An interview with John Care, Display & New Product Design Manager, for Dale Alcock Homes.

What inspired you to create a number of displays with the original Archipelago design?

The Archipelago design has been one of our most popular designs for many years due to one of its biggest features being the kitchen design with the Jason Windows Bifold Servery Window. The strategic location of the kitchen gives you the benefit of feeling connected to the outdoors whilst still being inside. Its location to the garage access, laundry, drop zone and larder makes this area very functional. The ability to connect with family and friends whilst entertaining and still being inside preparing food and drinks has been a positive appreciation to the concept. We have continued to utilise this idea and concept in many more designs within our range.

What are the highlights of this home design (what makes this home unique)?

I guess the highlights in the Archipelago are the kitchen (as explained above), the master suite ensuite with full height tiling and a freestanding bath, the ability to zone this home with the thought of the front being the parents zone, rear the kids zone and the middle of the home being the HUB of the home and a place for the whole family to come together.

Archipelago Kitchen

Image: The Archipelago

What is your favourite part of this home?

As mentioned earlier, the home is my ideal layout, with the creative design and bifold servery window in the kitchen allowing for interaction with the outdoors whilst remaining indoors. It also gives people the ability to keep an eye on the kids outside when in the kitchen.

What factors did you consider in selecting, and placing the location of the windows in the house?

The use and selection of window sizes, shapes and configurations is important and sometimes forgotten about and if used correctly can improve the overall feel of a room. The correct use of windows could also help improve the overall comfort of your home factoring in principles that will help energy efficiency. The orientation of the block and my home is important when factoring in these decisions.

How did Jason Windows contribute to the success of this design?

Jason Windows played a big part of making the success of the kitchen bifold servery window come to fruition. As designers, we can come up with weird and wonderful ideas but by collaborating with key people like Jason Windows we were able to deliver an outcome that has been very well received in our Dale Alcock Archipelago target market. Initially, it starts as an idea and through constant communication, research and development we could see the product being evolved. Brett Dwyer (Jason Windows Sales Director) played a big part in supporting the idea and making this happen.

The Bifold Servery Window is now on display at the Archipelago.