Light Home 3

theautumnissuesteal that idea truckfloor kitchens outdoor rooms speed builds coconut chandeliers secret rooms front door trends a dream of going green design ambassador’s choice whisper-small footprint edwardian makeover bushfire-safe design hodges surfs the big adventure vintage beds

When poms came to australia they brought the english home With them. Today though, who wants to live in a dark, brick home more suited to a bleak cold London than a modern, sunny Australia?

04 05

65 trend report: perth rethinks brick After years and years of brick building, Perth is finally moving into the world of lightweight construction. We detail who’s leading the charge, and why.

editor Amanda Falconer. managing editor Victoria Lea. art director Elinor McDonald. proofreader: Gail Lipscombe. contributors: Nigel Bartlett, Denese Bottrell, Shane Denman, Ed Ewers, Carolyn McFarland, Rachel Smith, Andrea Sophocleous, Rachel Sullivan, Maria Tan, Norm Winn. letters to: [email protected] published by lighthome.com.au All reasonable efforts have been undertaken to make sure that information presented in this issue of Light Home is accurate at the time of release. In some of the projects in this magazine, James Hardie® products may have been used outside the scope of James Hardie’s technical literature. It is the specifier’s responsibility to undertake specific design and detailing to ensure construction complies with relevant codes and regulations.

10 steal that idea How to cheekily do faux rust at home.

12 despatches Speed builds, curvy benchtops & a truck floor kitchen.

14 wishlist To die for: the best in beds, books and even bins.

83 secret roomsFrom hidden cellars and panic rooms to sliding bookcases and spiral wine cellars, we dig for dirt on the emerging trend of secret rooms.

86 you asked us How do you design for a bushfire-zone area? You asked us and we asked renowned bushfire advisor and expert, Norm Winn.

25 ambassador’s choiceFrom a tree-house to a stair-free house, our design ambassadors uncover three homes that would inspire and impress anyone, let alone a hard-nosed architect.

34 a dream of going greenRenovate or rebuild? It’s a curly question for any homeowner but the family living in this home took a bold step to create a house for the future.

06 editor’s letter

08 what’s hot… ...in front doors? We asked an architect, a builder, a manufacturer and a designer that very question.

18 34 46 56

18 in profile: surfing the big adventureFrom London to Oman he has travelled the world – and brought the experience home. We ask award-winning Terry Hodges to detail 3 of his best projects.

46 room to breatheRather than building to the boundaries of their block, this couple created a home with a whisper-small footprint, leaving them plenty of outdoor space.

56 an edwardian makeoverSix people in an Edwardian cottage was becoming a little too close for comfort for one Melbourne family. The solution? A renovation marrying old and new.

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welcome to the autumn issue Finally Sydney has summer weather! Which makes the warm colours of Light Home’s Autumn Issue even more fitting. Mixed in with our usual Design Ambassadors’ Choices is a crop of interesting stories: from our profile on architect Terry Hodges surfing the big adventure to our spotlight on building with room to breathe, our advice from a bushfire expert and our tips on how to build a secret room (yes, really). And in one for the readers who continue to ask us to cover more ‘traditional looking’ projects and heritage renovations, the story of the makeover of an Edwardian cottage does just that. We hope you enjoy our Autumn Issue – and don’t forget that if you have a project to share or a question to ask, we’d love to hear from you.

Send your comments to [email protected]

editor’s letter

08 09

what's hotin front doors

What I would like to see more of are custom doors, handmade doors and doors that use sculptural steel or unconventional materials like plastic and glass.

I think there’s always room to go outside the box. People can be confined with how they think a door can or should work, but it’s all in the design. If you have a good designer, there’s no limit to what you can achieve. It’s about taking it to a new level: a security door that doesn’t look like a security door; a front door that doesn't appear to be a door; an ‘edible’ door with a tomato vine climbing up it.

Christopher Weiss, director, Make Make Construction

Old is new again. Salvage doors, antique doors, carved doors – people are getting these from the Internet or salvage yards. They’re even going to importers direct, finding Indian castle doors and putting them onto their own house as a front door.

Metallic is another strong trend. Axolotl does great specialty metal finishes, while Dulux has come out with a specialty paint called Design Rust: paint it on for an immediate rusted-door effect.

Finally, bright colours are back! Paint your door dramatic red and you have an incredible feature on your hands.

Simone Gillespie, interior designer, Essence Interiors

A front door is the very beginning of a home. We asked four experts – an architect, builder, manufacturer and designer – for their picks on what's hot right now.

The trend is definitely bright colours like red and lime as well as vision panels – insets of perspex or glazing. People want to make a statement with their front door, using colour, vision panels and sexy door hardware like big chrome pull-bars.

They also want full height and pivots are sometimes an interesting option. That said, you could be looking at $400 each for the pivot hinges versus $55 for normal ones, plus a two-day installation versus a morning. Suddenly, you could have a $5,000 door on your hands – it’s not something everyone will want.

Ed Ewers, architect, Ed Ewers Architecture

The trend for new homes is to go for the wow factor and one of the easiest ways to do that is an oversized entry door with a pivot action rather than the traditional hinged method.

Typically, the standard entry door is 2100 x 900mm. Today’s range of Woodworkers pivot doors, however, start from 2170 to 2400mm high and 1270 to 1570mm wide. Many homes go for even larger entries and we can custom-make, too.

Our latest range of Fuseon doors [pictured above] are now getting orders from all over the country.

Robin Ziejka, business development manager, The Woodworkers Company

the builder the interior designerthe architect the manufacturer

Small Haven Door Courtesy Ed Ewers Architecture www.ewersarchitecture.com.au

Bronze Light Texture Patina 1 Axolotl

www.axolotl.com.au

The Manhattan The Woodworkers Company

www.woodworkers.com.au

Mecanno Door Zinc Axolotl

www.axolotl.com.au

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steal that ideaWords: Amanda Falconer

While exotic metals like zinc and Cor-ten steel can certainly add a dash of flash to your new home, they can also burn through cash. Here’s another way to get that ‘rusty look’.

The most compelling feature of the award-winning Waterman Residence in Western Australia (shown left) is definitely its double-storey feature wall, which only appears to be made from rusted steel. In fact, it’s actually Scyon™ Matrix™ cladding, painted with Porter’s rust finish.

Used both inside and out, the wall is a nod to the ancient ironstones whose rich hues and striking contours shape much of the West Australian landscape. It also complements the cedar panelling, polished metal columns and sandstone cladding.

“We had to do a bit of experimentation to get this right,” says Jason Saunders, director of the building designers, ArcSeven.1.

“Originally we were going to use zinc, but at upwards of $50,000 for the two-storey wall, it was prohibitively expensive. It was a similar story with Cor-ten, steel that weathers to produce a rusty patina.

“Instead, choosing pre-primed Matrix cladding cost only $15,000, while painting it provided a rich, textural, easy-to-maintain finish that is also sympathetic to the environment it lives in.”

shop.porterspaints.com/p/1147106/instant-rust.html

scyon.com.au/matrix.html

faux rust

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kitchens curve into the homeCurved bench tops from the likes of Laminex are fast cooking up a storm in kitchens across the country. In fact, kitchens are morphing into the living room. “These products are sort of blending the kitchen, dining and living areas,” said Simone Gillespie, Essence Interiors designer. “It’s all just becoming a part of the same living space.”

builds move to super speedFrom a four-month build to a two-week build: that is the promise behind a new prefabricated panel solution that hopes to revolutionise the building timelines of Australian homes.

Designed by Australian builder Andrew Dillon-Smith, Vertibuild is a panelised wall system manufactured and assembled in a factory. Each wall is pre-wired, pre-plumbed and clad in the factory, plus fitted with windows and doors, before being transported to site and craned into place.

“We can have a two-storey house locked up in two weeks with the external cladding finished, rendered and painted, and the internal wall linings all done, fully pre-wired and plumbed,” said Dillon-Smith.

“What’s more, in a knockdown rebuild, 80% of the existing home can be built before the existing home is demolished. That means the client can be back on site and living in their new home within two months from start to finish.

The O home by Ryan Designer Homes uses timber battens to bring the outside in.

outside is inExterior-style claddings are moving inside, with savvy designers experimenting with what is ‘out’ and what is ‘in’.

On display in Queensland, the O home by Ryan Designer Homes has an exterior that combines materials such as stone with Australian timbers on HardieFlex™ to deliver a vibrant, organic feel. Following the exterior line of timber inside, the O home then plants a timber-batten wall square in the dining room.  

“The outside of the house has a wall of timber battens so we continued those inside the house, right through to the dining room and the foyer,” said Petrina Ryan, sales manager of the Queensland-based firm. “We wanted to create the feel of a seamless flow, a single space, rather than a separate outside and inside.”

Other techniques used by the Ryan team to create an indoor-outdoor feel include a flush join between the living space and patio, and a ‘falling garden’ whereby plants appear to fall into the living room once the doors are opened. Sliding stackers in the O home living area also fold away into a stone wall, helping cement the impression of an ‘outside room’.

“The idea was to make it feel like there was no barrier between outside and in,” Ryan said. “You can be sitting inside but you actually feel like you’re outside.”

despatchesWords: Victoria Lea & Maria Tan

truck floor island, anyone? A product originally developed for truck floors is finding surprising success among architects and builders.

A strong, high-performance Blackbutt ply, the board is manufactured by Melbourne-based Big River Timbers and has traditionally been used as truck and lorry flooring. But its strength, hardness, grain depth and patina have seen it appeal to building teams seeking unusual solutions.

