This renovation by our Horizon Small Works team of a Vaucluse cottage was undertaken for clients with a long-standing relationship with Horizon. Walls were opened up, rotting doors and windows replaced, kitchen and bathroom renovated, and new joinery in the first floor bedrooms and living area installed. Whilst on site, we were asked to refurbish the existing pool and pool deck, as well as turn a part of the garden into an outdoor kitchen!
Architecture by Sam Crawford Architects
Photos by Simon Whitbread
Employee of the month
This month we meet the grease between Horizon’s wheels, our long-standing truck driver, waste remover, recycler, scaffolder, crane operator, tools, plant & equipment manager, electrical test & tagger, and anything else that just needs to get done, Adrian “Ace” Salvador!
How long have you been at Horizon?
14 years and 8 months.
What do you love about your job?
I love that I am involved in projects from the beginning to the end. I get to see the transformation and know that in some way I played a part. I also love that I work with a great bunch of people.
What are you working on at the moment?
Coordinating and setting up scaffold on two new Small Works & Upkeep sites, as well as moving everything around between sites, the office and our yard.
What do you enjoy about working with architects and designers?
Whilst I don’t directly work with them, I like seeing how their visions and ideas are turned into something tangible.
Where were you born?
Manly. I now live on the Central Coast, and commute every day.
What has been your greatest professional achievement to date?
Having the confidence to leave the film and television industry after 20 years to pursue a career in the building industry. I have gone from someone who had no idea to someone able to make decisions under pressure and problem-solve to ensure things run smoothly for the company.
What’s the most useful thing you’ve learned throughout your career?
Back yourself!
Three people you’d have over for a BBQ?
Richard Branson, Craig Lowndes & Stevie Ray Vaughn
What do you do outside of work?
Kayaking, camping, bushwalking & spend time with the family
Recent news
UNSW Built Environment Awards
Each year, Horizon sponsor an award at UNSW to reward and encourage excellence in the Building Construction Management stream of the Built Environment faculty.
Congratulations to the joint-winners of the UNSW Built Environment Horizon Habitats prize in BEIL (Built Environment Interdisciplinary Learning) Liam BYRNE & John BOOTH!
Horizon have been sponsoring this prize for academic excellence since 2016, and we are proud to support the next generation of leaders of our industry.
The best house in the world?
Our Double Bay residence II continues to smash it out of the park. Trends IDEAS has recently voted it the Trends International Homes Awards Winner 2018 (TIDA) International Home of the Year. Quite an achievement! We are so proud of this home, and our team absolutely loved working with our clients, designers SAOTA, TKD Architects, Acor Solutions and all our subcontractors and suppliers to deliver this amazing house.
Mates in Construction
Horizon sponsored a hole at the recent Mates in Construction Golf Day – raising funds and awareness for Suicide Prevention in the building industry, held at St Michaels Golf Course.
Construction workers are six times more likely to die from suicide than an accident at work.
The day was always going to be a challenge, with some blustery conditions and over 35 groups from all corners of our industry. A score of -7 was not enough to get on the leaderboard, but a great day was had by all regardless, and all for a great cause!
School for Life
Team Horizon we will be supporting an extremely worthwhile charity called “School for Life”
Last year, we managed to get a $50,000 bathroom renovation at the Sydney Children’s Hospital done, at no cost to the Hospital. This year, we are sending two of our staff – David Waterson (Small Works, Upkeep & Remedial – Construction Manager) & Simon Robinson (Senior Site Foreman) to Uganda to help build some teachers’ accommodation at the school, so as to be able to attract the best teachers, and have somewhere for them to live, rather than spending hours and hours travelling each day to get to and from school.
Horizon will cover the cost of sending them to Uganda, and their time there.
In addition, we are asking if you will make whatever contribution you can, to help us reach our goal of raising $25,000 for the school itself. We have asked our own staff, and are asking our subbies and clients to join us in helping those far less fortunate than ourselves get an opportunity at a better life. Any donation you can make will help us reach (and we really want to far exceed) our goal. Please also feel free to send it on to your friends and family!
To give you some idea of how far our $$$ can go:
$120 feeds a child for a year, 3 nutritious meals every day. In Uganda, most kids only get one meal per day, at around 4pm, so if they go to school, they do so on an empty stomach. Even the Government schools, which are free, charge for food. We ensure breakfast, morning tea, and lunch is provided, as well as clean, safe drinking water, so they can concentrate, grow strong and healthy, and importantly, not let cost be a burden on their parents.
$624 educates a Primary child for a year. Our child sponsorship program is an ongoing commitment of $52 per month, which provides meals, clean water, healthcare and everything needed to receive a quality education with the very best teachers for the entire year!
$1,000 pays for invaluable teacher training for 10 teachers during a term break. One huge issue in Uganda is that great teachers are in short supply due to the affordability of ongoing training after graduation. We ensure our teachers are constantly offered the chance to improve their skills and capabilities.
$2,472 pays a Primary teacher’s wages and covers their meals and accommodation for a whole school year. Building a school is the easy part, filling the school with students requires committed, good quality teachers. We have built onsite accommodation to attract the best teachers. We pay fair salaries and offer ongoing training and development.
Paddington renovation – Steel door going in to a bedroom, as part of our collaboration with Interni
Darling Point duplex – scaffold coming down, and in the final stretch! Gonna be a cracker!
The vault
Manly residence I
This New Orleans-style 5-bedroom mansion in Manly was a new build, involving extensive excavation for an 8-car garage, gym & spa. The superlative build quality, high level of finishes, and extensive views over the harbour make this home truly unique, and one of the most impressive houses on the northern beaches, gaining it the MBA NSW Excellence in Housing award in 2014
CPD points
Don’t forget to contact our office and book in for a cost-planning seminar to get two CPD points under the AIA’s Refuel system.
Horizon – Building projects you’ll love, and love building together.
We’d love to speak with you about your next project.
