My Ideal House
Work continues apace on Australian House & Garden and Mirvac’s My Ideal House project, with the lock-up milestone now within sight.
With the roof and exterior panels going on, our winning home design is taking shape fast.
The ground floor walls are up, the front section of roof is on and My Ideal House is shaping up beautifully. “We are within a few weeks of reaching lock-up stage, which is always a big milestone on any build,” says Roderick Petre, NSW operations manager for Mirvac.
With few weather disruptions thus far, the build at Crest by Mirvac in Gledswood Hills, south-western Sydney, is progressing smoothly. Scaffolding now shrouds the frame and much of the Colorbond steel roofing has been craned into place.
The flat roof is an important element of architect Madeleine Blanchfield’s winning My Ideal House design and Colorbond is part of the Australian building vernacular.
Using a thermally efficient roofing material such as this will help the future owners of My Ideal House keep a lid on cooling costs throughout the year. In summer, the lightweight nature of an insulated Colorbond roof ensures less heat is radiated into the home at night: steel has a low thermal mass and cools down quickly once the sun moves away from it. In winter, the same steel roof, properly insulated, helps keep the heat inside the house.
The choice of colour can also influence thermal performance – pale tones radiate less heat. Hence the roof colour specified for My Ideal House is a timeless sandy hue called Surfmist.
The flashing, gutters and downpipes will also be the same colour. One of the lightest tones in the Colorbond range, it will play an important role in regulating the home’s temperature.
At the time of going to print, Hebel panels had been affixed to the ground floor frame and the first floor was about to begin (see page 168). Next up, work starts on installing fascias, guttering and roof services, before the rendering process begins. Follow the build journey in H&G and online at myidealhouse.com.au.