About

Design and Build | Mornington Peninsula | Dunne

Where construction flows
naturally from design.

Our Philosophy

Dunne is a boutique design and build firm that revolves around the concept of home.

Homes are the backdrop to everyday life: sometimes refined, sometimes rustic, but always warm and comforting. They encourage connection and bring families together. Homes define how we live and influence how we feel.

Our spaces are built around simplicity, innovation and craftsmanship. They’re spaces of elegance and refinement, warmth and texture, passion and purpose.

They’re spaces that feel like home.

Our Approach

Our approach is always informed by the practicalities of the build, where construction flows naturally from design.

For our clients, this translates into a more seamless progression: our architects, designers and builders collaborate on every project from the very beginning, creating a more personal, cohesive experience.

Every Dunne project is bespoke from start to finish – a blend of practical possibilities and aesthetic creativity, woven together at a single touchpoint. With this multidisciplinary style, we can streamline the traditional construction process, leading to efficiencies in design, budget and time.

One vision, one team, one purpose.

Our Process

Every Dunne home begins with a conversation.

Whether your project begins with us as little more than an idea or a big dream, or you have plans that are completed and ready for our build team to bring to life, our multidisciplinary approach and structured process is what sees the vision for your home move efficiently from concept to final form.

Our process is in depth, because to us the details aren’t just important, they’re everything. This allows us to keep the journey simple, personal and straightforward - the way we believe every build should be.

Stage 01

Preliminaries

Every Dunne project begins with a conversation. We take the time to understand you, your vision and get to the heart of what you want to achieve in your home. The houses we design and build are bespoke; crafted carefully to complement those who call them home. The insights we uncover during our first meeting help us to see your bigger picture, and to establish an overarching brief for your project.

Stage 02

Concept Design

Before any work commences on design, we do our research. We thoroughly review all the information available on your property to understand its uniqueness and any constraints that may exist, which gives us clear parameters to work within as we enter the design phase.

Stage 03

Design Development

With your feedback, we set to making refinements to the design concept. The details aren’t just important, they’re everything; we want to ensure that every small and large aspect of the design perfectly complements your vision and your family’s way of living. At this point, we make any necessary adjustments to the scope of works, based on your feedback and the design refinements made.

Stage 04

Interior Design

It’s here we translate the big picture ideas into each individual element that makes up your home; carefully harnessing colour, texture, light and space to blend refined aesthetics with practical functionality. Our attention to detail while always keeping one eye on the bigger picture is what sets us apart.

Stage 05

Working Drawings

With planning approval secured, we prepare of a preliminary set of working drawings. It’s here we engage specialist consultants to prepare the required documentation, including but not limited to engineering, soil analysis and energy ratings reports.

With each and every detail documented we assemble your final construction quote, based on the completed drawings.

Stage 06

Construction Package

At this point, the culmination of work comes together as we prepare your construction package.

This encompasses the working drawings for the building permit application, along with detailed interior drawings and documentation to inform every aspect of the build process. The seamless collaboration between our design and construction teams and the attention to detail here is what sees your vision come to life in an efficient, cohesive way.

Stage 07

Building Contract Preparation

Upon completion of the construction package, we prepare the building contract that covers all the important finer details as we look to commence the construction phase. We walk through the elements of the contract with you, and finalise the documentation together.

Stage 08

Issue of Building Permit

From here, our team manages the building permit application on your behalf. Upon submission of the application, we oversee the liaison with the building surveyor, and take care of any refinements required along the way. Every detail is attended to carefully, so no time is wasted in the progression of the project.

Stage 09

Construction & Project Management

With the building permit secured, we move into the construction phase. This is where vision is translated into reality. From start to finish, our design and construction teams liaise regularly and collaborate seamlessly, identifying solutions before problems even eventuate.

Stage 10

Furniture & Accessories

It’s through the careful curation of furniture and accessories that the unique personality of your home begins to take centre-stage. We find the harmonious balance between creativity and restraint to create a space that’s defined by elegance and driven by simplicity.

Stage 11

Handover

Once construction is complete, we guide you though a final walkthrough, and from there we complete handover. This is the culmination of the process from idea, to design and detail, to construction — all woven together to create a beautiful, final touchpoint: your home.

The Team

Brendan Dunne

Director, Registered Builder

A second-generation builder, Brendan has construction running through his veins. After 18 years, Brendan is still inspired by the infinite possibilities that every new project presents. To Brendan, the details are as significant as the bigger picture — the ins and outs of the materials, the aesthetics, the functionality. But it’s more than the craft itself that he loves, it’s the people: connecting with them, understanding their vision and then creating a house that will feel and function as a home should.

Samantha Dunne

Design & Interiors

Samantha possesses an intuitive ability to identify the potential for a space long before it exists. She sees what others don’t, and she visualises what many can’t. It’s a unique ability that saw her quickly identify the opportunity do design & construction differently — to offer a more seamless, personal experience for clients through a cohesive approach to the design and build process.
Brendan DunneDirector, Registered Builder

Brendan Dunne

Director, Registered Builder

A second-generation builder, Brendan has construction running through his veins. After 18 years, Brendan is still inspired by the infinite possibilities that every new project presents. To Brendan, the details are as significant as the bigger picture — the ins and outs of the materials, the aesthetics, the functionality. But it’s more than the craft itself that he loves, it’s the people: connecting with them, understanding their vision and then creating a house that will feel and function as a home should.
Samantha DunneDesign & Interiors

Samantha Dunne

Design & Interiors

Samantha possesses an intuitive ability to identify the potential for a space long before it exists. She sees what others don’t, and she visualises what many can’t. It’s a unique ability that saw her quickly identify the opportunity do design & construction differently — to offer a more seamless, personal experience for clients through a cohesive approach to the design and build process.