Contemporary Townhouse' At Wingrove Estate Lightweight, Construction Melbourne

The selection of materials was crucial in creating a successful relationship between the original cottage and the new home. The two storey attic style home has a rendered masonry ground floor and lightweight cladding to the upper floor, suggesting the traditional weatherboard farm buildings found in the local area. The Colorbond corrugated steel roofing and stone base to the verandah further relates to the form and textures of the original cottage.

Cameron Construction built this contemporary double storey home to suit the modern lifestyle of today featuring.

Three grand double Bedrooms, luxury Ensuite and Bathrooms, staircase to open Study/Gallery area, the latest chef/gourmet Kitchen with European appliances, spacious Meals/Familyroom, luxury formal Lounge, Alfresco courtyard, Laundry, Powder room, double lock up Garage and landscaped gardens with feature stonework.

The New Townhouse is located in the green wedge shire of Nillumbik on a sensitive site at the Gateway to Eltham, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Melbourne, renowned for its rural ambience. The site is home to Wingrove Cottage, the oldest intact house in Eltham, dating from 1856 and once used as the first Eltham shire office, and was a home to the Wingrove family of 10 children.

Planning permission was finally obtained January 2008. Building permit was obtained March 2008 and construction started soon after.

The design of the townhouse needed to respond to the brick cottage with a slate gable roof and corrugated iron return verandah. The remnants of the original garden were also to be preserved, including the small brick footbridge spanning a landscaped drainage channel running past the cottage.

Lightweight materials used:

Scyon Linea cladding to the first floor.

HardiPanel compressed sheet flooring to the wet areas.

Villaboard lining to the bathroom walls.

HardiFlex eaves lining.

Material rationale:

Scyon Linea was the obvious choice to achieve the aesthetic required for the project as well as long-term durability and energy efficiency. The cladding is part of the light weight wall structure contributing to the 6 Star rating of the house.

Offering the residents lower heating and cooling requirements over the life of the building.

In addition the low embodied energy in the manufacture, transport and assembly of the cladding reduces the impact on the planet, making it a smart choice all round.

The house was constructed on a sloping site amongst many mature gum trees which required protection during the construction period, to ensure their long-term survival.

The light - weight design of the first floor reduced the construction period, thus reducing the stress on the site and construction costs.

Affordability:

Scyon Linea cladding will continue to offer energy savings for the life of the building.

The stability of the material minimises shrinking and cracking that commonly occur in traditional weatherboard cladding, and therefore the house will require repainting less frequently.

The use of lightweight construction at first floor level also reduced the requirement for scaffolding, resulting in a saving of time and cost in the construction period.

Project Management by Michael Cameron.

Affordability:

The townhouse is set at the rear of the site behind the security gates along the prestigious entrance 'The Avenue' treelined with brush box fencing this townhouse allows the most fastidious buyer to enjoy luxury living ina peaceful and comfortable, relaxed lifestyle well away from the traffic of Main Road.

It is designed with a north facing living area.

Ground floor concrete slab, opening onto a private garden thus maximising the passive solar gain and reducing the reliance on heating and cooling systems.

Ground floor concrete slab, opening onto a private garden thus maximising the passive solar gain and reducing the reliance on heating and cooling systems.

Scyon Linea allowed the architect to create a contemporary design in a sensitive area, that responded to the rural landscape and the heritage beauty of Wingrove Cottage. A new standard of living created by Cameron Construction.