{{ propApi.closeIcon }}
Our industry
Our industry $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Housing industry insights Economics Insights Data & forecasts Tailored research & analysis Advocacy & policy Advocacy Policy priorities Position statements Submissions News & inspiration Industry news Member alerts Media releases HOUSING Online
Business support
Business support $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
For your business Contracts Online Safety systems & solutions HIA Tradepass Advertise jobs Member perks Toyota vehicles The Good Guys Commercial Ampol fuel savings See all Industry insurance HIA Insurance Services Construction works insurance Home warranty insurance Tradies & tool insurance Apprentices Why host a HIA apprentice? Hire an apprentice Support & guidance Contracts & compliance support Building & planning services
Resources & advice
Resources & advice $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Building it right Building codes Australian standards Getting it right on site See all Building materials & products Concrete, bricks & walls Getting products approved Use the right products for the job See all Managing your business Dealing with contracts Handling disputes Managing your employees See all Managing your safety Safety rules Working with silica See all Building your business Growing your business Maintaining your business See all Other subjects Getting approval to build Sustainable homes See all
Careers & learning
Careers & learning $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
A rewarding career Become an apprentice Apprenticeships on offer How do I apply? Frequently asked questions Study with us Find a course to suit you Qualification courses Learning on demand Professional development courses A job in the industry Get your builder's licence Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Further your career Find jobs
HIA community
HIA community $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Join HIA Sign me up How do I become a member? What's in it for me? Mates rates Get involved Become an award judge Join a committee Partner with us Our initiatives HIA Building Women GreenSmart Kitchen, bathroom & design hub Get to know us Our members Our people Our partners Support for you Charitable Foundation Mental health program
Awards & events
Awards & events $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Awards Awards program People & Business Awards GreenSmart Australian Housing Awards Awards winners Regional Award winners Australian Housing Award winners 2024 Australian Home of the Year Enter online Industry events Events in the next month Economic outlook National Conference Events calendar
HIA shop
HIA shop $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Most popular products National Construction Code Vol 1 & 2 Waterproofing wet areas AS 3740:2021 HIA Guide to Waterproofing HIA Guide to NCC Livable Housing Provisions Top categories Building codes & standards Contracts & documents Guides & manuals Safety products Signage For your business Contracts Online Digital Australian Standards Digital Resource Library Forecasts & data
About Contact Newsroom
$vuetify.icons.faTimes
$vuetify.icons.faMapMarker Set my location Use the field below to update your location
Address
Change location
{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.text}} {{region}} Change location
{{propApi.title}}
{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change location

$vuetify.icons.faPhone1300 650 620

Designer panel: Adrian Sorensen

Designer panel: Adrian Sorensen

{{ tag.label }} {{ tag.label }} $vuetify.icons.faTimes
Building designer Adrian Sorensen chats to Housing about his design inspirations and what changes he believes we will start to see more of in our houses over the coming decade.

Laura Valic

Editor

Principal of Sorensen Design & Planning in the Hunter region, Adrian Sorensen is a passionate building designer who has been in practice for 25 years. A HIA member, Adrian is focused on promoting sustainable design solutions and has won multiple awards for his creative body of work, including the recent 2022 HIA Hunter Residential Design award. With a well-established team functioning in all areas of design and planning, his business caters for small renovations and extensions to large commercial and residential projects.

Q: What is unique about your designs?

For 25 years, I’ve encouraged sustainable design and promoted that to our clients, even before BASIX legislation came in. I always consider the northern aspect and take passive solar design into account. I also have structural engineering qualifications, so I tend to take a practical approach when I’m designing. While I’m mindful of buildability, I don’t let it limit my creativity; I’m willing to experiment with new ideas.

Adrian Sorensen, Principal of Sorensen Design & Planning
‘I think the kitchen can be a standalone feature of a home,’ says Adrian Sorensen

Q: Where do you get your inspiration from?

My creativity comes from my decades of experience, knowing what works and what doesn’t, but I love to travel, so I get inspired by architecture overseas. I also focus on the layout; I try to let the floor plan and its functionality guide the design. I don’t design from the outside in, but design aspects such as the roof form and facade around the floor plan to enhance it. In my mind, form follows function. Once I’ve considered passive solar, I’ll also consider the environment we’re in and draw inspiration from the world around me in general. I’m in Byron now, and I approach residential design differently here than I do where we’re usually based in Nelson Bay due to its more tropical and balmier climate.

Q: What will we see more of in our housing in 2023 and beyond?

There’s a lot changing in the housing industry. Energy efficiency is a big one. BASIX legislation, which I believe has been a success, has educated the market. Homeowners are also much more aware of rising energy costs so we’re seeing a stronger uptake of solar PV and energy storage batteries. With smaller lot sizes and building costs skyrocketing, it seems like our houses are getting smaller and this will only continue in a certain part of the market. But at the same time, our houses are getting more functional. There’s a lot we can do on blocks less than 500 square metres.

Q: When you consider modern Australian design, where do we need to innovate?

We do a good job already designing homes in Australia. I feel like the project home builders have come a long way in recent years – they’re in tune with what the market wants. With inflation, and high construction costs, where we will have to keep innovating is in how we can ensure our homes are buildable, profitable for industry and affordable for homeowners. That may mean they will get smaller as a result.

‘For 25 years, I’ve encouraged sustainable design’
‘My creativity comes from my decades of experience’

Q: When designing kitchens, is it necessary to create cohesion with the rest of the interior?