In a recent renovation in Elsternwick, Melbourne, architects Form Architecture Furniture and builders Make Make Construction used it to brilliant effect in a home renovation. The ‘truck floor’ board is now a feature highlight of the kitchen island.

“Our joiner hadn’t worked with it before so was a bit apprehensive,” said Christopher Weiss, director of Make Make Construction. “But it worked out perfectly. It’s an unusual material and that’s exciting. You run your hand over it and it just feels unusual – most people wouldn’t have come across anything quite like it.”

The Vertibuild system, which can be used for new homes, knockdown rebuilds, extensions and classrooms – and can be clad in virtually any product – is Dillon-Smith’s own creation.

“I designed it,” he said. “I thought of the idea for over 10 years, playing around with different prototypes. Things fell into place in 2010 and then I found a client who was right to go.”

His dream for the system is that it lowers the cost of building in Australia and helps make housing more affordable.

“It’s a cheaper system because it takes less time to construct on site and requires less skilled tradesmen – semiskilled labour is capable of doing a lot of work in the factory,” Dillon-Smith said.

Weather delays are minimised, he added, scaffolding costs are lower and there are no setup or packdown times each day.

Dillon-Smith is currently working on the first Vertibuild home, a project due for completion in April 2012.

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Fancy a truck floor as part of your kitchen?

Big on wow: the Laminex Freestyle Curve.

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wishlistWords: Denese Bottrell

worry-free wine Transport wine in style with The Traveller. Made from recycled cardboard, its hexagon shape offers worry-free protection and shipping. Throw a few in your bag for your next holiday and safely ship bottles home. Can be customised for festive corporate gifts. Pack of 12 for $72 from www.postthetraveller.com

pins and needles These adorable apple pin cushions by Morgan Wills of The Crafty Squirrel inspire even the least crafty to get creative. Stop by the shop for vintage fabrics, bric-a-brac, buttons, gifts and more. www.thecraftysquirell.com.au

tyre tracks This basket’s black and saddle-stitched design lends itself to the most chic decor. Only you’ll know it’s eco-friendly, too. Made from recycled tyres, it’s the perfect storage solution for magazines, toys or firewood. $140 from www.ecochic.com.au

gentle reminder Suffering from too much Valentine sweetness? Perhaps an organic pillow will soften the edge, with its gentle reminder to eat something healthy. My Bearded Pigeon also specialises in World Map pillows and other whimsical sayings. $50-$60 from www.etsy.com/shop/mybeardedpigeon

Juice or smoothie? Which blender rocks? Why is this so good for me anyway?

Wellness warrior Kris Carr answers every question you’ve ever had about juicing and

blending in her new e-book, Crazy Sexy Juice. Grounded in nutritional science, she’ll have you

glowing in no time. www.crazysexyjuice.com

holisticsensitivitySprout’s all-natural, sustainable skincare range has celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow singing its praises. Developed for ultra-sensitive skin, each product is made from scratch and backed by a woman on a wellness mission – she even does personal health counselling. See it all at www.sproutskincare.com

sweetdreamsScout House spots treasures like this vintage iron bed and makes them new – perhaps with a bright shade of blue. Browse the shop for an ever-changing collection of timeless, eclectic, local and international finds. www.scouthouse.com.au

make a splash …… with a Basil Bangs beach umbrella by Missoni. Featuring marine-grade, 30+ UV protection fabric and the “change-your-life” Basil Hinge, it folds for easy storage and portability and comes with matching carrying case. 1.9 metre wide canopy. $1,450 from shop.basilbangs.com

architect’s eyeGo with monochromatic elegance or an eclectic mix of jewel-toned etched glass tumblers from Ben Pentreath. In his tiny shop in the heart of London’s Bloomsbury, this architect collects “good things for your home” including furniture, china, books, lights and more. Shop online at www.benpentreath.com

Drink your veggies, change your life.

Kris Carr

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wishlistWords: Denese Bottrell

safe and sound Designed by a new mum, Real Safe Candles offer a worry-free, battery-operated, flameless alternative to soft candlelight. Made from real wax for a more natural look, an entire set can be controlled with a remote or automated timer. From $15.

pets that rock With Pet Plumes your dog can rock the feather trend spotted on rock stars like Steven Tyler. Available in a variety of colours, each plume comes with five feathers and is easily inserted and removed with a small hook (sold separately) and needle-nose pliers. US$13.95.

A visual journey across countries and experiences, Girlosophy’s latest book, Inspire, was born from the idea that girls can use their creative sources – in particular, art and photography – as an empowering tool. $39.95.

Observation is a process,

not an event.

handcraftedsplendourJillian Middleton’s chandeliers are labours of love, each handmade with tidbits of coconut, ocean shells, wood, vine and rattan. From $129.

wastenotThese wastepaper bins may be too pretty for trash. Trashkova hand finishes the works of art, made from steel and with a hard-wearing powder coat. Also available in an umbrella stand, side table, plant pot and stool. From $290.

colour correctMaria Killam’s How to Choose Paint Colours not only walks you through how to select the right colours but helps you understand why you gravitate toward certain shades. E-book, CAD$29.99.

too pretty? You might want to hang these oh-so-pretty limited edition tea towels by Leah Duncan as artwork. Generously sized at 45 x 80cm, they are made from 100% organic cotton and sell for $10 each at The Handmade Store.

haloheadphonesHeadphones within a headband help these speakers sit perfectly flat over your ears. Perfect for sleeping on planes and one size fits all, they come in black or marine blue. Collection of Cool, $49.95 to $54.90.

nonslipsleekNo more unruly rugs and towels under low-clearance shower doors. Ute designed the Link bathmat with form and function in mind and, at just 3mm thick, it fits and lasts. Made from recycled rubber and cork, $80.

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in profileTerry Hodges

W hat was originally meant to be a short trip around South-East Asia became the adventure of a lifetime for West Coast Designs owner, Terry Hodges. As a newly qualified architect with the world at his

feet, Hodges set off on an extraordinary journey around the world that, 30 years on, still drives his passion for residential architecture and ecologically sustainable development. In fact, it was the basis of what is now a wealth of experience gained on residential projects around the world, from England and Australia to Iran, Sudan and the Sultanate of Oman.

“I spent about seven years out of the country when I was newly qualified and worked in Tehran before the revolution,” Hodges says.

“I then went to London and worked on the refurbishment of Victorian working-class houses before working at Khartoum in Sudan, as well as in the Sultanate of Oman. At that time, it wasn’t possible to go to the Sultanate of Oman on a tourist visa – there was no such thing – and the only way you could get into the country was if you had work there.

“It was a huge adventure being away for that period of time and working in all those very unusual countries,” Hodges says.

Reflecting on his experience abroad, Hodges says much of his time was spent learning about other cultures in order to understand client needs. He also studied different housing forms and was careful to develop solutions that responded to the local climate and social fabric of each community.

“You really need to listen to your client to find out what they’re looking for and what they need,” Hodges explains. “That’s really the only common factor in design worldwide.”

Words Maria Tan Photography Mark Cooper

& sources

surfing the big adventure Taking the road less travelled has made all the difference for award-winning architect and West Coast Designs owner, Terry Hodges. We take a look at three of his best designs.

You really need to listen to your client to find out what they’re looking for and what they need… That’s really the only common factor in design worldwide.

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1. Cape rise in DunsborougH

Ultimately returning home to Western Australia, Hodges now lives in Dunsborough, where the avid surfer is often spotted carving up breaks on his local shores. “I used to haunt this place as a youngster, coming down here in a Volkswagen Beetle for a surf,” Hodges says. “All those years later it came full circle and I ended up living down here. I just thought, ‘This place is amazing.’”

Inadvertently, Hodges landed the local Cape Rise project in Dunsborough by keeping his sense of adventure alive. The client was a friend and regular co-competitor in the Anaconda Adventure Racing events, a series of national swimming, kayaking, running and cycling contests.

“He had gone along to a project home builder,” Hodges says. “He showed me the plan and I saw what the project home builder was attempting to ‘plonk onto the block’. It was really sad.”

As so often happens with project homes, Hodges says, there was minimal consideration given to core design basics. Neither climatic nor site conditions had been considered, and no thought spent on energy requirements.

“It was just a lost opportunity because there was this gnarly old peppermint tree out the back on the corner block, which was a bit tricky admittedly, but their plan meant this tree would have to be pulled down,” Hodges says. “So the builder approached me and said, ‘Look, we can do a framed house on this using the Scyon™ range of products. Just do it on a slab and design it to really make the most of the block.’ And that’s what we did.”

After spending considerable time on the site to get a feel for the project, Hodges developed a passive solar design that ticked all the client – and design – boxes. Lightweight building materials rose to the fore as the ideal project solution.

“We deliberately set out to do something with the Scyon™ range of products,

… I saw what the

project home builder was

attempting to ‘plonk onto the block’.

It was really sad.

because we wanted the house to be pretty minimal with modern and clean lines,” Hodges explains.

“The builder was keen to keep bricklayers off the site and, as around these parts there are a lot of really good carpenters, he decided from the outset he wanted a big carpentry camp with lightweight frame construction. We chose Scyon™ Matrix™ and Stria™ cladding to give the house a good harmonious feel.”

Today, Hodges says the client could not be happier with the outcome.

“He’s just over the moon. He loves how the house works for entertaining and that there’s a really good separation between the teenage kids’ bedrooms and living areas so that everyone can live harmoniously without getting on each other’s nerves. It’s a really good success story, because the client’s happy and everyone who sees the house thinks it looks good.” And that gnarly old peppermint tree? Yes, it’s still there.

