Our Story

Introduction

The low points in one’s career often initiate a change in direction and create the best results. And in 2010, not long after the fallout of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), architect Justin Morris established his practice. Named ‘Ardent’ (meaning ‘intense feeling’), Architects, it was both an appropriate name and timing for the Melbourne-based practice.

After graduating from Deakin University in 2000, Justin worked as a Senior Design Manager for a project management company before establishing Ardent Architects. And while design has always been at the core of his business and that of others in practice, from the outset, he understood the importance of addressing the financial arm to ensure the success he was looking for. Working with a broad portfolio that includes residential at one end of the scale and large commercial projects at the other, Ardent Architects’ clients include individual homeowners through to some of Australia’s largest companies: Priceline, Coles, Nissan, Mitsubishi and the Blood Bank, many with numerous franchises across the country. Car showrooms, offices, and educational projects are delivered with the same level of care and attention to detail as the practice’s bespoke homes. And over the years, these clients have established long-term relationships with Ardent Architects.

Unlike some practices, Ardent Architects enjoy the ‘moving feast’ of projects, quickly adapting to change, with a strong focus on the latest technology (Justin started his career in architectural animation). Using Building Information Modelling (BIM), real-time rendered schematics and interactive databases, the practice continually evolves its methodology and delivery to its clients. Its ability to think laterally has also been a reason for its growth. For the State Emergency Services (SES), for example, Ardent Architects designed six building typologies that could be used for various sites. This means that when firefighters walk through the front door of any fire station anywhere across Australia, often in haste, they know exactly where they can quickly find everything they need.

Process

Although Justin and his team might generally start the design process using yellow trace, the process moves to Revit, BIM and, importantly, the master planning for any project, irrespective of scale. Scale is also carefully intermeshed with the client’s budget so that what’s needed is actually delivered – the buildability factor and not just an unachievable wish list.

Budget is something that’s often put to one side, but at Ardent Architects, there’s a strong focus on this aspect of the project. There’s no point in seeing a shortfall in the client’s budget once a project is halfway through documentation. Expectations must be realistic, and as is often the case, particularly with residential projects, there can be a mismatch. There are always options, including either increasing the initial budget or, alternatively, scaling back in some areas. Justin refers to these issues as ‘pressure valves, reducing the budget by removing larger cost items such as a swimming pool or a large garage that can be added later. This approach is also tempered by ensuring the quality of the build remains. Items such as hydronic heating embedded into concrete floors must be included from the outset should this form part of the brief.

‘Live Design Meetings’ are also integral to the design process at Ardent Architects, with 2D and 3D schematics providing the spatial planning for every project. Making sure the built form is appropriate for the scale and topography of a site, together with where rooms are envisaged, is paramount at this early stage. And spreadsheets outlining costs ensure that the budgets, as much as the initial design concepts, are aligned with a client’s brief.

With such a diverse portfolio, there’s no obvious ‘house style’ to the buildings from Ardent Architects. But one thing they share is attention to spatial planning, details and, importantly, the ability to deliver on time and within budget.

Text by Stephen Crafti

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