Ross St, Newport Renovation

Designed in the 1960's, this one storey timber dwelling, set 1/2m above ground on a dwarf brick wall, had extensive wood rot and was falling apart.

Sited on a reclaimed lagoon on acid sulphate soil, it had been flooded several times in the past.

 

Re-building became necessary as the extent of the rot was discovered. The floor plan remained as is, as the prospect of a new DA was too daunting for the owners, so the "ghost" of the old house is still visible in the size and layout of the rooms. The house had to be raised by 1.5m to allow flood waters to pass under, and this in turn called in a new crop of planning code demands, concerning height, bulk, scale, shadowing and privacy.

 

The benefit of raising the building above flood levels, was the availability of space for underfloor water tanks to be installed. Extensive technical re-profiling of the site was necessary to allow the site to bear the weight of the home. Roofs, walls and floors were all heavily insulated and cross ventilation carefully planned, so no airconditioning is required. The end result is a sub-tropical, bright, spacious 4 bedroom home with open plan living and a separate living area for the young adults of the family.