Description : This project consisted of building a neo-colonial reproduction home on a eight acre site in the north of Sydney. The project ran from 1999-2000 and won us the industry's highest award, Master Builders Australia, National category.
Key challenges : The client's ambition was to produce a sustainable development while being conscious of and incorporating the surrounding environment into the design. To minimise the effect of our activities on the surrounding bushland we took the preventative action of installing fencing around our work space. We researched and sourced a number of large river red gum logs on a rural property in north western NSW. We purchased the material and using cranes and a Lucas mill, the logs were ripped into rough sawn sections and transported to site. These were then reworked into usable sections, shaped into tapered columns and used as the verandah posts. Another large quantity of Iron Bark bridge posts and rail sleepers were acquired and these were freighted to site from Victoria. They were worked by hand to design specifications, mortise and tenon jointed and craned into position as the highly decorative centrally positioned entrance to the building. All joinery for the project was produced by our group, Allways Wood, and was of the highest detail and fabrication quality.
The building incorporated three different highly technical brick bonding systems which were all to be brought together within the building structure - a highly skilled task requiring detailed forethought and set out.
A number of unconventional items were incorporated into the design, including a manually operated, climate controlled wine cellar, complete with a dumbwaiter leading directly to a French chiffonier located in the dining room on the first floor.
Our company produced all of the highly detailed, quality joinery for this project and in addition to winning the Master Builders Australia, National category award, we also received the Master Builders Association Best Use of Timber award.
Completed : 2000 |