complied with the BAL FZ bushfire requirements, but also created a space that felt modern, practical and easy to live with long term.
A tiled outdoor floor system over a steel frame gave her exactly that — a durable, low-maintenance outdoor living space that felt like a true extension of the home.
Over our many years in the local community & numerous projects submitted to Hornsby Shire Council, we recognised early that the proposed height of the topdeck/upper level patio cover didn’t comply with Hornsby Shire Councils ‘Development Control Plan’ (DCP) requirements.
But by slowing the initial process down, this gives us the ability to spot things like this early; so we addressed it in the Development Application.
We outlined to council that due to the natural slope of the land & the existing design of the home - although the height of the proposal didn’t comply, there was no other viable solution.
This initial preparation prior to the council lodgement meant that the Development Application approval was turned around in just 70 days.
During our initial Design Consultation with Maya we kept the design principles simple.
The key was the start by maximising the usable space to the main lower deck floor area as this would be the main focal point for her & it also connected to the main internal kitchen & living area.
We discussed that it would work for Maya to have multiple zones within this lower deck area.
This would mean a more formal entertaining space - an area to sit down with the family or for when friends gather; combined with a more casual area to the end.
We used the natural starting & finishing points of the existing home to map out the ground floor area - going from end to end not only maximized usable space but also visually tied it back into the home, so it didn’t look like an addition.
“We want to keep the sunlight, we don’t want to lose a lot of sunlight coming into the actual house.”
We hear this a lot from our clients
Even though we were adding a totally new ‘Outdoor Room’ to the rear of the home, we wanted to minimize the loss of the internal natural light. This can be one of the difficulties of working within BAL FZ homes
There were two different approaches that we used in this construction to provide a solution.
We included an opening/closing louvered roofing section
This addition worked in two ways.
One, it added to the design as it filled in a gap for where the upper balcony area finished short to the downstairs floor space & provided function - by still having a covered space for when it rains.
Two, as the louvers open & close, it enabled Maya to control the natural light back into the kitchen area. It gave her the flexibility to control the light/weather in what some might have thought a bit of a dead end with the BAL FZ restrictions.
We added height to the top floor patio cover
We still wanted to keep the design simple & ensure that it tied back into the home, so we ruled out covering the top floor balcony with a gabled roof of sorts.
A large gable structure would have made the whole area too bulky, too top heavy & we had already identified a potential issue with council regarding the height - so we didn’t want to push that line too far & make the roof line even higher.
As the existing house eave line was relatively low, we didn’t want to just throw something onto the fascia line. This would have resulted in absolutely no head height for the space & render it useless.
The solution was to fix the rear of the patio cover above the existing tiled roof line. Everyone has a slightly different name for this, but you might have heard it referred to as a ‘flyover’. We lined the patio ceiling with ‘Villaboard’, painted it white & included some downlights, fan etc.
This simple method of lining the patio ceiling meant that it didn’t clutter the space with framing; the white ceiling helped rebound the natural light in & with the higher rear connection point. This contributed to give a spacious feeling whilst not losing too much internal light to the upstairs rumpus.
Most of our constructions require some kind of an approval, the majority of those is within a Development Application through the local council.
Occasionally, there are a couple of works which can sneak through as Complying Developments (CDC), but these are only a few. A CDC effectively works against a black & white checklist - there is no grey. If you fail on one tick box, that means you are out & will either need to reevaluate your design or go straight to the Council for a DA.
Initially, our clients in their early discussions are anxious or even scared of the hassle that comes with with a Developement Application to their local council.
The might have heard a friend or a neighbor down the street with some great tale of woe, where the council took 3 years to get it through.
Our approach is a little different.
We slow it down…we slow it down early.
We do this because we know that there might be an easement, a bushfire rating or height requirement that will be hidden amongst the details. By slowing this down, we look to find these early, which then gives us the opportunity to work out a solution.
Submitting plans without identifying potential issues early often leads to delays, redesigns and unnecessary stress during the approval process.
Is this case at Hornsby, we knew the bushfire requirements; which also meant that we knew it had to be a DA through the council from the beginning as the BAL FZ automatically ruled out an CDC approval.
So this meant we could advise Maya clearly & early about how long the process will take.
As always & in this case, we took care of the approvals for our clients - all of the way through. So there was no “Can you please speak to the stormwater engineer?” or “Have you got the survey yet??”.
Just one less thing to worry about.
These are our last four Local Council Approvals.
What was once two narrow, underused walkways is now a connected outdoor living environment designed around how Maya and her family actually live.
The completed project created more than 75sqm of functional outdoor living space across two levels - giving the family multiple areas to relax, entertain, spend time together or simply enjoy the backyard year-round.
Just as importantly, the finished design solved the long-term maintenance concerns that originally pushed Maya to start the project in the first place.
After our final handover, the new deck & patio covers has:
As the block of land was classed a ‘Bushfire Flame Zone (BAL FZ)’ it meant that the Complying Development Consent (CDC) approval process was automatically ruled out & couldn’t be used.
We still used a Private Certifier for the Construction Certificate
Overall from our clients initial enquiry, through to final handover was 11 months.
This included:
Every outdoor living project we design is tailored to the home, site conditions and how the family wants to use the space; so costs can vary significantly.
As a general guide, most of our complete outdoor living projects typically fall between $150,000–$250,000+, depending on scope, approvals, structural requirements and material selections.
A lot of homeowners know what they don’t like about their current outdoor area, but struggle to picture the finished space. That’s normal. Our design process is made to help you see the end result before construction begins.
We start with a detailed design consult at your home. From there, we create a custom 3D concept so you can clearly see the layout, roof design, flooring, lighting, and how the space connects back to your home.
This helps you feel confident in the design before moving forward.
The best outdoor living spaces feel like they were always part of the home. That comes down to good design, not just construction.
We focus on things like matching floor heights, keeping natural light inside the home, and choosing materials and roof lines that suit the existing house. The goal is to create a smooth indoor-outdoor flow so the new space feels connected, functional, and architecturally considered; not like something added later.
In high-level bushfire zones, not all decking products can be used. Many composite boards do not meet the required bushfire ratings, which is why we guide clients through safer long-term options.
For many homes in Sydney bushfire zones, tiled outdoor flooring on a steel frame is one of the best solutions. It’s strong, low maintenance, and performs well over time. It also gives you a clean, modern finish without the ongoing upkeep that timber can need.
Adrian will visit your property to discuss design and measure the space.
You'll get a detailed proposal, 3D renders and plans ready for approval.
Adrian Apostolatos is the founder of Emanate & Co, a family business with more than 30 years of history. He has been helping Sydney homeowners create thoughtfully-designed outdoor rooms for the past 25 years.
He specialises in outdoor room design, custom decks, patios, outdoor kitchens and fully managed outdoor living projects. Through his articles, he shares practical advice to help homeowners plan before they build.
