When you’re building a new home in the Yarra Valley, there are many ways to connect your design to the local environment. Whether your site shares the boundaries of a nearby forest or enjoys the picturesque views of the local vineyards, maximising your design to harmonise with your surroundings is key to creating an impactful home.
Continue reading to learn more about how you can capitalise on the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley.
Integrate Engineered Materials
Designing a home in the Yarra Valley means that your build will be in close proximity to nature. While this is incredibly appealing to most homeowners, it also comes with a unique set of demands. From bushfire-prone areas to forested slopes and valleys, the materials chosen must not only integrate seamlessly with your surroundings, but also ensure that your new home is a safe place to live.
For BAL-rated homes, fire-resistant timber varieties such as Blackbutt or Spotted Gum are extremely durable options for flooring, cladding and decking. If your home is situated amongst lush bushland, locally sourced timber can also create a seamless transition between your indoor and outdoor spaces.
If you prefer a sleek modern feel, steel is a fantastic structural material for your home. Lightweight, cost-effective and hard-wearing, steel can be incorporated through framework and cladding – establishing a powerful foundation that won’t add further fuel to a bushfire. Another important thing is to consider the timelessness of your home’s design, not only what your home looks like now, but how it will age in ten or twenty years’ time.
Welcome The Outdoors In
Once you’ve chosen the framework of your home, it’s time to consider the features that will establish its indoor-outdoor connection. With natural beauty located at your doorstep, we recommend introducing architectural elements that embrace the landscape around you.
Try blurring the boundaries of your home and embracing the views by incorporating floor-to-ceiling windows that capture the northern sun or glass sliding doors that reduce the divide between spaces. Consider adding an outdoor space that flows naturally from the indoors by continuing the floor or ceiling finishes to make both spaces feel bigger, cohesive and connected to the views.
Designing your home to embrace it’s surrounds will not only make your home feel larger but it will also instil your home with the calming ambience the area has become known for.
Harness Passive Design
At Cobalt Constructions, we strive to create homes that respond to their natural environment by harnessing the elements. Double-glazed or thermally broken, north-facing windows paired with well-insulated walls and an expertly designed thermal envelope will allow you to take advantage of passive heating and cooling, ensuring your home remains at a comfortable temperature year-round. Passive ventilation will promote welcome airflow through your home on hot summer days, while expansive windows will allow you to take in the leafy views at every opportunity.
Selecting a builder that is qualified to apply passive design principles to your new home is crucial when seeking to embrace the beauty of your surroundings. We recommend working with experienced builders, architects and designers that are familiar your local area – as they will be able to provide invaluable guidance on how best to capitalise on your property’s natural attributes through carefully considered design.
As a Passive House certified builder, we’re experienced in building lasting homes with a strong connection to the unique traits of Yarra Valley’s environment. By responding to the characteristics of your site, our team at Cobalt Constructions can create a tailored, forward-thinking design that co-exists harmoniously with the natural beauty of our location.
Ready to build a home that capitalises on the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley? Get in touch with our friendly team at Cobalt Constructions today.