8.4 Star Energy Rating in Beechworth
Award Winning
Thermal efficiency was a significant driving force in the design of this Award winning home in Beechworth. Developed by the Clients in conjunction with Tracey Toohey Design, the completed design offered an outstanding energy rating of 8.4 Stars and won the Award for Best Sustainable Home at the 2013 Master Builders Regional Awards – North East.
Beyond the thermal efficiency, our Clients had very specific requirements regarding the design for the building. Having previously lived on a rural property, the shift into the urban environment of Beechworth was designed to cater for their future needs as access to health services and less demanding property maintenance becomes increasingly important to them. ‘Future proofing’ the house for accessibility and ease of use as they grow older was an important issue for the Clients and led to design and fit out choices that address these issues.
In making the shift there was a strong desire to keep the privacy they had previously enjoyed as well as the ease of living in a well designed, thermally efficient home. The site is bordered by a Park on one side and a high hedge on the other, on a street that only attracts local traffic offered the advantages they sought in regards to privacy. The ability to make good use of the Northern aspect completed the picture for them.
The end result has been a dwelling with a level of functionality and thermal efficiency that means the Clients comfort and lifestyle is catered for in a home that complements its surrounds and achieves low levels of energy consumption.
Client Relationship
This is the second time Ovens & King have worked with these particular clients to build a custom designed and thermally efficient new home. The original house had been their home for 15 years and we were pleased to be invited be part of their next adventure - an invitation that reflects the quality of our relationship forged all those years ago.
Working with our Clients is both challenging and instructive as they are very well versed and researched in the principles and processes of construction. Ultimately the project was very much a collaborative partnership between Client, Designer and Builder.
Design
Energy efficient design, a floor plan to reflect the client’s lifestyle, reduction of waste, attention to detail in every part of the construction and a flaw free finish were all part of our approach to meet our Client’s needs.
8.4 Star Energy Rating in Beechworth
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Testimonal
“Ovens & King Builders understood and embraced our commitment to build a highly energy efficient house from the very start of our project. From the early quoting stage through to the end of the building phase they contributed ideas and experience in such building techniques to help us achieve our very sustainable dwelling. They were very comfortable with our strong focus on energy efficiency which often was more expensive, time consuming or fiddly compared to the normal or commonly accepted practices.
Any house building project will have immense costs and it is important to be given a realistic cost with the quoting stage. Ovens & King Builders were always able to offer a range of products or construction solutions at this early stage and then throughout the project. This meant we could select an end result that also suited our financial situation. With careful consideration we could stay within budget if that was important. This means a high quality home at completion that was very close to the original concept but also close to the original budget. No nasty surprises. To me that’s good value.
Ovens & King Builders were able to forge a relationship which was both professional and personal. The team works well to keep in touch with us, either though the on-site supervisor, the head office or Lachie himself. Communication would occur through a variety of ways- With scheduled or unscheduled site visits and meetings, online project management, visits to the office, phone calls, texts and emails there were frequent opportunities to exchange thoughts, concerns, seek answers or reassurance.
The online project management tool we used was immensely useful. The schedule, though flexible also pre-warned us weeks ahead what was planned. We took on some purchasing responsibilities so timing and advanced warnings were extremely important. The ability to communicate via the web from any-where, be it at home, work, on holidays was very useful. It allowed us to be very much part of the process and be kept up to date. One particular aspect that worked well was the documentation of variations that invariably occur along the way. This feature included description of the proposed variation, cost, option to comment or query prior to acceptance or rejection.”
M & F, Beechworth
