Tamborine Mountain home one of Australia’s top grand designs
A unique mountain retreat in the Gold Coast hinterland has been chosen as one of the country’s top grand designs. See the pictures and find out what makes it so special >>>
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A unique mountain retreat in the Gold Coast hinterland has been chosen as one of the country’s top grand designs.
The house in Tamborine Mountain has been included on a celebrated list chosen by architect and Grand Designs Australia presenter Peter Maddison.
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Mr Maddison put together the elite list from the eight seasons of Foxtel’s hit show.
The Gold Coast hinterland retreat joins four other Queensland homes in a national list of 21 properties (see the full list below). Located in Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast, they include a Japanese-inspired home, a concrete and steel abode, a big tent and a space-age farmhouse.
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In picking his favourites, Mr Maddison said he considered the human story and personalities behind the homes.
“The story is as strong as the sunsets and the architecture and the builder,” Mr Maddison said. It’s the story and the meaning that goes into it.”
The Tamborine Mountain retreat, which appeared in Series 8 of the show, is owned by David and Sarah Hobart.
Growing up on the Gold Coast and being married on the mountain, Mr Hobart said he had always had an affinity with the area.
After buying the 7-acre block in 2017, the couple recruited architect and friend James Russell to help them build their winning design.
Despite taking well beyond a planned 32 weeks to build, the end result was the unique home featuring crafted hardwood walls, cathedral ceilings, an indoor and outdoor fireplace, bath house and sunroom.
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Made of solid wood and natural materials, Mr Hobart said the only two prerequisites had been that it capture the beauty of its location and be protected from insects, so the outdoors could be enjoyed at all times.
“When you sit in the house and look due north, you look across a pocket of rainforest, with a 1000-year-old strangler fig, which looks like the tree out of Avatar. We wanted to capture that which we have,” Mr Hobart said.
And the insects?
“The house is essentially wrapped in screening – all along the western and north-eastern side it is flanked with screen. The courtyard also has a screen curtain that we just pull around it and cover with a shade cloth. It’s not insect-proof, but you can happily sit out there and enjoy the surroundings.”
Built as a weekend retreat, the Hobarts use the house during the week and rent it out at weekends.
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“To me it’s an experience house and I don’t like to think that it isn’t being enjoyed to its potential,” Mr Hobart said. “Every time I’m there I feel recharged and regenerated. It connects you with nature.”
A few years on from when the build was featured on the show, Mr Hobart said there was nothing he would change.
“It’s in a healing environment and the house suits it perfectly. James is a wizard.”
A fully kitted out shipping container, which is used as a guest house and was where the couple lived while the house was being built, is also on the property.
The new series of Grand Designs Australia starts Wednesdays at 8.30pm from March 31 on Foxtel’s LifeStyle channel.
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