‘It’s impossible to talk about this magnificent home without acknowledging the extreme challenges it represented,’ admits local builder Kane Harrison of Evolving Construction, who has been building high-end custom homes for more than 27 years. Not only was construction of the four-bedroom, four-bathroom ironbark-clad home a lengthy process spanning the entire Covid-19 pandemic, it almost never saw the light of day.
‘We had a worldwide pandemic, expatriate owners living overseas with limited physical presence, material shortages, extreme material cost escalations, construction site shutdowns and national and international lockdowns just to name a few,’ says Kane who took matters into his own hands to get the project off the ground. ‘As they say, necessity is the mother of invention.’
From its rooftop patio looking out over the pristine Broken Bay to its saw- and wire-brushed timber cladding, every element of the magnificent new-build home is crafted with thought, care and ingenuity.
As you approach the house, its stepped roofs with their crisp straight lines immediately catch your attention. The Japanese Shou sugi ban charred timber detailing against recessed highlight windows is another standout feature. Incredibly, all screening, columns, gates, fireplace and some cladding timbers were burnt onsite using this centuries-old tradition which not only lends the wood a striking black aesthetic but protects against fire, rot and termites.
As you step through the native landscaped entrance, your eye is drawn to a three-level timber staircase and charred oversized timber entrance gate. Beyond, a magnificent internal courtyard beckons you in. Lined in charred and sawn timber, the soaring courtyard walls invoke a feeling of protection and embrace. Craftmanship is evident at every turn – from the secret fixed cladding boards, perfectly aligned decking and screws and oversized sliding doors that disappear into wall cavities to the vast single pane glass windows that allow natural light to flood the home.
Internal spaces include beautifully appointed bedrooms, bathrooms with floor-to-ceiling stone tiles, soaring ceilings that reach seven metres high, and oversized glazing walls with vistas of the ocean, bush and Green Point Creek that meanders through the property.
High-end finishes and intricacies include leathered granite benchtops in the kitchen, a butler’s pantry, bathrooms, laundry and a charred timber fireplace with matching charred timber screening on the external decks. There’s a striking skylight over a two-storey kitchen void and a timber staircase that wraps effortlessly throughout the three levels. The wide French oak flooring with hand-applied stain, highlighting its one-of-a-kind sawn texture, is one of the owner’s favourite features.
Kane says the project tested the absolute fabric of Evolving Construction. ‘Collectively we rose to the challenge and not only overcame but succeeded in building what we believe is one of the most well-constructed, finely detailed homes in Australia and beyond.’
‘With nine-metre-door openings, the house is very open and airy. When opened fully it brings the natural environment in – birds even fly through the home,’ says Kane. ‘It has a beautiful, calming feel.’
And it seems Kane and the fortunate owners who use the property as their private holiday home are not the only ones who think so. The house has taken out multiple awards including the HIA-CSR Hunter Home of the Year and the HIA National Home of the Year award last year.
WORDS SHERIDEN RHODES
PHOTOS CLIXAR VISUAL
