#slopingsite

Built with pieces of history, this new homestead embodies modern rural living. A derelict old tobacco drying barn once stood on this farm and when it was time for it to go, we reclaimed the bricks for the owners - one by one. Now, these old bricks take pride of place - repurposed to create this new home and serve for many more years to come. Complementing the bricks with traditional materials and colours has ensured this home will never truly date - a piece of Australia that looks like it belongs.

Working with the slope of the land as it falls down to the river, a framed floor using bearers and joists keeps the home high and avoided the need to dig it into a flat pad, plus it allows an improved view of the river flats below. The result: greater visual impact is achieved, and the need for a host of other water management solutions is eliminated.

Outdoor living is well served by an undercover alfresco area with direct views to the river flats below, and a smaller private verandah with direct access from the main bedroom. With composite timber decking being laid on each of these, minimum maintenance will be required to keep these looking great.

Inside, a feature wall boasts more reclaimed bricks (this time in their original uncleaned state) and another tribute to history with the original vents from the old tobacco barn bricked in again as they had been for many decades before. But this feature wall isn’t just decorative; it serves a double purpose. Shielding the home from visitors at the impressive double door entrance, it also serves as thermal mass to smooth out the internal temperature and improve living comfort.

A custom designed highlight window above the northern entrance allows for extra light to stream into the home.

Tiles reach to the ceiling in each bathroom, and the showers feature arched screens, custom sized to fit the needs of the shower spaces. The bath is positioned so you can just lay back and enjoy the view as you relax on a lazy day.

In the ensuite, the asymmetrical mirror is a highlight. This is something the owners were keen on having, but we couldn’t just go out and buy it off the shelf; a specific size was needed to fit the space and double vanity so that it was still functional. So Justin drew up a template and it was custom made to perfectly suit the spot!

Solid spotted gum timber floorboards, secretly nailed, grace the living areas, lending them a sense of warmth and country. A raking ceiling provides spaciousness. The beautiful shaker style kitchen with stone benchtops is complemented by a walk-in pantry for loads of extra storage and is perfect for a rural home. A purpose-built study nook with VJ panelling and solid timber shelving sits adjacent so it’s easy to multitask whilst cooking.

Full width double-glazed stacking doors from the living area are great for climate control without the need for heavy drapes. They lead to the undercover alfresco area, and allow the river flats view to be enjoyed from inside or outside. Entertaining is made easy on the alfresco via a servery kitchen window.

This is such a welcome place to come home to; the owners enter via the laundry/mudroom where there’s room to sit, take off your shoes and generally “land”, before moving into the heart of the home.

With ventilation paths, insulation, double glazing and multiple heating and cooling options, it is designed and built for comfort and low running costs; not only to benefit the owners now, but for the lifetime of the dwelling. A house with roots in the past now looks to the future.

History is not lost! This home is a tangible connection between the old of the farm, and the new.

We worked with the owners of this house through the demolition of the original tobacco barn, the design phase for the new home, and the build phase: taking it from Concept to Creation. Working with the slope, the views and the original bricks allowed us to create a unique home that makes the most of its location and fulfils the wants and needs of its owners. To see more photos of this home, click through to our Facebook page or our website.

The extra height and space in our latest home has been made possible by tailoring its design to the slope of the land - giving this traditionally styled home an amazing lift. Instead of bulldozing the site flat, we were able to work with the lie of the land and incorporate design features which really opened up the home and make it incredibly inviting.

At a first glance, you can’t help but notice its traditional bearing. The corrugated iron roofing and solid local Gunnedah bricks in heritage colours lend it a sense of timelessness which means it will look as good in twenty or fifty years as it does now.

The use of bearers and joists for the floor instead of a concrete slab keeps the overall height of the home up - maintaining its outlook - whilst still allowing the floor level to step down with the slope of the land. An even roofline is maintained visually, but once inside it quickly becomes apparent that this is actually a split-level home.

Sleeping and utility areas have been built with standard 2.4 metre (8') ceilings, but when you descend the polished timber steps you burst into a spaciousness that is the living area - with elevated 3 metre (10') ceilings providing a luxury feel. Visitors will be greeted by this same feeling every time as the front door opens into its high entry.

The kitchen with its stone benchtops, large range and quiet rangehood joins to a spacious walk-in pantry with its own benchtop and shelving - room to store enough food for the hungriest family. Between the carpeted media room and sunny family room there are two distinct living areas, so there is always the option of either a quiet zone or to join with the rest of the family. A separate office means there’s plenty of room for the work to get done, and strategically placed cupboards provide abundant storage.

Beautifully styled bathrooms, one of which is a three-way, feature custom-made wall-hung vanities and large showers. Walk-in-robes are attached to three of the bedrooms. Living area floors are polished solid Spotted Gum timber - secretly nailed - and the solid brick feature wall is in keeping with the traditional style of the home.

The open plan Family, Dining and Kitchen areas have been faced to the North and fitted with wide glazed stacker doors. The result: a welcoming light and bright area which allows the winter sun to pour in its inviting warmth.

Open these stacker doors wide and the interior merges straight onto the spacious Alfresco, perfect for parties or just to sit and watch the world go by. This home really puts a smile on your face!

So you have bought a sloping block of land. How will you put your house on this? Do you just take a standard house plan and then get an excavator to cut all of the dirt on your block flat so that the standard house can go there? Well yes you can, but it is quite possible you will end up with retaining walls on one side or the other; holding back or holding up the soil. And depending on the site and how big the cut is, sometimes these retaining walls will be very large and sometimes quite claustrophobic. In extreme cases it can be like living in a hole. Not to mention the cost: retaining walls can be very expensive; and in some cases putting them in may exceed the cost of designing a house more suited to the land.

Is there an alternative? Yes! At our Windmill Downs house, we have used a framed floor instead of a concrete slab which helps to keep the overall height of the house up and clear of the land. Better view, no holes.

But we have also designed the home around the slope or fall of the land. For the uphill portion of the home, the wall heights are a standard 2.4 metres (8'). But with the downhill portion we have taken advantage of the land falling away, and used this to gain extra height in the rooms. The wall height rises to 3 metres (10'), so the living rooms have a spaciousness about them with height to balance their size. You can see the change of levels in the picture where the step comes in; with the hall opening up into a large and airy family room.