How this dream home's biggest liability became its greatest asset
Kanebridge News
Share Button

How this dream home’s biggest liability became its greatest asset

The Southern Highlands site was beset with conflicting constraints. Balancing them against each other resulted in a triumphant study in peace and harmony

By Robyn Willis
Wed, Nov 13, 2024 11:12amGrey Clock 4 min

From the Spring issue of Kanebridge Quarterly. Order your copy here.

Architect Richard Cole is accustomed to working with challenging sites but this property in the Southern Highlands of NSW was a stretch, even for him.

With experience designing for everything from exposed oceanfront locations to remote properties in regional areas, his team is familiar with a variety of constraints, including managing extreme weather conditions and meeting requirements for bushfire prevention strategies.

And at first glance, the block in the small locality of Wildes Meadow near the picturesque Fitzroy Falls in the Southern Highlands of NSW seemed quite straightforward. A greenfield site, it offered a flat piece of land with a backdrop of mature eucalypts and a tranquil setting, which was in keeping with the owners’ plans to use the home as a retirement option, as well as a destination for family and friends. The area is also home to some of the most exclusive, architect-designed residences in the state.

On closer inspection, however, the complexities of the site revealed themselves.

“It had a lot of challenges,” Cole says. “To start with, it had power transmission lines across it and any dwelling had to keep clear of them. It was also in a high biodiversity zone. It’s potential koala habitat but we had to get an ecological study and a specific impact statement on the Fitzroy Falls Spiny Crayfish.”

Louvred windows and concrete floors control indoor temperatures while the Spotted Gum ceiling adds warmth to the living area. Image: Simon Wood

As the name would suggest, the Fitzroy Falls Spiny Crayfish is only found in Wildes Meadow Creek area, and maintaining the surrounding habitat is considered critical to its survival. To add further complexity, the site is in a bushfire-prone area, restricting how and where a house could be built.

“The problem with being in a bushfire zone as well as an ecological zone is with bushfire, you create an ‘asset protection zone’, which means clearing trees and flora, which is in direct opposition to the habitat you are trying to protect,” he says.

If that wasn’t difficult enough, the site is also an overland flow area, making it vulnerable to flooding whenever there was substantial rainfall. The constraints lead to some clear design decisions.

“We were looking at building quite close to the forest area but we decided on the middle of the paddock area, well away from the trees to maintain the habitat,” Cole says.

In the event of a bushfire, it’s a requirement that water is available on site, without the need for firefighters to cross the fire zone to access it. In addition to the 110,000L rainwater tank for domestic use, Cole provided a dedicated water tank for the purpose, as well as provisions for a dam.

To deal with the potential for flooding, he turned what could have been a liability into an asset. Substantial drainage channels direct water to a spillway located adjacent to the house to manage excess water — and creating a house with water views. At just 300mm deep, it is technically a water feature.

“The house is cantilevered a little over the water but the water is really built up to the house,” says Cole. “So you can control the maximum level of the dam and there’s no danger it will flood.”

The house has been designed as two pavilions with the owner’s wing looking directly over the water. Image: Simon Wood

The single level home has been designed as two pavilions, with the main bedroom, including ensuite, a study and living area all in one building overlooking the water, and further accommodation for guests in the second building, connected by an outdoor walkway.

Cole says the concept for separating the two pavilions was to provide the owners with the option of closing down the second building when they were the only ones on site without losing any of the amenity they enjoyed.

While the house takes in views of rolling hills to the south west, Cole designed the house around a north east-facing courtyard to permit as much natural light as possible to penetrate living spaces.

The kitchen is flooded with natural light. Image: Simon Wood

An angled roofline to the northern side of the house also allows for highlight windows, openable above the kitchen, further enhancing access to natural light and air flow.

Given it is positioned away from the surrounding tree canopy that would shade the house, it made sense for the roof to be covered in photovoltaic cells to provide solar-powered electricity. The house has further embraced passive solar design principles with a concrete slab for thermal mass, double glazing for the windows and cooling breezes captured as they move across the water in summer. Any additional heating and cooling requirements are managed by reverse cycle air conditioning.

Indoors, spaces celebrate the materials Cole is known for, with a Spotted Gum-lined ceiling and timber veneers in the kitchen, offset against blonde bricks from Bowral Bricks, a concrete slab floor and Endicott crazy paving from Eco Outdoor. The choice of natural finishes allows the building to feel at home in its environment without compromising on comfort — or style.

The house was constructed during COVID with the work undertaken by the owner’s brother based on detailed documentation provided by Cole’s team.

The outcome is a generous residence for extended family on a site that is both safe and inviting. Best of all, it’s a haven of respite — for humans and wildlife alike.



