Cladding two curved wall sections completed the cladding on our third home. The high wall at the front entrance is now covered in Timbercrete bricks while the curved dining room window nestles into the embrace of reclaimed timber board and batten cladding.
Building the three homes sequentially gave us the opportunity to make improvements as we went. The cladding evolution is a good example of that process.
Miglas supplied the windows and doors for our third home. Aluminium for the external frame ensures ultra low maintenance requirements while the interior wooden frame fits with the natural material theme.
Finishing the walls and floors in our second home made a significant difference to the internal appearance. Polishing the reclaimed floorboards and concrete slab brought out the character of both surfaces. Plastering the walls highlighted the distinctive shapes and angles in the rooms.
Experience gained from building our first home helped to make some modifications to the cladding specifications for the second one. For example, we replaced Shadowclad with more Klip Lok steel cladding.
As soon as the team finished Unit 1 in late 2018, work started on the site for Unit 2. A lot of time and effort went into the groundwork for a stiffened raft slab. During one busy day, the concrete was poured and the slab finished.
Insulating the concrete slab edge reduces the heat lost from the thermal mass during winter. There are a variety of ways to install the insulation along with the termite barrier. After considering the likely cost/benefit, our design uses a garden bed to cover exposed concrete edges.
Building the deck for Unit 1 from sustainable decking materials was a requirement. Creating an artful privacy screen from reclaimed timber offcuts was the icing on the cake. The process highlighted what can be achieved with a commitment to sustainable building practices.
Once the house was weatherproof, the focus shifted to interior work. Thoroughly insulating the walls and ceilings is a critical component of passive heating and cooling design. Putting plasterboard on the walls has clearly defined the rooms.