Teemangum Surfing
- 2008 BDAQ Regional Building Design Award Winner for Alterations and Additions over $200,000.
The Brief
The existing residence consisted of another 1970’s 2 storey fibro & brick residence with closer than the usual setbacks. The building is on a narrow beachside block facing north to the street and south to the rear. There was little room to expand outwards to the front or sides. Once again the owners wanted to capitalise on the location and have a design custom suited to their beach going lifestyle incorporating sustainable principles.
The Solution
We changed the structure of the residence to incorporate a new garage at the front for easier accessibility and remodeled most rooms to provide for the needs of a growing family and incorporate a modern light airy style. We used recycled hwd timber details pulled from the renovated structure and also Western Red Cedar in opposing linear format to make the home more natural in appearance. Combined with stone elements it has been commented that the home would fit just as neatly in the mountains as beside the beach.
We added solid elements to the outside by using recycled timber clad masonry posts to create form and add a new dimension and I carried this sustainable theme throughout. Visual interest was added with the placement of recycled vertical studs to the external facade and rockwork to the more solid features. Plenty of natural ventilation means no aircon required.
Watch this space !
Click on this photo to see some new projects as they are nearing completion.
Also there is some samples of my 3D work that shows different styles and methods of 3D
work that I create to show you your new building before it is completed.
Here you will find some older miscellaneous projects that may be of interest too.
To see more projects click on the tab to right.
Currumbin Hill
The Brief
This project rests on the side of Currumbin Hill in a landslip area. It had to touch the earth lightly, yet the owners wanted a swimming pool and 3 large decks and the usual living, dining and kitchen facing north to great views over the water towards Surfers.
The Solution
An involved town planning process with resulted in a building that actually had to be increased in size due to an unusual calculating method on height restrictions. We added extra size to the upstairs bedroom so that it would be 50% of the ground floor area.
One opens the front door and is met with a view of the lap pool through large panels of butt joined glazing. There is also a suspended stair with single central rail support made from Vic Ash. You proceed past a home office to the dining and kitchen and wide open living spaces with as little wall as possible between the house and the views.
The whole house is designed to catch existing summer breezes off the ocean and capture the expansive ocean views.
Living Laboratory
- 2008 National HIA Greensmart “Building of the Year”!
- 2008 Nth Rivers / Gold Coast HIA , Most Sustainable Home
- 2008 HIA State Award Best Energy Efficient House of the Year
- 2009 BDAQ Regional Building Design Award Winner
The Brief
The clients and owners Landmatters Pty Ltd, developers of “The Ecovillage” in Currumbin Valley, wanted an exemplary residence that showcases World’s Best Practice in sustainable design and living, and create Australia’s most sustainable residence. A co-operative design effort resulted in a multi award winning and much published home. This home has become part of the Qld Sustainable Homes Program and was operated in Partnership with the Qld. Government Dept. of Public Works and Housing.
The Vision
To improve residential construction by conceiving and implementing innovative design and building componentry. To test, monitor and improve building innovation throughout building occupation. To demonstrate “affordable” sustainable living.
The Solution
This has been achieved by utilising sustainable strategies addressing the following areas:
- Energy use – 1.5kW Photovoltaics, energy efficient lighting and appliances, Ecovision – Intelligent Monitoring Control System, maximising orientation, Solar Hot Water, etc etc. A Ritek roof system provides an R3 rating. Protherm insulation to walls.
- Embodied Energy – 80% Recycled materials incl. timber, steel stumps, vanities, kitchen, etc. Locally produced products including stonework, insulation.
- Water use – Entirely self sufficient. All black and gray water treated and recycled for toilets and garden.
- Affordability – The house was built for approx. $250,000 on land less than $200,000 in 2007.
- Toxicity – All water delivery is in HDPE piping (no PVC). Low VOC paints, EO boards instead of melamine, Natural materials instead of synthetic, No CCA treated timber.
Designers Own Home
The Brief
To design and construct a home that showcases my design style and reflects what I’m capable of to future clients. Our home is located in multi award winning “The Ecovillage” in Currumbin Valley. The Ecovillage is Australia’s Best Sustainable Development having won over 25 Industry and Government Awards and recently awarded the International Real Estate Federation’s highest award the Prix d’Excellence. The house design needed to incorporate all our needs into the future to limit the need for costly renovations as it is intended to be our last home. It needed to showcase what I’m capable of not only in sustainable design but also contemporary design.
There were many areas that this design brief had to fulfill:
- The main priority was sustainability
- Individual contemporary style – to reflect my life’s work
- Future proofing – with 2 teenagers we had to allow for their future growth and independence and departure
- Flexibility of uses
- Accessibility
The Vision
I wanted to use a mixture of sustainable materials to illustrate to clients the possibilities available to them and also show that just because a house is sustainable it doesn’t have to look ugly – quite the opposite. We combined a high percentage of recycled timber with rammed earth, Weathertex Exteriorboard, Corten steel, and glass to create a sophisticated look that follows the contours and blends into the surrounding hillside.