I think the kitchen can be a standalone feature of a home. Personally, I love galley kitchens, with a 700mm wide back bench, a nice big island and 1300mm space in between – I find them to be the most functional. You can easily put an L on the galley or add a butler’s pantry. When I’m designing a galley kitchen, I like to design it perpendicular to a view; that way more than one person can experience the view while using the space. If you design the kitchen parallel instead, then someone’s missing out. It’s something I try to explain to my clients.

Q: What are your clients asking for nowadays? Has this changed?

The typical request is a main bedroom, ensuite and walk-in robe, then two or three additional bedrooms with a rumpus room and main bathroom. Since children are staying at home longer, people are thinking about, and request, separation of zones. There’s this multigenerational aspect that always seems to be there. If a retiree is building a new house, we’re usually making provisions for visiting relatives.

Further to that, this older demographic is interested in liveable housing design and ageing in place, which is great and something we’ve subscribed to for a long time. Wider hallways, wider doors – we’ve been putting in 920mm for as long as I can remember. We’ve made provisions to add a lift in say 20 years’ time in a number of our house designs. For example, I’ll design a cloak room downstairs and a pantry upstairs, and one day in the future, the client can then retrofit a lift shaft into their home.

‘There’s no one material I gravitate towards. I don’t limit myself to one design style’
‘We recommend materials that will achieve the client’s design outcome according to budget’

Q: Has the pandemic influenced the way people live and what they want from their houses?

I believe it has changed the way society lives or can potentially live. At Sorensen Design & Planning, we have 10 staff and only one person who permanently works in the office. Everyone is either working from home or from a workspace hub. The study in the home started to disappear about 10-15 years ago; people would just use their laptops on the dining table. But now I’m seeing more dedicated office spaces being requested.

I’m also seeing more people have a second house – a holiday home on the coast or in the country. With a decent internet connection, they’re setting up to work from home there too.

Q: Do you like to incorporate any new and innovative materials?

The materials that designers and builders have access to these days are extremely varied. There’s a lot of new products coming on the market, both engineered and natural. I like to attend workshops and trade events to see the latest products out there. In residential construction, there’s an ever-changing way of incorporating them.

There’s no one material that I gravitate towards, and I don’t limit myself to one design style. I don’t try to dictate to my clients either; they come with their own ideas too and so we are guided by their requests. We then guide the client to what is achievable and practical, what might look better or may be more suitable material. Budget comes into that as well. We recommend materials that will achieve the client’s design outcome according to their budget. In terms of a preferred material, I don’t really have one; it’s whatever is going to suit the design style of the house, the client’s requirements and environmental sustainability.

First published on 19 April 2023

You might also like:

Apprentice Awards Financial planning People
Go figure!
Changing his career path from studying finance to taking on an apprenticeship was undoubtedly the right move for Hobart’s Oliver Burnell. His skill, determination and passion for advocacy are just some traits that won him the 2024...
Jul 24
4 mins
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Affordable Awards Apprentice People
Social impact
Housing affordability is spiralling out of control but winner of the 2024 HIA Australian Professional Medium Builder/Renovator award, St Joseph Affordable Homes, emerges as a beacon of hope. It’s pioneering innovative solutions co...
Jul 24
3 mins
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Apprentice Awards Business plans People
It all starts here
When Crew Built launched in 2021, the passionate team had a combined industry experience of more than four decades. So, what made them stand out to win the 2024 HIA Australian Start-Up Business Award?
Jun 24
3 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Apprentice Building Women Kitchens People
Be the good
A passionate perfectionist, Kristy Francis of Lathams Kitchens is embarking on her 25th year in the building industry. An integral part of several HIA committees, she reveals her talent and what keeps her motivated.
Apr 24
4 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Awards Construction Inspiration People
From the torrent
Lismore builder and businessman Joel Jensen experienced the catastrophic floods in summer 2022, but his close bond with the community left a lasting effect.
Apr 24
4 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Awards Apprentice People Timber
Ever evolving
Described by past clients as ‘artistically gifted’ and ‘a lateral thinker’, home builder and carpenter Kane Harrison treats every project as a labour of love.
Apr 24
4 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Residential Business operations Awards People
The right time
After 45 years in the game, HIA’s Managing Director Graham Wolfe is saying goodbye to an industry and Association he loves. Housing shares lessons learnt and his thoughts on the remarkable resilience of Aussie builders.
Aug 23
5 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Apprentice People Building Women
Future direction
As Jocelyn Martin steps into HIA’s managing director role, she is focused on maintaining the Association’s respected industry voice and enhancing our connection with members.
Aug 23
2 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Apprentice Building Women Awards Residential People
Major league
Former university student Bailee Major made the unexpected jump from academia to carpentry. Her determination and unwavering commitment to her craft have set her on the road to success.
Aug 23
5 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Apprentice Awards People Residential Managing staff
The lucky ones
Jethro Urwin, winner of the 2023 HIA Australian Apprentice Host Trainer award, is passionate about helping young people see the value of a career in the building industry.
Aug 23
4 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Apprentice Building Women Small business People
The difference maker
Start with originality and imagination. Now add in problem-solving skills and a commitment to change and you have a future leader. Beth Mercieca, the 2023 HIA Jim Brookes Australian Apprentice winner, embodies all of the above and...
Jun 23
5 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight
Awards Business systems Communication People
Embracing change
The residential housing industry – and the world itself – has changed, expanded and adapted since Suzanne Burke was awarded the 2013 HIA Australian Business Partner of the Year award. Discover her proficiency for process and her a...
May 23
4 min
Read full article $vuetify.icons.faArrowRight