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2. yallingup Winner

Winner of a 2008 WA Building Design Award is this house in Yallingup, WA, that Hodges designed for a local builder in 2008. Built on a two-hectare bush block, it boasts northern bush and ocean views – and a client who knew what he wanted from the start.

“He was really clear about what he wanted,” Hodges says. “He wanted a house that was Zen-like and modern, with a skillion roof softened by local natural materials.”

To achieve that effect, the pair early on settled on a strategy of balancing new with old.

“Although it’s a framed house, we’ve got panels of local granite stonework dispersed throughout the project,” Hodges says. “There’s also the beautiful warmth of timber floors as well as the timber decking. So there are minimal, modern and clean lines, but it also has a warmth to it through the use of these gorgeous natural materials.”

Another key consideration for Hodges and his client was creating an energy-efficient home for all seasons. Once again, passive solar design came to the rescue.

“It’s really all about the basic principles of passive solar,” Hodges says. “It’s about having the house orientated correctly to get good cross-ventilation while also taking into consideration the western sun – and keeping it out in summer. It gets pretty hot in the area and you don’t want this huge area gazing from the west. The east is far more amenable with the morning sun, so it’s about getting the north right.”

With so many architects and builders now in a race to bolt on as many stars as they can in the energy stakes, what Hodges believes is that everything starts with orientation.

“If you get that right, half the battle is over. From there, you build in good amounts of insulation, of course, but you can already achieve such a lot with basic design.”

It’s about having the house orientated correctly … taking into consideration the western sun …

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3. THe nullaki peninsula

Hodges’ latest residential project is on the Nullaki Peninsula in the City of Albany, overlooking the Wilson Inlet towards the town of Denmark.

“This block on the Nullaki was a perfect setup,” the architect says. “It was a large block and just about every single major room could front the north – and that’s where the views to Wilson Inlet are. It’s such an easy setup when you’ve got a block like that, because you can have major areas of glass on the north and a long narrow building to minimise the glazing to the south.”

To provide contrast to the overall look of the facade, Scyon™ Matrix™ and Stria™ cladding were used on the northern and eastern sides of the home.

“Stria [cladding] was a good way out for us, because for some reason or other the clients didn’t like the weatherboard look,” Hodges explains. “Stria [cladding] was a great compromise, because it’s in one flat plane and it’s got the horizontal lines, so we used it as a contrast against the areas where we used Matrix [cladding] a lot.” With its easy horizontal lines, Stria cladding was also used for the bedroom suite in the home’s eastern pavilion.

For Hodges, one of the project’s major challenges proved to be in meeting the site’s climatic zone regulations.

“Down in Denmark, it’s Climate Zone 6, whereas around Dunsborough and Busselton, it’s Climate Zone 5,” Hodges says. “With a house with this much north-facing glazing in it, in Climate Zone 5 it would have breezed through the minimum 5-star rating. Because it’s in Climate Zone 6, however, we actually had to tweak glazing and materials in order to get the 6-star rating.”

To meet the requirements, the team introduced solid internal walls as thermal mass and, in some areas, double glazing. “It really surprised me just how different the requirements are in terms of designing for climate,” Hodges says.

With a house with this much

north-facing glazing in it …

we actually had to tweak glazing

and materials in order

to get the 6-star rating

design ambassador’s

choice

26 Toby House

NSW

28 Fingal House

Queensland

30 Surf House 1

Victoria

26 28

30

26 27

toby houseDesigner: Michael Marshman + Associates Architects

Photographer: Gillian MacMillan

This smart, savvy home was specifically designed for its wheelchair-bound client – and it works beautifully as a piece of architecture. “While there are a few clues showing it isn’t a house for an able-bodied person, it’s a great demonstration that a house doesn’t need to look like ‘an institution’ for someone who has a disability,” Design Ambassador Carolyn McFarland says.

podcast

28 29

fingal houseDesigner: Justin Twohill Designs

Photographer: Justin Twohill

Truly blurring inside and out, the entire design of Fingal House centres around a 135-year-old Tuckeroo tree, native to Queensland. Design Ambassador Shane Denman says the result is a modest house that actually feels quite grand. “With the blur between inside and out you really feel like the whole site is the house, which is fantastic. You just feel like you are in the natural environment most of the time, with the large glass panels above which let in the natural light that’s filtered through this big tree and other trees on the property.”

podcast

30 31

surf house 1Designer: Seeley Architects Photographer: David Seeley

podcast

Architect and Design Ambassador Ed Ewers has long been fascinated by Seeley Architects’ Surf House 1 on Victoria’s famous Torquay surf coast. He believes it ticks all the boxes as a beautiful beach escape – and a simply constructed light home. “It’s just a great beach shack,” he says. “It carries on from that great culture of fibro shacks from the fifties but it’s also contemporary and packs a lot of house into a very small space.”

design spotlight

34 A Dream of Going Green

Norah Head, NSW

46 Room to Breathe Albany, Western Australia

56 An Edwardian Makeover

Melbourne, Victoria

34 46

56

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design spotlightNorah Head

a dream of going green

Reno or rebuild? It’s a curly question for any homeowner, but the family living in this Norah Head home took a bold step

to create a house for the future.

Words Rachel Smith Photography Julie Boland

36

section headhouse or person name + location

S o much of renovating or building is about two lists: the wish list and the reality list. For vets Alison and Glenn, the goal was simply to renovate the 40-year-old Masterton home in which they had raised their two sons,

Tom (15) and Mitch (11), for over six years. But once architect Ian Esplin saw the Norah Head site on the NSW Central Coast, with its distant ocean views and beautiful Melaleuca grove, he knew a reality check was in order. Modifying the existing house simply was not the best option for this eco-friendly family.

“The building they wanted to renovate was too small, not in particularly good condition and wasn’t very well laid out. Plus, they’re a growing family, and the existing home didn’t take advantage of the site,” Esplin explains.

Instead Esplin – whose “face fell”, says Alison, when told of the initial $250,000 budget – convinced the couple they would be better off investing in a complete knock-down and rebuild. “Sometimes a more efficient, smarter design may cost more in capital, but it translates to a lower ongoing cost,” Esplin explains. “It’s about building for the future.”

Sometimes a more efficient, smarter design may cost more in capital, but it translates to a lower

ongoing cost. It’s about building for the future.

38

dream designOnce Alison and Glenn had decided to rebuild, their brief was straightforward: not to enlarge the home’s existing footprint (a slight L shape with a total floor area of 276 square metres) but to create a spacious, light-filled, low-maintenance home with a bath overlooking the ocean – and a loo with a view! Sustainability measures, including solar hot water, rainwater tanks and energy efficiency, were also key.

The bath – a lightweight, moveable fibreglass tub from Aqva – became a reality, as did most of the other eco-friendly features the couple wanted. “We spent a lot of time looking into greywater and recycling, but we decided we didn’t need it due to the tanks,” says Alison. “We also had to can the solar panels – this was before the rebates came in and, for panels costing $50,000 for just a 20% reduction on our electricity, it would have stretched us to the limit financially.”

Downstairs, a tiled deck faces the garden, leading to a tiled hallway that curves round the rumpus room and onto the boys’ bedrooms and bathroom. A garage and laundry take up the rest of the lower storey. The innovative timber box staircase – cheaper to build than using steel – leads up to the open-plan second storey where there is oodles of living space complete with kitchen, lounge and dining areas, a master bedroom, office and second bathroom. Elevated Spotted Gum decking and sliding doors at both the front and rear of the house fulfilled the couple’s desire to connect with the environment.

…we wanted to make the most

of the block, which has

beautiful views and … 17 huge

Melaleuca trees – it’s like

a cathedral.

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green cost cuts

The window placement in this home maximises natural lighting, reducing the need to switch on lights during the day. Low-emissivity (low-e) windows are installed throughout the house, keeping it cool in summer and warm in winter.

A huge 2.5 metre overhang on the east-facing front deck cuts off the hot morning sun, while the skillion roof projects up like a sail, creating suction and drawing the hot air out of the upper louvered windows to naturally cool the house.

Three 5,000L underground tanks in the front garden pump filtered, crystal clear rainwater into the house and provide the majority of the family’s water requirements. If tank levels run dry, the mains automatically kick in.

Also boosting the home’s energy efficiency is the solar evacuated tube hot water system, about 40% more efficient than a flat panel system.

40 41

The treelopper who was hired to trim back the Melaleuca trees before the build – and install possum and rosella boxes for the family’s furry neighbours – was amazed when Alison gave him strict instructions on which branches to cut. “I’m a bit of a greenie,” she admits, “and we wanted to make the most of the block, which has beautiful views and a gorgeous backyard with 17 huge Melaleuca trees – it’s like a cathedral. So I didn’t want to chop any trees down. He said, ‘Wow, it’s so nice to be caring for trees and not just hacking them down – I’ve never had to go up trees and hang possum boxes before.’ And you can tell they’re lived in, too – within a month you could see chew marks!”

light years aheadThe design and building of this home took two years, making use of as many lightweight materials as possible, including a timber-frame construction. In fact, it is a house Esplin could not have built with heavyweight materials.

… everything is much

easier… with lightweight materials.

“If you want to build a brick wall and sort of cantilever it on top of another structure, it becomes very complex and expensive, but with lightweight materials, you’ve got so much freedom with how you can use them,” he says. “The openings, the spans – everything is much easier and more flexible with lightweight materials.”

The Ritek roof is a case in point. A composite panel roof system that puts paid to conventional rafters and laying tiles, each ‘sandwich’ panel features two sheets of corrugated iron roofing material with an inside core of polystyrene that can be screwed onto the roof in just days. Using the Ritek system, it is easy to span big openings and create large overhangs.

For its low-maintenance stability and striking look, Scyon™ Linea™ weatherboard cladding was chosen for the upper storey of the house. “Linea weatherboard has accessories which also help you create a seamless profile around corners and windows,” says Esplin, “and the boards are pre-primed, which eliminates the labour you’d require doing that first coat of paint.”

The importance of taking the time to design a house properly was not lost on the clients, who love the light, airy elegance of their new home, the fact that it’s easy to clean and the ‘massive’ amounts of money it saves them in utilities. Best of all, and most importantly for this family, it has brought the outdoors in. “Ian designed the house so that wherever you are in it you can look out and see nature,” says Alison. “That’s really us. If a white-breasted sea eagle goes by, I can run out on the verandah and see it flying overhead.”

how does your garden grow?

The beautiful garden was a huge drawcard for the couple when they first bought this block – and still is; they each control a section. “Glenn has the backyard and I have the front yard, otherwise we fight,” laughs Alison. “We can plant whatever we want in our own section!”

An interest in native plants inspired Alison’s design for her plot. “I went out into the local bushland during springtime to pick the plants that were indigenous and flowering well,” she says, “and I designed the garden around those plant types. I also grow a veggie garden with asparagus, rhubarb, tomatoes, shallots, spinach and beetroot. We’re very big mulchers and we use local ribbon reed from Lake Tuggerah on the garden, which just goes crazy for it.”

The house before the rebuild.

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get the lookspecs

floor

plan

Linea™ weatherboard

When it comes to weatherboard, why not use the one that weathers well? Made from the tough Scyon™ material, Linea™ weatherboards are pre-primed to make painting a breeze and boast crisp shadow lines to form a look-at-me facade.

EasyLap™ panel

Want to get a plain wall up fast? EasyLap™ panel is a strong, fibre cement base sheet finished with a site-applied, roll-on textured acrylic paint to create a rendered look with a subtle vertical joint.

Secura™ interior flooring

Redoing the bathroom? Make sure you use a floor that’s resistant to moisture damage, like Scyon™ Secura™ interior flooring. It’s a heavy-duty but lightweight structural flooring substrate that can be used for tile, vinyl and carpet finishes in both general interiors and wet areas.

Architect: Ian Esplin, www.esplin.com.au

Builder: Bryan Welsh, Traditional Touch Builders, 0408 494 339.

Roofing: Ritek composite roofing with integral R3.5 polystyrene insulation.

Insulation: Walls, R2 polyester batts.

External walls: Rendered brick on lower floor; upper floor is clad in Sycon™Linea™ weatherboard.

Windows: Single-glazed low-e Vantage windows with aluminium frames.

Internal walls: Plasterboard on timber frame.

Flooring: Spotted Gum timber flooring on elevated decks and living areas. Bedrooms are carpeted in Calivier

Bramworth 100% wool; bathrooms and downstairs hallway tiled in natural beige from Amber Tiles.

Water management: Action Tanks 15,000L rainwater storage tank system.

Energy management: General energy efficiency measures, and Hills solar evacuated tube hot water system.

Heating: Daikin Invertor 9kW split system reverse cycle air conditioner for supplementary heating in winter.

Cooling: Primarily natural ventilation, with ceiling fans in the living room and master bedroom.

Budgeted cost for the build: $650,000.

Actual cost: On budget. Costs were lower due to the lightweight materials used and the rapid rate of

construction, which also minimised vulnerability to wet weather delays. The entire build cost around $2500 per square metre.

Long-term cost reductions: Passive cooling from the louvred windows and cross ventilation, supplementary air-con heating in winter and the rainwater tanks adds up to far lower utility bills. The low-maintenance, ‘future-proofed’ design of the home goes beyond The Basix NSW requirements in terms of energy efficiency, with the potential to become more so if solar panels are installed, or more LED lights retro-fitted as they become more readily available and suitable.

ground floor second floor

One of our three design ambassadors chooses a demonstration project each month – see it featured here, written about in the Australian Style blog and hear the interview on our Light Home sustainable design podcast series.

what’s on the site lighthome.com.au

Four blogs updated weekly: light home projects, green interior design, green building explained and your questions answered.

The Light Home monthly newsletter – have the monthly

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Find a light home designer or builder anywhere around

the country.

Light Home sustainable design podcast series out weekly –

our design ambassadors share their thoughts about their

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and builders explain the green aspects of their own projects.

Ask any question you like and if we, or one of our

design experts, can answer it, we will. If we can’t, we’ll try to direct you to the best

spot to find out.

Light Home has a host of design ideas and articles on green building, tough building and how to do it. But that’s far from all we have to offer.

46

design spotlightAlbany, WA

room to breatheRather than building to the boundaries of their block, this couple created a home with a whisper-small footprint, leaving them plenty of outdoor space.

Words Nigel Bartlett Photography Penni Sutton

Y ou have a block of land and want to build a beautiful house on it. But how much of that land should the house take up? Three-quarters? Half ? A

quarter? Even less, if you’re Penni Sutton and Peter Jongen. They took a modest plot and built an even more modest house on just a fifth of their overall land. Why would they do that? Partly to show it can be done.

The couple, who live in Albany on the coast of Western Australia, owned a 1969 house on a traditional quarter-

acre block. After subdividing, they ended up with a 450 square metre plot – and built upon it a two-storey home with a footprint of just 90 square metres. What was left was enough surrounding land to provide external living space and an edible garden where they now grow vegetables, fruit trees, perennial herbs and edible flowers.

Architect Jongen and interior designer Sutton designed and built the home themselves. Concerned by the challenges of climate change and potential energy and water shortages,

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their goal in small design was to explore concepts of how much is 'enough': How many rooms do we really need to be happy? How much should a home really cost? And how much should we push our natural resources?

“From the project’s inception, we’ve sought to use it as an example of just how productive we can be with land, without getting into a war of sustainability versus cost or – even worse – lifestyle sacrifice,” says Jongen. “This is a house and land package that uses the ideals of sustainability to enhance lifestyle without complicating it.”

The overall area of the home, across the two levels, is just over 170 square metres, but parts of it are multi-use to keep its footprint low. The upstairs hallway, for example, is also a library, while other areas are intentionally small, like the narrow bathroom, which is situated between two bedrooms with sliding doors on either side.

“The bathroom is a very successful space: small, efficient and highly usable for its purpose,” says Sutton. “We call it our ‘London Tube’ room because it’s long and narrow; the tiling is even inspired by the UK’s underground stations.”

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light and easySutton describes the home, which took 12 months to build, as “a really great place to live – light, airy, comfortable, interesting and easy”. And thanks to clever design and lightweight materials, it achieves the two goals she and Jongen set out to accomplish: cost-effectiveness and sustainability.

“We could have built it using heavier methods, but the cost would have gone up and the sustainability of construction gone down, because of the increased amount of embodied energy,” Jongen explains. “Also, using locally produced materials in a lightweight construction has reduced the house’s carbon footprint.”

For example, the lower storey is clad in Carter Holt Harvey SHADOWclad timber cladding, an exterior plywood treated with light organic solvent preservative (LOSP) and finished with Haymes Simply Woodcare Dexpress, an opaque acrylic-based product. The upper floor, meanwhile, is clad with James Hardie® HardieFlex™ sheet, with fibre-cement batten trimming. Both of these materials, says Jongen, reference the classic West Australian post-war style of housing.

How many rooms do we really need …

How much should a home

really cost?

50

“Even the black and white colour scheme references housing that was typically finished using creosote and sump oil on the timber boards and white paint finish on the window and door frames,” he explains.

However, while the upper floor is timber-framed, the lower storey is steel-framed with reverse-brick veneer, the process of taking bricks traditionally used to externally clad a house and instead using them inside. This design helps the house regulate its own temperature. “In summer, the bricks are insulated from solar gain and remain cooler than the outside temperature, and in winter they absorb heat from the fireplace and radiate it back when needed,” says Sutton.

In addition, the home’s main living areas and largest windows face north to make the most of the winter sun and are double-glazed to retain heat. The overhanging upper floor provides shade in summer while deciduous fruit trees will be planted for extra shading and, once their leaves drop, to allow sun penetration in winter. Equally, the house makes active use of cross-ventilation to take advantage of sea breezes during warmer months.

Insulation has also been carefully considered, with 80% recycled tontine batts adding to the building’s thermal performance. “The western windows upstairs have blinds that act as insulating walls,” Sutton says. These not only keep warmth in when needed, but also keep it out. “By using Luxaflex Duette shades with foil lining, there’s little heat transference from the window to the interior, which has been extremely successful.”

Using locally produced

materials in a lightweight construction

has reduced the house’s

carbon footprint.

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design innovations

Jongen and Sutton’s home is not simply a testament to what can be achieved in terms of space-efficiency, cost and sustainability. It also incorporates design elements that add character.

In the dining room, for example, is what they call a ‘sun-dial window’, a narrow slot that faces east. “The sun-dial window reminds us of our natural environment – as the season changes, the angle of the sun intersecting the internal space reminds us of the connection between people and their natural environment,” says Jongen.

Upstairs, meanwhile, they have incorporated a chute into the laundry below. “It’s great and saves time, as people simply drop their washables straight into the laundry,” says Sutton. “And we use it as a communication tool when one of us wants a coffee to be brought upstairs!”