MOST POPULAR

Records keep falling in 2025 as harbourfront, beachfront and blue-chip estates crowd the top of the market.

A divide has opened in the tech job market between those with artificial-intelligence skills and everyone else.

Related Stories
Property
AUSTRALIA’S HOUSING CRUNCH: MCGRATH REPORT CALLS FOR SUPPLY-LED SOLUTIONS
By Jeni O'Dowd 27/10/2025
Property of the Week
Property of the Week: Overnewton Castle, Keilor, Victoria
By Kirsten Craze 24/10/2025
Property
Whitsundays’ Most Exclusive Home Lists for Sale
By Staff Writer 20/10/2025
AUSTRALIA’S HOUSING CRUNCH: MCGRATH REPORT CALLS FOR SUPPLY-LED SOLUTIONS

The 2026 McGrath Report warns that without urgent reforms to planning, infrastructure and construction, housing affordability will continue to slip beyond reach for most Australians.

By Jeni O'Dowd
Mon, Oct 27, 2025 3 min

Australia’s housing market has reached a critical juncture, with home ownership and rental affordability deteriorating to their worst levels in decades, according to the McGrath Report 2026.

The annual analysis from real estate entrepreneur John McGrath paints a sobering picture of a nation where even the “lucky country” has run out of luck — or at least, out of homes.

New borrowers are now spending half their household income servicing loans, while renters are devoting one-third of their earnings to rent.

The time needed to save a 20 per cent deposit has stretched beyond ten years, and the home price-to-income ratio has climbed to eight times. “These aren’t just statistics,” McGrath writes. “They represent real people and real pain.”

McGrath argues that the root cause of Australia’s housing crisis is not a shortage of land, but a shortage of accessibility and deliverable stock.

“Over half our population has squeezed into just three cities, creating price pressure and rising density in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane while vast developable land sits disconnected from essential infrastructure,” he says.

The report identifies three faltering pillars — supply, affordability and construction viability — as the drivers of instability in the current market.

Developers across the country, McGrath notes, are “unable to make the numbers work” due to labour shortages and soaring construction costs.

In many trades, shortages have doubled or tripled, and build costs have surged by more than 30 per cent, stalling thousands of projects.

Need for systemic reform

McGrath’s prescription is clear: the only real solution lies in increasing supply through systemic reform. “We need to streamline development processes, reduce approval timeframes and provide better infrastructure to free up the options and provide more choice for everyone on where they live,” he says.

The 2026 edition of the report also points to promising trends in policy and innovation. Across several states, governments are prioritising higher-density development near transport hubs and repurposing government-owned land with existing infrastructure.

Build-to-rent models are expanding, and planning reforms are gaining traction. McGrath notes that while these steps are encouraging, they must be accelerated and supported by new construction methods if Australia is to meet demand.

One of the report’s key opportunities lies in prefabrication and modular design. “Prefabricated homes can be completed in 10–12 weeks compared to 18 months for a traditional house, saving time and money for everyone involved,” McGrath says.

The report suggests that modular and 3D-printed housing could play a significant role in addressing shortages while setting a new global benchmark for speed, cost and quality in residential construction.

Intelligent homes

In a section titled Weathering the Future: The Power of Smart Design, the report emphasises that sustainable and intelligent home design is no longer aspirational but essential.

It highlights new technologies that reduce energy use, improve thermal efficiency, and make homes more resilient to climate risks.

“There’s no reason why Australia shouldn’t be a world leader in innovative design and construction — and many reasons why we should be,” McGrath writes.

Despite the challenges, the tone of the 2026 McGrath Report is one of cautious optimism. Demand is expected to stabilise at around 175,000 households per year from 2026, and construction cost growth is finally slowing. Governments are also showing a greater willingness to reform outdated planning frameworks.

McGrath concludes that the path forward requires bold decisions and collaboration between all levels of government and industry.

“Australia has the land, demand and capability,” he says. “What we need now is the will to implement supply-focused solutions that address root causes rather than symptoms.”

“Only then,” he adds, “can we turn the dream of home ownership back into something more than a dream.”

MOST POPULAR

A cluster of century-old warehouses beneath the Harbour Bridge has been transformed into a modern workplace hub, now home to more than 100 businesses.

ABC Bullion has launched a pioneering investment product that allows Australians to draw regular cashflow from their precious metal holdings.

Related Stories
Lifestyle
The Longevity Coach to the Stars: Chief Brabon on Ageing Well
By Jeni O'Dowd 15/09/2025
Property
MELBOURNE HOUSING POISED FOR CYCLICAL RECOVERY IN 2025–26
By Staff Writer 30/09/2025
Lifestyle
One Night. One Chef. One Chance: Join Dan Arnold for Michelin-Inspired Dining
By Staff Writer 15/09/2025
0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop