The Milldam

We originally purchased the property for its location as it borders the Port Sorell estuary to the north
and is surrounded by private farmland and State owned bush.

It is a very private site and has beautiful views of the water and the Narawntapu national park beyond.
Before the new house was built, we lived in the existing old 2 bedroom shack that had a separate
carport with an attached granny flat. We lived here for almost 2 years thinking there may be an
opportunity to renovate. Due to the condition of the structure and the age of the property there
would be nothing retained so it was decided it was time to demolish the existing home and build a
new home.

However there were a number of site constraints.

1. The site was situated in a Rural Resource Zone meaning a house had to be associated with the
running of a farm. The site was only 2049m2 so a farm was not even possible. There was in our
favour an existing house. However the constraint was that the new house would have to fit
inside the existing roofed area, lucky for us the existing house had a large verandah that
wrapped around the perimeter allowing us to extend the new footprint to this outline.

2. The site is located at the base of a steep rocky outcrop, that we found out later during
construction. The rock was solid basalt and did not have any fissures, which meant there had
to be compromises of building location and floor heights.

The home was designed for myself, my wife and four children. Architects own home.

Products

Roofing –
Lysaght Kliplok and Trimdek

External Walls
Limestone veneer and brick in WA Cream rustic. Linear random course lay. Limestone Australia
Shou Sugi Ban in Burnt Ash. Mortlock Timber.
Adbri Concrete block

Soffit
Spotted gum trendplank with centre groove. Mortlock Timber.
Internal Walls

Limestone veneer and brick in WA Cream rustic. Linear random course lay. Limestone Australia
Porta Contours cirque profile. Paint finish.

Ceiling
Spotted gum trendplank with centre groove. Mortlock Timber.

Windows and Doors
Rylock AA series and commercial series; custom spotted gum veneer solid internal doors and frames

Flooring
Royal Oak Flooring in White Smoked herringbone, Spotted gum engineered flooring

Lighting
Decrolux; custom spotted gum linear pendant; clear and green blown glass pendants

Kitchen
Laminex Bayleaf cabinetry
Custom spotted gum handles
Electrolux 900mm oven and induction cooktop
Schweigen Rangehood
Fisher + Paykel Integrated French door fridge
Fisher + Paykel Integrated drawer dishwasher
Fisher + Paykel Integrated convection microwave
Ceasertsone 20mm benchtops in Adamina

Bathware/ tapware
Spotted Gum custom vanities with Nood Concrete basins
Greens brushed nickel tapware
Entiva sand mosaic windmill tiles
Bahama Solid Surface free standing bath

Other
Air to water hydronic heating – ground floor in screed. Upper floor in floor trench heating, radiators
and in screed
Atlite skylights – 11m x 1.2m gazbar skylight, openable and fixed skylights
Tower doors – flush façade garage doors clad in shou sugi ban timber
Clipsal Iconic switches and GPO
Sapphire spas 6m swimspa

Entry

The entry sits lower than the main floor level to minimise external height and steps. It also provides a
larger volume due to the higher ceiling height. Psychologically it is separate from the rest of the
house due to being at a lower level.
The limestone and spotted gum timber palette continue from the exterior into the interior to add
texture and warmth. It also continues the Rugged luxury theme.
The entry is connected to the stairway double height void. From here you get a clear understanding
of the circulation and flow of the house. As your eyes move up the stairs you immediately notice the
11m long sky light that brings an enormous amount of natural light into the central part on the house.

Living kitchen dining

The upper floor area is set out in open plan with the kitchen dining and lounge room all facing the
north and the view. The glass is floor to ceiling to bring as much of the outside in. The limestone and
spotted gum timber palette continue however the kitchen cabinetry and painted timber panelling
add a pop of colour. Spotted gum timber handles add detail and continue theme
The kitchen cabinetry was chosen for serviceability and colour and incorporated Integrated
appliances. The oversized glass splashback provides natural task lighting from the skylight in the
stairwell behind and allows continued visual connection through to the views beyond. The island
bench curved ends improve circulation and flow as well as providing an area for an integrated casual
dining space.

Internal garden

An internal garden was an integral part of the design. The incorporation of biophilic design principles
emphasizes the relationship between nature and architecture, with a 50-year-old umbrella tree
serving as a focal point within the house. This unique feature not only adds colour, life and improved
air quality but also promotes a sense of tranquillity and harmony with the natural environment.
A void has been cutout above in the upper floor level to reflect the size of the garden bed to allow the
tree to grow upwards towards the skylight. This brings natural light into the centre of the home and
also enables interaction between levels.

Main bedroom

We were limited in size so we had to be clever in making the space feel large, luxurious and special.
This was done through raking the ceiling, continuing the limestone and timber theme and adding
floor to ceiling windows and doors. It’s the best view in the house!
The flow and connection between the ensuite/ wir/ bedroom had to be fluid to make it feel like a
suite. The curved walls enable the flow and connection.
The limestone looking tiles and the spotted gum timber joinery/ doors and trims in the ensuite add
warmth and softness. The addition of the skylights and tapered ceilings bring more natural light into
the back part of the bathroom.