52

stylish and practicalOther elements of the interior design benefit the home’s sustainability. A polished concrete floor looks not only stylish but sucks up solar heat during winter. “During winter, sun penetration through the northern glazing hits more than 50% of the floor slab, giving us a great source of free heating that will be stored in the slab during the day and released back into the house at night,” says Sutton. “During summer, the sunlight penetrates by only half a metre – even without shading devices – so very little of the sun’s energy is able to overheat the house.”

Sutton has used polished cement on the downstairs walls to complement the floors, while upstairs the walls are clad in plywood (“a great natural and sustainable product that adds colour and texture”). Locally sourced Blue Gum timber flooring is yet to be installed, as it is still in the process of being seasoned.

Jongen and Sutton created their home with a two-adult, two-child family in mind, although they now have just one teenager living with them – and they are delighted with the result. “It’s not a large home and was never meant to be large,” says Sutton. “However, it is a spacious, comfortable, communal home that encourages people to interact. The built environment should allow the opportunity to bring people together, not isolate them in the many individual rooms that so many project-home owners seem to think they must have. Seriously, who needs four separate living areas? It’s just not sustainable.”

green living

To irrigate their extensive outdoor area, Sutton and Jongen have incorporated a greywater recycling system that uses waste water from laundry, dishwashing and bathing. “A pump picks up the greywater that would traditionally go into the sewer and pumps it through the irrigation system. If there’s a failure, it just goes directly into the sewer along with the blackwater,” Sutton says.

She describes it as a “low-tech retriculation method”, which not only keeps costs down but makes the system easy to maintain. “We don’t need technicians to come and service it,” she says. “That was one of the considerations for us.”

“We love technology, but we try to keep it as simple as possible,” adds Jongen.

floorplanground floor

second floor

spec

s

Matrix™ cladding

Going geometric? Try the flexibility of Scyon™ Matrix™ cladding to create any number of beautifully geometric facades. Made from tough Scyon™ material, Matrix cladding panels are sealed on all sides for extra durability.

Axent™ trim

Looking for texture? Why not add a series of Scyon™ Axent™ trim battens. Made from the tough, moisture-resistant Scyon™ material, Axent trim – pre-primed for fast painting – will look great for years.

Axon™ cladding

Another option is Scyon™ Axon™ cladding. A vertically grooved cladding panel that looks sharp and smooth, Axon cladding is pre-primed, easy to install, and sized to fit common wall frame sizes.

Architect and builder: Peter Jongen, 22point4 Architecture (website under construction).

Interior designer: Penni Sutton, 22point4 Architecture.

Structural steel: Matt Dodd, Stable 17.

External walls: (Ground floor) Reverse-brick veneer with an external cladding of Carter Holt Harvey SHADOWclad timber panelling fixed to timber-framed infill wall system. (First floor) Timber-framed with HardieFlex™ sheet trimmed with Scyon™ Axent™ trim.

Roofing: Lysaght® Trimdek® Zincalume® roof decking.

Insulation: Internal and external layer of reflective breathable building wrap with R2.0 tontine insulation batts between studs, supplied by Albany Insulation.

Internal walls: (Ground floor) Cement-rendered dado to brick walls and polished, with polished hard wall plaster to northern wall. (First floor)

Gyprock™ and Austral Hoop Pine ply panels.

Windows: Double-glazed siding doors with low-energy glass glazing.

Flooring: (Ground floor) Polished and coloured concrete. (First floor) Scyon™ Secura™ interior flooring throughout.

Stairs: Tasmanian Oak.

Kitchen: (vertical laminate) Brescia by Laminex and Hoop pine plywood by Austral (plywood finished with clear 2pac finish); (benchtop) Rice Paper by Corian; gas stove top by Highland (Australian Made); rangehood by Schweigen; oven by Neff; microwave/convection oven by Panasonic; refrigerator by Fisher & Paykel.

Outside decking: Clear pine. Reeded decking supplied by M & B Albany.

Water management: Two 3.5kL tanks have been installed underground to capture rainwater from the roof, with another 10kL tank to be installed above ground.

Energy management: 2.2kW solar system installed on the upper roof by Albany Solar, with an Apricus evacuated tube solar hot water system and gas booster for the supply of hot water. A simple heat pump (fan and ducting) has also been installed to move hot air from the high ridge ceiling zone back down to the ground floor to maintain a consistent air temperature throughout winter.

Cooling: Natural cross ventilation throughout building eliminates the need for air conditioning.

Heating: Solid fuel heater encased within thermal mass core of solid bricks. Fully cased heater supplied by Chazelle.

Budgeted cost for build: $350,000.

Actual cost: $400,000.

Long?term cost reductions: To be monitored. At present the cost of power consumption is zero.

get

the

look

design spotlightGlen Iris, Melbourne

edwardian makeover

an Six people in an Edwardian cottage was becoming a little too close for comfort for one Melbourne family. The solution? A renovation marrying old-world charm with new-world flair.

Words Andrea Sophocleous Photography Paul West Photography

S haun and Liz Prescott lived in their 1910 Edwardian weatherboard for seven years before the needs of a growing family made a renovation a matter of urgency. With only a 1990s part renovation at the rear and a

traditional layout of enclosed rooms, the Glen Iris, Melbourne, home was becoming increasingly less practical for a family with young children. “We bought the house when we didn’t have any children and now we have four. Once our second son came along, we realised it was time to do something about it,” says Shaun Prescott.

Armed with a folder of inspiration – dream clippings of rooms, designs and finishes – Prescott and his wife, Liz, approached Sherbrooke Design and Construction and designer Scott Ellis of Ausdraft to extend their family home. The brief included open-space living areas with indoor/outdoor entertaining, an upstairs extension with space for the children and a downstairs study. It also included very clear instructions on preserving the integrity of the original home.

“We wanted to keep the front of the house in its original state,” Shaun Prescott explains. “The reason we bought the house in the first place was because we had both lived in the area and loved the older style of the homes.”

From the street, the house still looks like a single-storey Edwardian weatherboard, albeit with a fresh lick of paint and immaculate landscaping. From the back, any hints of tradition are gone. A modern, two-storey structure, built in lightweight materials with full-height glass and a seamless transition from indoors to outdoors brings the home startlingly into this century.

Inside, clean lines are visible throughout. The back of the existing building has been demolished to make way for an upper storey and a ground-floor extension,

From the street, the house still looks like a single-storey Edwardian weatherboard. From the back, any hints of tradition are gone.

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complete with new deck. The living, kitchen and dining areas (at rear) are spacious and flow seamlessly. In the living area, a bench seat running alongside the fireplace is duplicated on the decking, providing a natural flow-on effect.

The balance of old materials with new has been smartly managed with wood. Stained Tasmanian Oak floorboards run from the hallway right through to the back of the house. The seamless transition continues with the indoor space flowing onto the Spotted Gum decking through two full-height glass-panel sliding doors. And recycled Red Gum sleeper posts at the end of the decking have generous gaps between them, keeping the line of sight open to the property’s rear boundary.

overcoming challengesFor designer Scott Ellis, the Prescott home demonstrates the best of both worlds: tradition and modernity. “The clients had a good understanding of what they wanted, which made my job relatively easy in getting a handle on what they wanted. The design came together quite nicely,” Ellis says.

Stained Tasmanian Oak floorboards run from the hallway right through to the back of the house,

creating a flow-on effect …

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While working with knowledgeable clients made his job easier, Ellis had to tackle issues presented by the site’s steep orientation.

“The site was very steep, so heights were always going to be an issue – when it comes to planning requirements, boundary heights and wall heights are always an issue. On sloping sites, it can be a challenge to get these things to work with you rather than against you.”

Ellis bypassed this challenge with a box-like design for the upstairs extension, allowing him to lower sections of the ceiling and height of the house, and thereby remain within council restrictions. By placing the laundry and pantry behind the kitchen wall – thus hidden from view – Ellis could push the ground-floor extension to the south boundary and again keep the design within planning restrictions.

finding solutionsThe Prescotts began their renovation process with the intention of using the aluminium composite cladding Alucabond® for the rear external facade. When initial quotes proved beyond their budget, online searching led them to Scyon™ Matrix™ cladding. A James Hardie® cement composite cladding panel, Matrix™ cladding reflects a similar aesthetic appearance to Alucabond®– but at a substantially lower cost.

Sherbrooke’s construction manager Steve Compton says Matrix™ cladding perfectly suited not only the aesthetic the Prescotts wanted to achieve, but also the box-like design of the extension. “Matrix™ cladding, with its modern finish, combined well with the Colorbond® panels to give the rear an absolute lift in

All three parties credit a communicative

working relationship

for keeping hiccups to a

minimum.

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green living

The green credentials of this old-meets-new home include solar energy and the use of treated greywater for the garden and lawn. Shower and kitchen water is collected into a greywater treatment system, located under the back deck, and then pumped into the garden.

Effective insulation of every wall in the home, plus double-glazed windows, reduces reliance on heating, while Colorbond awnings above the windows provide protection from the harsh summer sun, keeping the house cool without the need for air conditioning.

62 63

overall appearance. A rendered finish or even weatherboard wouldn’t have looked as good,” Compton says.

“We could have used the Matrix™ [cladding] without the screws holding together the panels showing, but we wanted the screws, as it gives it more of an industrial look,” Prescott adds. “The finished look is exactly what we envisioned: a softer look than a shiny aluminium so that it fits better with the original part of the house.”

working togetherAll three parties credit a communicative working relationship for keeping hiccups to a minimum. The build was finished on time, within the eight-month schedule.

“The only issue we encountered was with a neighbour, who ironically was building as well. It caused a few dramas, but nothing that held us back,” says Ellis.

