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Focus Mini-Mag Home of the Month

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The Award Winning Team That Will Get You the Result You Want Every Time!

Master Builders Awards 2019 Newcastle, Tamworth and Northern NSW - Best Custom Built Home between $500,000 to $600,000

HIA Awards 2019 Northern NSW Best Custom Built Home between $400,001 and $600,000

JUDGES' COMMENTS FROM MBA

JUDGES' COMMENTS FROM HIA

"With a building platform that was established through the placement of deep retained fill, the builder has constructed concrete tilt panels on the site to form the parallel bays of this unusual and distinctive home. The combination of concrete panels with steel cladding and an overhanging cantilevered roof provides an industrial impression to the external appearance that is complemented by the highest standards of fixtures and fittings displayed in the home's interior."

"Design of the property is unique and has the wow factor, and the finishes and workmanship are excellent. A true custom built home. A unique choice of materials and not many builders can build this type of build, so full credit is due."

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pecialising in custom built homes is what Joyce Constructions are proud of, and so they should be. September 2019 was a fantastic month for the team taking out not one, but two major building awards for the unique and very creative home constructed to precision at Red Hill, Telegraph Point. Blending an eclectic, modern facade of Corten external cladding, aluminium framed

windows, concrete tilt panels and steel floor and roof framing, a unique dwelling with a modern industrial look stands proud in its typically Australian bushland setting. Fitting perfectly into the surrounding landscape, the residence is an exceptional achievement by all involved both in design and construction. The two storey home sits on the highest northern point of the 100 acre property. Its configuration takes full advantage of its north-east facing location and gives up

expansive coastal ocean views from South West Rocks through to Port Macquarie with the hinterland in between from every room. Ascend an aluminium framed staircase with non-slip aluminium step treads to a landing portico that welcomes you to the formal entrance to the top level of the home. Comprising an open plan living, dining and kitchen, home office/study/man cave, bedroom, family bathroom and master bedroom with en-suite, the top level is a

superb example of easy care living. Spotted Gum timber flooring has been used throughout, adding an earthy feel to the industrial build. Opening out from the living area through a bank of sliding glass doors is the cantilevered front balcony. Framed either side by the exposed concrete panels that continue through the home and define the room configuration throughout, the balcony is an extension of the internal living area.

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FROM THE DESIGNER COLLINS W COLLINS

Having a frameless glass balustrade that allows for uninhibited picturesque views and a non-slip flooring from the installation of Hardi-Deck underfoot, the balcony is a magic spot to entertain or sit back and relax. Placed behind the kitchen along a hallway you will find the home office/study/ man cave, kid's bedroom, family bathroom and master bedroom with en-suite. All rooms are spacious and all are north-east facing, with huge picture frame windows that allow for spectacular views. Both the

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family bathroom and the master en-suite are well appointed. The family bathroom has a freestanding bath tub, as well as a corner shower recess with glass showerscreen and a wall hung vanity with mirror above. White subway tiles with black grout add to the modern, clean look and are a contrast but complete match to the black floor tiles. The master bedroom is a simple refined layout. Having a walk-in his/hers robe with plenty of hanging and shelving space and adjoining en-suite, it is a private

parents' retreat. Amazing views of South West Rocks lighthouse are enjoyed by the owners whilst laying in bed of an evening. Louvre windows have been added along the side wall of the master, allowing gentle, adjustable airflow through the space. All comes together to create a tranquil space. Overall, the home is a showstopper! Little wonder that it won awards and the owners absolutely adore where they live. They have their home among the gum trees; it is an honest building that is true to its surrounds.

