We design refined and enduring family homes grounded in consideration of practicality, buildability, light, form, and how you want to live.

APPROACH

From first sketch to final detail, we remain personally involved —

guiding each project through design and construction with focus and accountability.

We design refined and enduring family homes grounded in consideration of practicality, buildability, light, form, and how you want to live.

TIME

Projects are usually developed over six to twelve months prior to commencement on site. This period allows approvals to be navigated, the right builder to be selected, and pricing to be coordinated alongside the evolving design.

The intention is to move to site with clarity — with the architecture, the builder, and the budget aligned.

PERSONAL INVOLVEMENT

We remain closely involved throughout the life of a project, staying available and engaged as it moves from initial sketches through documentation and construction.

Drawing on experience developed over time, we tailor the process to suit the site, the client, and the project — making decisions with confidence and with a clear understanding of what matters in the bigger picture.

BUILDABILITY

Design is developed with construction in mind from the outset. The process involves coordination between builders, engineers, planners, certifiers, and other consultants — each with their own requirements and constraints.

We take the lead in bringing these elements together, aligning input and guiding decisions so the project moves forward with clarity and consistency.

COST

We take the cost side of a project seriously from the outset. Before design progresses too far, we work to understand the likely range of total project costs — not only construction, but the broader scope of the build.

Structured cost planning forms part of the process. Depending on the project, we may engage one or more selected builders to establish a realistic cost position and to test the design against current market conditions. From there, the aim is to align with a builder and continue developing the project towards an agreed contract price.

COHERENCE

A complete architectural language is developed for every home. Form, materials, detailing, cabinetry, and interiors are considered together rather than in isolation.

Where elements meet — at material junctions and spatial transitions — the architectural language is carried through. Internal spaces, the external envelope, and the landscape are treated as one continuous composition.

What matters is that the home reads as a cohesive and carefully considered whole.

David Gockel has over fifteen years of experience in residential architecture across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Noosa, and Sydney. He spent six years as a Project Leader at Shaun Lockyer Architects, leading the design and delivery of complex homes.

He has led Gockel Architects for nine years, focusing on carefully considered family homes. His experience informs a disciplined and considered approach to design, reflected in a refined and consistent architectural language across each project.

Each home is carried through with care from first sketch to final detail.