For Shaun Prescott, losing the project manager while the house was at the frame stage was a setback. “We had a few trades booked in at that stage of the process, and there was some upheaval in reorganising everything. It was also time-consuming to start again with a new project manager, but you can work though anything if you have a good working relationship,” he says.

Working with Sherbrooke was a highlight, he adds. “Steve [Compton] was fantastic – he’s an approachable guy, and if you had a problem, you could just talk through it with him. When you’re doing a project of this size, you have to be clear on what you want. And if you’re working through issues productively, as we did, they get solved.”

design innovations

Cleverly, the extension design placed the laundry and pantry behind the kitchen wall, out of view. This enabled the ground-floor extension to push out to the south boundary while still staying within council rules.

What’s more, slide-away doors in the kitchen neatly conceal the study area, but when open allow the parents to keep an eye on their young children from the kitchen and living areas. And the living entertainment area can be closed off from the rest of the home, while retaining a feel of open space and natural flow. A glass door unit measuring 2890mm tall by 1200mm wide at the end of the hallway slides into the wall cavity; when fully open it sits flush to the hallway wall, completely concealing it from view.

floorplanground floor

first floor

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get

the

look

spec

s

Linea™ weatherboard

The irony of traditional weatherboard is it doesn't weather that well. The answer could be a modern weatherboard that looks like an old one. Made from tough Scyon™ material, Linea™ weatherboards take weather in their stride.

Matrix™ cladding

Nothing says modern quite as strongly as clearly-defined geometric shapes. And one of the easy ways to achieve that look is with Scyon™ Matrix™ cladding, an exterior cladding system with a geometric, expressed joint look.

Stria™ cladding

Horizontal lines more your style? Partway between the look of a weatherboard and the geometry of Matrix cladding is Scyon™ Stria™ cladding, the simple way to add modern-looking texture.

Designer: Sherbrooke Design and Construction in conjunction with Ausdraft, www.sherbrookeconstructions.com & www.ausdraft.com.au

Builder: Sherbrooke Design and Construction.

External walls: Rear cladding in British Paints ’Fox Hunt’ colour, Scyon™ Matrix™ cladding. First floor rear window feature in Colorbond® colour ’Shale Grey‘. Acrylic render finish to HardieTex™ system painted in British Paints ’Fox Hunt‘ colour. Stramit Series ‘A’ Roller Door in ’Woodland Grey‘ Colorbond® colour.

Roofing: Original section re-roofed in Colorbond® ’Woodland  Grey‘ corrugated iron. New section roofing is Zincalume® Speed Deck.

Insulation: R2.0 polyester batts to external walls. R3.0 polyester batts to ceilings and R2.0 Rockwool Acoustic Insulation batts between ground and first floor.

Internal walls: Walls in bathrooms, ensuite and laundry are ’Gloss White rectified‘ 300 x 600mm tiles. Gyprock™

walls with Sydney Classic Cove 90 x 90mm cornice from Chad Plaster to existing, and square set to new areas. Edwardian profile skirting to master bedroom, bedroom 2, lounge, WIR, entry hallway up to feature glass sliding door, and 180 x 18mm profile skirting to other areas. Interior home walls and ceilings painted in ’Natural White‘. Single Lite opaque glass door unit (2890 x 1200mm) to hallway. This door slides open into a cavity flush to hallway wall, concealing it from view.

Windows: Nylon mesh fly screens to all new windows. Windows and rear doors are powder-coated anodised aluminium in silver.

Flooring: Tasmanian Oak select grade (133 x 19mm) stained plus three coats of acrylic polyurethane to dining, kitchen, living, study, WIP andentry/hallway areas. Adonis 100% Nylon Plush carpet in ’790 Onyx‘ colour to all carpeted areas. Floors (including shower bases) are ’Stratos Wet cement unpolished‘ 600 x 600mm tiles in bathrooms and a 300 x 600mm size tile in the ensuite, laundry and wall closets.

Kitchen: Joinery in ‘Vinyl wrap Guilford’ classic white matt finish and ’Vinyl wrap Barren Alder‘ matt finish. Caesarstone® benchtops in ’Ice snow‘. Hafele self-closing drawers and handles. Fisher & Paykel white curved door fridge  451L Pigeon Pair & Integration Kit; Fisher & Paykel freezer white curved door 389L Pigeon Pair & Integration Kit; Miele 60cm fully integrated dishwasher; AEG Single electric oven 60cm in stainless steel; AEG Induction 60cm 4BR cooktop; Ilve 60cm stainless steel slide-out rangehood.

Outside decking: Spotted gum decking (130 x 19mm) to rear deck and steps.  

Cooling: Evaporative cooling – Brivis Contour L33a. Split system – Daikin FTY50.

Heating: Ducted heating – Brivis Buffalo 85.

Budgeted cost for build: $496,870.

Actual cost: $524,600.

Smart homeowners, architects and builders are moving away from brick. We take a look at four different kinds of projects that vetoed brick for a more economical, eco-friendly and

altogether cooler style of build.

perth rethinks

brickintroduction 66

bye bye brick … 70

the display home 70

the bespoke new home 72

the reno 74

the social home 76

trends to watch 78

bringing the outside in 78

reverse brick veneer 80

quick SIPs 81

Words Rachel Sullivan

bye bye brick…Smart homeowners, architects and builders are moving away from brick. We take a look

at four different kinds of projects that vetoed brick for a more economical, eco-friendly and altogether cooler style of build.

P erth stands alone in Australia when it comes to the domination of brick construction with the city’s residents long conditioned into thinking that brick

is better. This, combined with the engineering restrictions inherent in brick construction, has resulted in a homogenous – some might even say monotonous – streetscape, with little variation in design, colour and form.

Yet Perth’s love affair with brick may be coming to an end. Thanks to increasing concerns about sustainability and shrinking lot sizes, home owners and builders alike are starting to question the wisdom of brick. The drain on trades from workers heading north for the mining boom and the government’s mandate that all new homes have a 6 star energy efficiency rating from mid-2012 have only added to the pressure.

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introduction

66

In a hot, dry climate, do you really want to live in an airless oven that retains the heat in summer and freezes up in winter? That’s the question many Perth-based home owners and builders are starting to ask themselves.

bye bye brick…

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introduction“Western Australia is steeped in the tradition of residential brick construction,” says Paul Lim, principal of design specialists Mata Design Studio.

“However with the need to be environmentally responsible, the change in the energy efficiency regulations and the rise in the cost of labour, it seems to have become merely an aesthetic market expectation.

“As the market becomes more educated and more sustainable products become available that save time and money, we are naturally shifting to and accepting these smarter ways of building.”

Lightweight construction is not only a more sustainable alternative, it helps bring together energy efficiency, affordability and clever contemporary design to create cooler, lighter, more liveable homes.

“Perth has to be the last place in the world still relying totally on brick,” agrees Raleigh Charpentier, sales and marketing manager at Gemmel Homes.

“Everywhere else you look, people are using lightweight. It is not only more affordable, it doesn’t have the same time constraints as brick, which means at the end of the day it provides a better product, faster.”

the sensible choiceLightweight construction generally requires less cutting and filling than double-brick construction, which makes it ideal for angular, sloping and otherwise tricky sites. It is also particularly well suited to sites where access and space is a problem: stacked cladding and other materials take up as little as a quarter of the space of pallets of bricks intended to cover the same area. And because lightweight construction can be done by carpenters, there is less waste to manage and fewer trades battling for space and time on site.

That using lightweight construction helps create comfortable living spaces, no matter the climate, is also forcing people to take note. Perth has just experienced its hottest year in recorded history, plus the wettest spring in more than a decade. With the climate predicted to only become more extreme and unpredictable, and energy bills soaring, what we thought we could live with in the past is no longer doing the job.

“Brick-and-tile construction creates giant heat sinks; they’re like old-fashioned crock pots,” says Michael Roberts, co-director of Roberts Gardiner Architects. “It’s been proven that better insulation ratings can be achieved from lightweight construction than from heavy brickwork.

“As Perth moves towards 6 star energy efficiency ratings for all new homes, achieving this is going to be easier and more efficient with lightweight.”

Lightweight is also getting builders to look beyond 6 stars, says Peter Edwards, builder with NuLook Homes.“With energy efficiency changes being

Paul Lim, Mata Design

Studio

Brick and tile construction creates giant heat sinks; they’re like old-fashioned crock pots …

implemented, builders are having to explore new options, especially when it comes to cavity insulation, and it’s here that lightweight’s merits come into their own. It’s really shaken up the larger builders, and now the changes are starting to flow through to the rest.”

But the transition is not only about energy efficiency. Design that stands out from the crowd is easier to achieve with lightweight materials because of their flexibility, allowing features like cantilevers and interesting roof lines to be achieved without costly heavy engineering. As award-winning building designer Jason Saunders from Arc-Seven.1 says: “Our clientele is very open, with most keen to explore options. And for many of the builders we work with, as soon as we mention lightweight they see the benefits and embrace it.

“We don’t do straightforward design forms, so using lightweight gives us design flexibility and helps us explore boundaries and push them.”

Lightweight construction also has advantages when it comes to speed and efficiency, and that translates into bottom line benefits, Saunders says. “Even though we are not currently in the middle of a building boom, things are blowing out and taking far too long. As an industry, we need to get construction timeframes reduced and lightweight construction can make that happen.”

… we are naturally

shifting to and accepting these smarter ways

of building.

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bye bye brick…

nulookhomes.com.au

the display homeWhen one builder couldn’t find a display home to show clients the versatility of lightweight, he recognised he needed to build his own.

