GOOSEBERRY HILL.
That one time we did a major renovation in the hills..... things turned out pretty damn good.
Zamia Road was one of our first ever Perth hills projects, and it was one to really cut your teeth on both literally and figuratively because the deck-side of the home basically comes directly out of the rock face! Yep, that’s how you do it!
I was reflecting on this project the other night and was still blown away by what we achieved during this project, because as any builder will tell you, there are always significant challenges when building up high due to all slopes and angles.
You have massive excavation challenges to face mainly because of basic geometry and hitting ‘the hard stuff’, which is why the hills are notorious for requiring significant expertise when it comes to getting down in the dirt because it’s kind of built of rock.
Then you have the added issue of this region of Perth getting hit particularly hard during the summer months with fire, so we also had to use special construction methods to ensure we adhere to regulations without losing the whole purpose of the build - those incredible views!
Plus, when you take on a project that’s had previous work done, even small details (but big details) like the electric cables running behind the skirting (a massive no-no) and 50-60mm undulation in the suspended slab (extremely poor workmanship), meant we had our own work cut out. But with the best trades in the world by your side, gutting a home and making it right again can be the best policy. This place is pretty special in that regard.
TIM-BERRRRRRRR!
It’s no secret that we are big fans of timber-framed homes primarily due to our passion for building green homes whenever the opportunity presents. We lean into sustainable and reuse practices where practically possible because we if we can, we do.
As mentioned in last month’s blog on our Martha St project, timber framed homes STORE Co2. Timber is easily transported and light in nature to work with making it a solid solution to work with where possible.
With us coming up to fire season, it reminded me of an old Instagram post we put up back in September 2020, which went a little something like this….
“When my wife showed me this incredible home going up in flames on @granddesignsau she instantly said “shame it’s built from wood”. BUT...... she was quite surprised when I told her Wood actually performed much better than steel in a fire”.
So why is that?
It “is because the build-up of carbon on the surface will limit the oxygen supply to the wood below and act as insulator. Therefore, the wood below the charred level will be cool and retain 85 to 90 per cent of its structural integrity.
Metal, on the other hand, begins to melt when it reaches a critical temperature (around 1300 degrees C) so will fail catastrophically - International Timber.
The fact is, we of course also build with steel, and sometimes, both steel and timber, but the point here is, when you are building in an area that is prone to heat-related natural disasters, you need to act accordingly.
Pretending to be a tree house.... and doing a pretty good job!!
This original double brick, two-storey home has undergone extensive renovations to maximise its purpose on this beautiful site. It can be found perched high on Gooseberry Hill with extensive views over the city and fantastic exposure to the north.
The home has been completely guttered and all major services replaced. The roof line was extended to include the new west-facing deck and an additional deck connecting the northern outdoor space.
The home has been converted to a heat pump hot water system, new evaporative air conditioning system and a 6kW Solar PV system. A brand-new kitchen and new appliances including a Sirius down draft system and induction cooktop have also been added.
That’s what our project page says - but what are the benefits of a ‘lifestyle build’?
For starters, we have learned that no matter where you build, no two homes are the same. This also applies to the hills.
Yes, the majority of those benefiting from incredible views, also have incredible slopes to contend with and are, therefore ‘stilted’ in some capacity but that’s pretty much where the similarities start and finish. We’ve built a far more contemporary home in an almost identical setting with Hermes Road, whereas John and Bridget were all about capturing that quintessential timber hills home aesthetic for Zamia Road.
This place doesn’t lie. What you see is literally what you get, but then sticking to simple guidelines and amplifying the build quality is what makes this hills home a dead set showstopper!
OUR BUILD HIGHLIGHT.
Clean lines create a fantastic space that literally etches into the rock face.
Honestly, it’s no easy feat butting up to the actual rock, but then this decking simply would not have become the standout feature it is if we’d played it safe and not gone head-to-head with the elements.
When you walk out in the morning, till you step back in at night, that unison between build and landscape is a prominent feature that dictates the design of the rest of the home.
If we could capture one true requirement of our clients, it was always to ensure the build and its surrounds seemed like they had always co-existed.
That’s certainly what we aimed to do at Zamia Road.
OUR FAVOURITE POST FROM THE GRAM.
It’s probably this one, the hero shot.
It was first published on December 23, 2017 so relevance to Christmas is a ‘thing’, but it also really captures the whole vibe of Zamia Road to a tee.
Nothing really on the bell and whistles list if we were to compare it to other builds and perhaps that is why we loved it so much; it’s just very honest.
A humble home, built in one of the most beautiful places on earth, built well and built to last. Not sure you can top that.
Thanks for revisiting Zamia Road with us.
Gooseberry Hill is one of Perth’s best-kept secrets and we couldn’t happier to reconnect to the area with our coming build Urch Road, in Kalamunda.
You can follow along with #arklenonurch if you are on Instagram as it progresses. As you can see, those excavation works are off to a ‘rocky’ start!
On a little side note, our Zamia Road project was also fortunate enough to collect the 2018 - MBA Perth Housing Awards
Winner - Best Alterations and Additions $500k - $750k
With that, we are going to bid you an incredibly well-deserved break this Christmas. If like us, the past few years have melded into one, we know how much you all need it, and we want to take the opportunity to thank you for your continuing support of our builds, brand, and blog in 2022. Here’s to much more. See you next year!
Images courtesy of Dion Robeson.
Design and drafting by Blend Designs.