We did a second renovation on our federation home in Roseville two years ago, and selected Gerry Morcombe as our architect after having him recommended by several of our friends and neighbours, and we couldn't have been happier with our choice. I think Gerry has been into just about every house in our area, and he has a real empathy and passion for maintaining the look and feel of our lovely neighbourhood. As a result of this vast experience in our area, Gerry always seems to be able to come up with the best and most workable solution, no matter the complexity. We challenged Gerry to put a second floor onto our home, but did not want him to increase the height of the roofline, nor change the look of the house from the street. It seemed like an impossible ask, but what Gerry has delivered not only achieved the brief, but it is also an extremely liveable extension that we are delighted with. Our friends are constantly commenting on how amazed they are by what Gerry was able to achieve. Gerry was very happy to take on board our suggestions in certain parts of the design, so even if he didn't come up with an idea, if he thought it could work, he'd pursue it. But if he really thought that it couldn't, he was always very happy to sit with us and explain why it might not. In the end, it was always up to us to decide. Thankfully, we generally took his advice. Throughout the whole process Gerry managed the inevitable issues that arise between the builder, architect, sub-contractors, and us with impeccable professionalism, and we felt very comfortable that he was extremely fair with all parties involved. We always felt that Gerry was working with our best interests at heart, and we really appreciated his ethical his uncompromising approach. More recently we have had a small issue that has arisen at the house (unrelated to the previous renovation), and when we asked Gerry what we should do, he was more than happy to provide us with his expertise, and we are extremely grateful for his help and advice, as we really didn't know how to approach it. We are now confident of a successful resolution, and Gerry tells us that as it was only a small amount of his time, he doesn't want to charge us anything - how often does that happen ! We would have absolutely no hesitation in using Gerry again, if we were ever to require the services of an architect in the future. We have certainly recommended him to many friends, and would be more than happy to meet or talk with anyone who is considering engaging his services. read more

If you're seriously considering Gerald Morcombe as your architect for any future venture, all I can say is: choose again. We renovated our house in Roseville eight years ago, and not a day goes by when I am not reminded of his total incompetence and unethical behaviour. You would have thought that someone with his experience could not possibly have made so many truly basic mistakes. e.g. Putting in a stairwell where we were unable to get most of the furniture up the stairs, including our queen size bed into our brand new bedroom with ensuite! We had to sleep on a mattress for six months until we could figure out what to do. Then, what was he thinking putting a window in our walk-in wardrobe? It made configuration impossible, as it was so small in any case, so in the end, we just boarded it over. I have neither space here or time to list the endless and ongoing problems, but apart from the fact that he turned a very attractive Californian bungalow with loads of street appeal into something that is truly butt ugly, I have the list, and it is endless (for anyone who is interested, and/or truly considering taking him on. DON'T DO IT! You owe it to your sanity and or marriage preservation. And, don't think it's just me, I also have a list of other very unhappy clients. Two final things, in the event of any problems with builders etc., he will ALWAYS side with the builders, so be prepared for constant altercations. The other thing is that you think you are paying them 10 per cent of the total cost (which is huge). Because you think they will pass on their professional discounts to you. Gerald Morcombe doesn't, so it's a total lose/lose situation for you. In fact, my husband played golf once with a friend of a friend who worked in a bath fittings shop, and we were able to get ten percent off which Gerald Morcombe claimed he couldn't! So, apart from the fact that I must have been there twenty times, at least I ended up with a ten percent discount off my bath fittings! Oh, and that by the way will be the case for everything, from door-handles to tiles. YOU will be the one doing all the work, visiting, comparing, selecting etc., If you work, you simply won't have enough time, because it is a full time job in itself. I stupidly thought that when we elected to pay Gerald Morcombe the ten percent that he would do those things for me! How naive and stupid of me! Don't let this happen to you!!! read more

We've had a very positive experience working with Gerald Morcombe and wouldn't hesitate to recommend his services to anyone looking to renovate or extend their home. We started out with a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom Californian Bungalow, mostly in its original condition, in a Conservation zoned area in Roseville. Taking into account the size of our block and our budget, I canvassed six architects with our design criteria and he came back with the best workable Concept Design, in line with our expectations. We were living overseas for half of the project period and all our questions and concerns were addressed promptly. On our return to Sydney for the remainder of project, we found Gerald to be very helpful in guiding us through the decision making process. Where differences of opinion arose, we had the opportunity to consider his view, the builder's and ultimately make the choice ourselves. Having said that, on all the occasions where we followed Gerald's advice (such as the select use of skylights, layouts for the kitchen and bathroom and the depth of the deck to name a few), it has proven to work out tremendously. Gerald has a very good understanding of what works for day to day living as well as consideration for the aesthetic appeal. The design he came up with for us was modern and unfussy whilst retaining the original charm of the house. We felt a real sense that he was working for us throughout the project and would engage his services again. We've been living in our renovated and extended home for almost a year and expect to enjoy it for many more. read more