“What started as a discussion about a renovation has evolved into a new display home that showcases the high-end finish that can be achieved using lightweight construction,” says award-winning builder Peter Edwards from NuLook Homes.

“Everything in this house, from the floor to the framework, the roof to the walls, all use lightweight [materials].”

One of the big features of the home is the flow of materials from the exterior to the interior, Edwards adds. “We have used Scyon™ Matrix™ cladding on the eaves, then carried it inside the home as ceiling linings, using the cladding’s grid pattern as an attractive alternative to plasterboard. Scyon™ Stria™ cladding feature panels have been used on both the exterior and interior, again helping to create a flowing connection between the indoors and outside.”

Brick and render have their limitations, he says, especially when it comes to quality finishes. “But high-quality cladding products [like Matrix and Stria] are ideally suited to interesting finishes, such as metallics, that combine to give surfaces a smart, new dimension wherever they are in the home.”

While not yet completed, the display home has already recieved strong feedback from people looking to embrace a new way of living.

Everything in this house, from the floor to the framework, the roof to the walls, all use lightweight [materials].

Smart homeowners, architects and builders are moving away from brick. We take a look at four different kinds of projects that vetoed brick for a more economical, eco-friendly and altogether cooler style of build.

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bye bye brick…

the bespoke new homeIn the upmarket Perth suburb of Claremont, one new home is not only going lightweight, it is using a transportable building to boot.

“This house is for a young family of four who have an open mind and gave us only their basic requirements to work with,” says Paul Lim, principal of Mata Design Studio and leader on the project. “The family wanted to limit the size of the house in order to maximise their outdoor living space and garden.”

Due for completion in April 2012, it became apparent early in the design process that an unusual solution was needed. The site is moderately sloped, Lim explains, so rather than incurring large costs in site works, the team decided on a prefabricated house that could sit on piers and thus allow most of the existing site levels to be retained.

The house, which will be clad in Scyon™ Axon™, will also use HardieFlex™ sheet for external soffits and Scyon™ Secura™ interior flooring and Villaboard® lining for wet areas. It will be split into four modules and brought by two trucks to the site. It will then be craned into place in a day, allowing the whole house to be completed in less than three months from its April start date.

“There is so much potential for prefabricated design, particularly in the residential sector,” says Lim, “and with the shorter construction times, minimisation of material wastage and control over quality in the yard, it seemed like an avenue to pursue.”

Lightweight construction lends itself to such structures with its speed, ease of assembly and tolerance during transportation, he adds. “In terms of future-proofing, services are more accessible and capable of being modified or added in a framed building than with some other building systems.

“This is a growing sector nationally and internationally that is making considerable ground. We see WA as a state that will also embrace it, not only for temporary accommodation, but for mid to high-specification housing as well.”

matadesign.com.au

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bye bye brick…

the renoFrom character bungalow to energy-efficient icon, this home now boasts 7-plus energy stars.

Making a contemporary addition blend seamlessly with an old-character home can be a challenge. When it came to building a contemporary addition to his family’s 1937 bungalow, designer Jason Saunders from Arc-Seven.1 was motivated primarily by a desire to retain his home’s character while also creating an energy-efficient space.

“Because of their lack of insulation, poor cross-ventilation and timber floors, a lot of old houses don’t rate well when it comes to energy efficiency,” Saunders says. “With the new addition, we wanted to see how hard we could push it, and have ended up exceeding 7 stars across the whole building.”

The new addition is at the rear of the Saunders property and, when completed in mid-2012, will be painted black to keep it from visually dominating the original house. Designed as a flexible, contemporary space, it houses office and meeting areas that can be converted to other uses.

… we wanted to see how

hard we could push it, and

have ended up exceeding 7 stars across

the whole building.

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On the ground floor, reverse-brick construction has been used, putting thermal mass on the inside and lightweight Scyon™ Axon™ cladding on the outside, while exposed concrete walls are a feature both inside and out.

“For the first floor, we wanted to create a structure that wasn’t imposing and seemed to float over the site,” Saunders says. This was achieved, he explains, with timber-framed construction and a 2.3 metre cantilever, where part of the building projects – seemingly unsupported – into space.

“If we had wanted to do this in double brick, there would have been much more structural work involved, but using lightweight construction substantially reduced the cost and complexity of the build.”

The connection between old and new is enhanced by a glass box linking the two worlds, while the link between the two spaces is enhanced by Axon™ cladding that flows from the exterior to the dining room.

“We really wanted to create a contemporary design that blends with the existing forms,” Saunders says. “Using the cladding in this way has definitely helped.” arc-seven1.com.au

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section headhouse or person name + location

bye bye brick…

the social home Time savings of 50% and a system that called for just one skilled tradesman – this project went above and beyond the brief.

As part of Western Australia’s new affordable housing strategy, the WA Department of Housing develops affordable housing for low and moderate-income families. After running pilots to determine which construction systems gave the best results, the Department found lightweight a strong contender.

Quikloc modular panels have been trialled with great success, according to Summit Homes general manager Brett Garrett, who was involved in projects at four sites. In Girraween, a three-unit and four-unit development was built using the system, while in Bertram, Quikloc was used to construct two eight-unit developments.

“The government wanted to look at alternative building products to understand their benefits and see if they would be viable going forward,” Garrett explains. “[Architect] Bruce Robinson and James Hardie® approached the Department and proposed the Quikloc system, which is very quick and easy to install and offers high insulation values.”

Offering a substantial time saving of up to 50% over standard construction methods, the Quikloc system can be used to build both single and double-storey homes. Using a panel installed into a bottom track, fillets inserted between each panel lock them together while a plate on top fixes the roof into position.

In the trials, the houses were clad in Matrix™ cladding and Scyon™ Linea™ weatherboard to create a distinctive, contemporary feel. Quikloc then boosted the homes’ insulation values to create a comfortable internal environment year round, while reducing running costs and adding to long-term affordability.

“The advantage of the system is you only need one skilled person and two unskilled people,” says architect Bruce Robinson. “You can actually stand the walls of a single-storey home in two days. You start on Monday and can have the roof on by Friday. The insulation factor of the Quikloc panel by itself is already about 2.2 as an index, but you add James Hardie® products and it goes to 2.8.”

Garrett believes the system’s potential extends beyond social housing. “Because of the speed and limited number of trades used in their construction, as well as their insulation values, we are starting to see increasing interest in remote regions and in mining areas, which we expect to pick up as more people find out about the system’s benefits.”

summithomesgroup.com.au

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section headhouse or person name + location

trends to watch

bringing the outside inIs it a garden? A room? A garden room? Clever designers are reinventing the way we look at internal and external space.

We’ve always loved our backyards in Australia, but the garden is increasingly becoming an extension of the home, with clever design blurring the line between indoor and outdoor living. From creating liveable alfresco spaces that feel like real

If we had had to use brick to do this, it would have been much more complicated.

rooms to using exterior materials on the inside, this trend may have started as a quirky idea but it is rapidly gaining pace.

Jason Saunders, director of building designers Arc-Seven.1, won the 2011 Building Designers Australia WA Alterations & Additions $200,000-plus category for an outdoor room he designed in Applecross, Perth.

As well as creating a connection with nature and making the most of the outdoor space, “the owners wanted to introduce some colour to the house, which was a bland eight-year-old double-brick and tile construction,” says Saunders. “It was a restricted site, so we needed to find something that allowed us to create the form that we wanted, without the time frames and other issues associated with using brick.”

The team opted for Matrix™ cladding, with its high quality panel finish that can be used both internally and externally.

“The whole design is based on squares, and Matrix [cladding] allowed that square form to be accentuated in an easy way. If we had had to use brick to do this, it would have been much more complicated.”

The horizontal linework also draws the eye out further and increases the scaling of the design, Saunders says, while adding to the casual ambience of the informal entertaining and living space. “We wanted to design something that would create character without making it too difficult, and Matrix [cladding] was key to that.” arc-seven1.com.au

The rise of reverse brick veneer, the efficiency of SIPs and the move toward bringing the outside in – we examine three projects picking up on the hottest building trends.

section headhouse or person name + location

trends to watch

gemmillhomes.com.au rgarchitects.com.au

reverse brick

veneer

quick SIPs

Bricks on the inside, cladding on the outside, better temperatures and stand-out style: that’s the philosophy behind the rise and rise of reverse brick veneer.

Reverse brick veneer is essentially the practice of improving a home’s thermal performance and comfort by placing the thermal mass (bricks) on the inside, with a layer of insulation between the bricks and the cladding.

It is also the thinking behind some of the hottest new building projects, including the luxury resort-style Alpine home, a wow-factor masterpiece that owes much of its success to reverse brick veneer.

“The house uses reverse brick veneer clad with Linea weatherboard, accentuated with stonework and a Colourbond skillion roof,” says Raleigh Charpentier, sales and marketing manager at Gemmell Homes. “Reverse brick veneer really lets you think outside the box, by combining different materials and methods while building cost-effective, stylish and elegant homes.

“The lightweight Linea weatherboard cladding also provides a sharp finish that frames and accentuates the house’s clean lines. We’ve also used stonework on lots of different aspects; together, these features take design in Perth to a new level,” he continues, adding that the feedback has been “awesome”.

“Everyone who sees it loves its lines and the fact that it is not the stock standard ‘box’ from project builders.”

With 24,000 people on the social housing waiting list in Perth, the Department of Housing is trialling alternative construction methods designed to get people into their new homes faster.

Prefabricated Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) use an insulating layer of polystyrene foam, sandwiched between two layers of structural board, to provide maximum thermal efficiency at a cost-effective price. Their strength not only eliminates the need for a frame, but allows them to be used as walls, flooring and roofing.

