Sustainable Sloping Block Home Build
Mamet Homes took the challenges presented by this project in stride to build an award-winning forever home that preserved elements from the family’s original cottage.
With a steep block most builders wouldn’t touch, plus the owners’ desire to reuse meaningful, memory-laden parts of their old home, Borgelt and Craig Architects knew they needed a builder with a diverse range of skillsets to build the Grange home they’d designed.
That’s where Mamet Homes came in.
The Goal
The property owners had originally wanted to keep their old cottage and simply extend and renovate it. However, Borgelt and Craig Architects quickly realised this wasn’t logistically feasible. So, they suggested keeping elements from the cottage itself, including doors, windows, and cabinetry. They also milled an onsite tree into slabs to use in the project.
The new goal was to build a beautiful, sustainable home that fit its environment, rather than fighting against it. The one new non-negotiable was a lap pool that was as long as possible. The architects recommended Mamet Homes, as we were the only builders who were comfortable with both sloping block building and sustainable building practices.
Challenges and Solutions
No sloping block is easy to build on, and this was a particularly steep and challenging block. Many builders didn’t even want to consider it. As we do for all our sloping block projects, Mamet Homes took the time to fully understand the lay of the land before providing the owners with a fixed-price contract that covered all the difficult aspects of the build.
The home’s design called for a number of unique and recycled elements, many of which required bespoke construction or installation. Mamet Homes took care of most of these tasks in-house, including recycling timber and welding. The 20m lap pool was built first, at the beginning of the project, becoming an anchor for the rest of the home on this steep block.
The Outcome
This home was the proud winner of the 2019 Master Builders Brisbane Housing and Construction Award for Individual Home $751,000 – $950,000.
It’s also a beautiful custom home designed and built to take advantage of its natural surrounds – a home Mamet Homes couldn’t be prouder of.
