Building concrete house took grit, determination

BUILDING a concrete house is not for the faint-hearted. In this case, it took a determined project manager who is still astounded by the result five years down the track.

Brunella Novello in the kitchen of her home at Ocean View. Photo: Dominika Lis

BRUNELLA Novello says she adopted the mantra “just watch me” to overcome obstacles during construction of her dream home at Ocean View, northwest of Brisbane.

The property is now five years old but continues to surprise the woman charged with overseeing every step of its build.

“I stand at the stairs, and there’s this mass of wood and this mass of steel and glass, and I stand there in the morning and just look at it. I still think wow,” Brunella says.

“There’s still those wonderful surprises. I haven’t grown into it – it still blows me away.”

She and her husband, Carlo, found the block of land on their travels to the Sunshine Coast one Easter and, after three or four years of careful planning, in 2011 they started building their dream home.

Brunella, a teacher, took on the project manager role co-ordinating trades, ordering materials and helping out on site.

“(I did it) just because I thought I could. It really was for the experience and it became clear that what we had in mind and how we wanted to approach it ... to translate it to other people was just really too hard.” she recalls.

“I got some quotes for the house to build and it was just astronomical because they just didn’t understand the build. Often when I’d go to look for materials or ring up to get things they’d say, ‘you can’t do that’ and I’d say, ‘why not?’ and they’d say, ‘well, you can’t’.

“I’d say, ‘just watch me’. That was my mantra.”

The living area of Brunella Novello’s house at Ocean View. Photo: Dominika Lis

Brunella says the project took about one year but 12-15 months to add the finishing touches.

The home was built using more than 500 cubic metres of concrete and has four ensuited bedrooms; a combined kitchen, lounge and dining area; and sitting room, terrace and kitchenette upstairs.

Its north-facing position maximises the magnificent views of the Glass House Mountains, and beyond, but guarantees privacy from the road.

The bathroom with a view. Photo: Dominika Lis

Large glass windows connect the home to its surroundings and frame the ever-changing landscape. Brunella says they chose concrete as the main building material because it is durable. “Despite what everybody says, it’s cold and heartless and grey and dull’, I find it really light and airy,’ she explains.

“I see it as a totally different thing. It’s something that’s not repeatable because even if you went to make the same thing, it just wouldn’t look the same.”

She says there is also an element of surprise because it is impossible to know exactly how it will look when it is poured.

The couple lived at Red Hill for more than 30 years before moving “to the mountain” and have not looked back.

“We just treasure every moment,” she says.

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