The Solution
I decided on 2 pavilions to maximise cross flow ventilation and solar access, the northern pavilion containing the parents wing ie living, dining, kitchen, bed 1 and ensuite. The rear pavilion contains the childrens bedrooms, a shared bathroom, the laundry combined massage room / rumpus room / sleepout and my office next to the carport. Some of the main (but not all) of the sustainability features are listed below:
- Ample recycled materials
- Thorough cross flow ventilation
- Lightweight construction combined with Thermal Mass elements
- Energy efficient lights and appliances
- Photovoltaics and Solar hot water
- Self sufficient water and sewerage treatment
- Fully accessible for wheelchair movement
- Low embodied energy materials – locally sourced
- Complete insulation package including sub-floor
- Correct orientation and shading
- Non toxic materials used, Low VOC paints and glues
- Functional compost / vegie garden system
The “engine room” of the house is a 22,500 Lt. concrete water tank which is the floor of our dining room. It’s warmed by the winter sun during the day and then releases that warmth at night keeping us warm thru the coldest nights.
In The Pines
The Brief:
Another house in “The Ecovillage”, Sally and Tyler wanted a sustainable and affordable home to suit their growing family and allow for his passion of organic gardening.
The Vision
To create a home that had vague reflections to their business in the tourism Ocean Cruises business.
The Solution
I designed the home with 2 balconies, a public balcony in the shape of the bow of a ship, complete with gangplank and anchor, the lower portion of steel in the shape of a bow wave. The other a private balcony with inbuilt bench seats creates a resort style atmosphere. The main “Engine room” of this house is a wall of rammed earth down the spine of the ship which is warmed by highlight louvre windows. Once again this has many sustainable features including PV’s, solar hot water with gas back up. Heavily insulated yet ample cross flow ventilation, the house remains cool in summer and warm as toast in winter. The home is fully accessible on this sloping block with internal ramps strategically placed.
The Castle
The Vision
Clare and Den wanted gables to the front of their home. Not being happy with just a standard gable I designed cantilevered curved roof iron to the gable ends adding an organic touch. Backed up with chunky recycled hwd feature work and touches of copper for durability.
The Solution
A 3 pavilion residence nicknamed “The Castle”. The nickname derived from the holes left in a blade rammed earth wall that allowed light into a south facing TV room. Stainless steel tanks are used for the main thermal mass component which doubles as a day bed proving very popular with the many visitors.
Rural
The Brief
This couple loved “The Castle” so much they wanted something similar. Not wanting to copy the plan completely I had to come up with changes to suit the new owners personalities and tastes.
The Vision
In an exposed rural setting, this house needed to have a rural theme yet still be modern and pleasing to the eye.
I chose to vary this design with a curved roof giving a slight organic touch to an otherwise low key home.The Solution
This home has a polished concrete floor combined with rammed earth blade walls for it’s thermal mass heating system.
Recycled hardwood decks are curved to carry on the organic feel to the home.Sustainable features
1.5kW Photovoltaics provide self sufficiency for power to the home. Solar hot water, gas back up, plenty of natural light and ventilation, fully accessible, non toxic finishes. A Ritek roof system tops the house with an R3 rating.
113 Eco
The Brief
This is a cooperative and “shared” design between myself and the owners. I like to listen to my clients, and this home represents the efforts of both of the owners as there was 2 different house lots and aspects. A challenge indeed.
The Vision
To create an affordable home of sustainable design that would comply with the codes of the village.
The Solution
These two homes needed a contemporary touch, so I chose to lift the roof up towards the sun at 2 different pitches allowing highlight windows over the north facing balcony. We placed a dark coloured concrete strip along the north face to soak up the winter sun and release the heat into the living areas at night. Mini corrugated iron and other materials were used to create a point of difference between the two homes. As the carports were near the entry on both designs, they needed to be something special and individual.
The owners state that they barely need heating in the winter and considering it’s in the bottom
of the valley where temperatures hit zero, that’s quite a feat.
Highlands Display
The Brief
To design an outstanding contemporary sales centre illustrating the last stage of blocks for sale at The Ecovillage.
The Vision
This building needed to be slick to sell upmarket land in a recession market! The building is to display designs from 8 sustainable designers (including my own).
I had to be able to incorporate the building in a future residence. The building needed to be transportable and demountable.The Solution
A simple structure of recycled post and rail bolted to a recycled steel sub-floor structure. Bi-fold doors and louvre windows to open it right up to ocean views. A plain back wall for architects display purposes doesn’t block the ventilation or light due to low level awning windows and high level polycarbonate sheeting. 2 roofs of Ritek sandwich panel give a striking effect reflecting the mountain appeal of the site.
Fenton Place
- 2005 BDAQ Queensland State Building Design Award Winner for Alterations and Additions over $125,000.
The Brief
This project is a major make over to an existing 1970’s fibro house. The owners wished to capitalise on the valuable beachside location, turning it into a modern residence with a 3 storey townhouse attached on the western side. The site is long and thin facing East, West and South there was little room for expansion in an outwards direction.
The Solution
Keeping in contact with council we managed to negotiate extra nooks and encroachments into council setbacks and add an extra storey. I added solid elements to the outside to create form and add a new dimension carrying this theme over to the new townhouse. Visual interest was added by extending the stairwell out and making a feature of it with the use of western red cedar cladding.
All interiors were as open and flexible as possible to enable a wide cross section of people to use the buildings. The main living area in the existing residence opens up onto a surprisingly private deck which is still their main outdoor area, but now has a view of the new lap pool. Both units revolve around either a lap pool or a plunge pool with pergola’s.
The living areas of the units were raised to catch ocean breezes and views to the beach in the east, and parkland to the west. I also managed to get northern light into the building with the use of highlight louvre windows, adding feature and sustainability as well.