As part of a pilot project investigating the potential of SIPs as a faster, more energy-efficient alternative to traditional construction, Michael Roberts, co-director of Roberts Gardiner Architects, recently designed the Bates Road Inaloo project, a series of three two-storey family units.

To create the striking two-storey designs, Roberts used a combination of Matrix™ cladding and PrimeLine® weatherboard, cutting the usual construction times in half.

“Because it was so quick and easy to build and used few trades, we saved between 16 and 20 weeks,” says Roberts. “This results not only in cost savings, but means it is quicker to get people off social housing waiting lists.”

While this was a pilot for the Perth metro area, SIPs are ideally suited for regional and remote areas because of their speed of construction and high levels of insulation, Roberts adds. “They can be prefabricated in a factory, trucked in and erected quickly, without the need for wet trades like brickies.”

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fact file

Ever dreamed of having a secret room, somewhere to hide out from obligations, deadlines and the real world? We delve into the ins and outs of how it can be done.

secret rooms

Words Rachel Sullivan Photography Spiral Cellars

S ecret passages, hidden rooms and priests’ holes have been used for centuries to hide valuables and smuggle goods. Once confined to ancient castles and

stately manor houses, since Jodie Foster’s 2002 movie Panic Room there has been growing interest in building them into contemporary homes.

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just what is a secret room?Hidden spaces can be anything from a niche concealing a safe to clever under-stair storage areas, passages and whole rooms.

They are becoming increasingly popular in the US, where one of the best-known secret room builders is former mechanical engineer Steve Humble of Creative Home Engineering. He supplies houses with cabinet or bookshelf kits that can be installed by the homeowner and cost around $10,000.

“I don’t even know where a lot of the doors go,” he said in an interview with Popular Mechanics. “I just ask the size of the doorway – I don’t need to know what they’re hiding.”

Moving fireplaces is a popular request, Humble adds, although the $35,000 price tag puts it out of reach of most. Other common requests are chests of drawers that swivel to reveal a hidden room, mirrors and paintings that provide access to tight spaces and pool cue racks, wardrobes and grandfather clocks masking hidden hiding spots.

While Humble gives his clients the option of installing a wall unit with a single moving panel, most opt for a simple bookcase that can be installed in less than an hour and has been engineered with a steel frame to hold more than 135 kilograms without buckling.

I don’t even know where a

lot of the doors go. I just ask

the size of the doorway –

I don’t need to know what

they’re hiding.

Door opening mechanisms can be anything from a James Bond-style chess set to a flip-up Shakespeare bust, complete with fingerprint reader.

More elaborate packages feature escape slides concealed under chairs, while door opening mechanisms can be anything from a James Bond-style chess set to a flip-up Shakespeare bust complete with fingerprint reader.

panic roomsPanic rooms, or safe rooms, are popular with the wealthy (and the paranoid) with high-end options costing between $50,000 and $500,000. On the low end, converting a cupboard into a panic room with plywood reinforcement usually starts at around $3,000, according to HowStuffWorks.com.

According to Chris McGooey from Crime Doctor.com, “To make a simple safe room, just select an interior room or large cupboard with no windows or skylight. Install a solid core wood or steel door and hang it so it opens outwards.

“I usually recommend a keyless Grade-1 [top quality] deadbolt to prevent the keys from falling into the wrong hands, but you must consider that mischievous children might lock themselves inside and you outside.”

the local connection While hidden rooms have been popular in the US for years, interest is only just taking off in Australia.

Spiral Cellars, a UK company that recently added distribution to Australia, has created an inground cylinder with spiral staircase (pictured left and on previous page) accessed by a trapdoor. Promoted as a wine cellar, it can also store treasured objects on shelves around the walls. Prices start from around $30,000 for installation into an already-dug hole.

Buyers tend to be those undertaking a new build or major renovation, says Neil Smallman, the Australian distributor of Spiral Cellars. “They’re home builders or renovators looking for a stand-out feature in their house. They want something top of the range, the ultimate item in their home, and that’s what we do.”

“If you really want to create a hidden room, there can’t be any trace from outside – no wires and no joins in the woodwork that might give it away,” says Peter Illings, a Brisbane-based cabinetmaker and owner of Illings Own Fine Furniture.

He says he is usually asked to make one hidden doorway a year, and that price depends on materials and how elaborate the doorway is. They start from $10,000, with a cedar bookcase doorway costing around $12,000 to $13,000.

Illings says that while people can build their own moving bookcase, safety needs to be considered, from devising an exit strategy to adequate ventilation. Hiding the thing can also be a challenge. “DIY-ers can certainly make a revolving bookcase that hides a room, but whether it looks right is a different story,” he laughs.

The other challenge is keeping it a secret. Once you start showing it to all of your friends, it’s not really a secret anymore.

Words Norm Winn, Bushfire Advisor

1 create a defendable space To start with, it is critical that a homeowner recognises they live in a bushfire-prone area. This is a complex subject and planning from the

outset is critical. Once they have acknowleged there is a risk, one of the first considerations in fire-proofing a home vegetation. If a home is to be built in a bushfire-prone area there must be a defendable space between it and vegetation. That space will ensure direct flames or radiant heat don’t impact on the home.

Ideally, you want a defendable area of 60 to 70 metres between the home and forested areas. That is, large and plentiful trees and fairly dense undergrowth should be at least 60-70 metres from the home. Isolated trees and small shrubs are not so problematic and can be within that defendable space. It is also essential that no limbs or tree canopies overhang the dwelling; preferably they should be at least 10 clear metres away (although in small allotments this may not be achievable).

60 to 70 metres may seem like a large area but homeowners need to be aware that whenever there is a bushfire, ember attacks will occur. Embers are blown by strong winds and can travel distances of up to a kilometre. So by planning for a large defendable space between the home and a possible bushfire, you minimise the impact of direct flame and radiant heat impact, and the possibility of ember attacks.

2 remove excess vegetationThe next key factor to manage is ground level vegetation. What few people realise is that the ground level vegetation in forested areas – the

undergrowth and understory – is what creates a very hot bushfire.

So prior to the Fire Danger Period (mostly between November and April but varies by locality and State) make sure that grass is shorter than 100mm. Also remove any leaves, bark or other flammable ground material surrounding the dwelling. This is an ongoing need throughout the Fire Danger period.

As well as clearing the ground, look out for other excessive vegetation. Clean out gutters and ensure that downpipe plugs are available so that gutters can be filled with water should a bushfire occur. Have a look to see whether embers and

Each issue we go through the emails you’ve sent us to uncover the issues that matter to you. With bushfires a real threat to many homeowners, this edition we asked bushfire advisor Norm Winn for his views on how to design and maintain a fire-safe home.

sparks could get in under the dwelling, through vents, eave lines or spout areas under the roof lining. And ensure that windows are sturdy – you don’t want them breaking if hit by large flying embers or just cracking under the impact of heat.

Also, be aware that some shrubs and plants are less flammable than others. Any mulch in the garden, for example, should be non-flammable. We have a great practice in this country of spreading tan bark around the garden, yet tan bark is the greatest ember trap you can get. Instead, when looking for mulch, seek out crushed tiles, blue metal or quartz and other non-combustible materials.

3 re-examine the building itselfIt’s important to consider the external lining of the dwelling – using non-combustible materials is essential. When designing a new home in

a bushfire area, remember that a low profile roof provides better defence against a bushfire than a high pitched roof: a high pitched roof provides a larger surface area to any probable flame and radiant heat impact. Roof penetrations should be protected with spark barriers and be metal rather than PVC or plastic.

4 know your Bushfire PlanA bushfire is a traumatic experience. It’s traumatic to yourself, your family and your home. Once you have your home safely designed in case of fire,

the most important thing is to know how to be safe, and get to safety, on the day. It is essential therefore that each home in a bushfire zone has a Bushfire Plan. Fire authorities throughout Australia provide excellent guidelines for such a Plan, how to create it and how to apply it, and also advise that families leave their homes early on Total Fire Ban and Catastrophic Bushfire Days.

Following the Victorian Black Saturday Bushfires Royal Commission findings, many recommendations honed in on people safety and response to preparedness and warnings of potentially high fire danger days. Again, Fire Services throughout the nation provide literature for guidance but bushfire safety is ultimately the responsibility of the individual family. Plan for bushfire safety and be ready to implement that plan.

5maintain, maintain, maintainOne of the most crucial factors in bushfire safety is also one of the simplest: maintenance. It is critical that prior to the Fire Danger Period

each year you do all your preparation: cleaning spouts, checking downpipe plugs, ensuring a large enough defendable zone.

You need to make sure that buckets for water are easily available and that all cracks and openings have been sealed or protected with fine metal mesh to stop ember penetration. Most importantly, be sure that your bushfire plan is in place and tested – you need to know how to get yourself and your family out on the day.

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Norm Winn is chair of the Australian Standards Committee for Emergency Planning in Facilities. With over 30 years’ experience with the Country Fire Authority and 20 years as a consultant, he runs his own Victoria-based fire safety consultancy, Norm Winn & Associates Pty Ltd.

more information?

The Australian Standard, AS3959 – 2009 [and Amendments], provides the basic guidelines for building in Bushfire Prone areas. Various State Legislative requirements within Planning and Building Regulations, coupled with the Building Code of Australia and Fire Service approvals, both guide and determine Bushfire safety for new and home renovations.

For more information on fire safety, and creating a fire plan, contact your local Fire Brigade or the Fire Service in your State.

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