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e were given a design brief to create a unique dwelling with a modern industrial vibe that would also enhance the natural beauty of the site. The owners wanted to utilise natural and/or raw products, which were also non-combustible, to meet the bushfire requirements of the site. The house site is on top of a hill surrounded by vegetation and classified as bushfire prone land with a BAL29 rating. Our solutions to meet the requirements were the use of natural, raw and non-combustible materials -


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steel, concrete, stone! They also wanted to capitalise on the natural beauty of the environment, with views to be enjoyed from every room. We were presented with some design constraints, access to the construction site was via a relatively narrow dirt road, and consideration had to be given to the size and type of construction vehicles that would be accessing the site during the build. The natural ground was extremely rocky with minimal top soil and steep topography, providing a challenge for retaining and footing design. Using natural stone boulders, some weighing 3 tonnes, a retaining wall was constructed around the perimeter of the “house yard”. This retaining wall enabled the site to be filled, requiring up to 4 metres at the deepest point, and allowed for

cost-effective retaining and footing design Corten was selected for the external solutions. cladding - our clients love the way the Given the difficult product weathers and access to the site, the changes colour over concrete tilt panels were time, and it ticked made on site using the all the boxes: raw, building slab as a base non-combustible and GIVEN THE DIFFICULT and then lifted directly industrial. The panels ACCESS TO THE SITE, into place. Not only did were detailed in the THE CONCRETE TILT this method remove office, measured onPANELS WERE MADE the need for transport, site and then folded ON SITE USING THE it also gave greater off-site - the accuracy BUILDING SLAB AS A flexibility into the panel of folds and dimensions BASE AND THEN LIFTED design, as there was no provided for easy DIRECTLY INTO PLACE. limitations on the panel installation! Utilising a size. A strip footing common fold-pattern design under each enabled sheets to be tilt panel was utilised, easily cut to size around reducing the extent of excavation required windows and doors during installation. into the rocky ground. Moving away from conventional design

and construction methods, this design relied on a “dwelling frame” to be constructed and then “filled in”. The combination of tilt panels and steel floor and roof framing provided the perfect framework for an effortless fit-out. Natural light floods the home, with each room featuring full-height glazing overlooking the valley to the east. The open lower level gives opportunity for future expansion of the home. Collins W Collins has enjoyed working with Joyce Constructions over many years and working on projects together such as The Red Hill property and World Gym showcases just how diverse Joyce's team really is. We've worked closely with Mitch and the team on various projects, from home renovations and new builds to gyms, saw mills and cafés.

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FROM THE OWNERS

ou chose Mitch Joyce from Joyce Constructions to construct your new home. How has it been working with Mitch and his

team? The team at Joyce Constructions upheld an incredible level of quality from beginning to end of the build. Working with them was exciting, and there was always a “can do” positive attitude to any of the problems that arose. Would you recommend Mitch to prospective home builders? Definitely. Building a unique home is a collaboration of many different people. Anyone who works for Joyce Constructions is

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the best of the best! What were the first steps when you began your new home journey? The first step was to find a home designer who would share our ideas for the house and once we saw the Collins W Collins Building Designers office building, we knew they would be a an ideal choice. Derek Collins came and saw the block on a Friday and had the design ready for us on the Sunday, and we loved it. We hired Derek because he had an amazing positive energy that we clicked with. Joyce Constructions were involved with various stages of the Collins W Collins office and when we discovered that Mitch grew up less than 1 km from our block, all the pieces

had fallen into place. There were MANY other steps. Getting ready to build took longer than the actual building process. We were working on preparations for over 24 months. Mitch built our house in 12 months. Did you have any particular desires when you first approached Mitch in relation to the building? If so, how were these met? Building a home is a collaborative effort between the house designer and the builder. Most of our ideas were put on to paper by Derek Collins. Our brief to him was: “Each room must have a view, and the house must be up on the second level to take full advantage of the view”. Derek nailed it. Joyce

constructions then followed through with the highest quality of craftsmanship. Being in a bush fire area, were there any specific requirements that had to be met? If yes, how was this done? Yes, the block was categorised as "BAL29 - high risk"; this is primarily concerned with protection of the building from ember attack and burning debris. This meant that the external parts of the building had to be made from non-combustible materials, and we had to clear a certain area of trees around the house. We also needed to make sure the driveway could cater for a fire truck and have an extra water tank that is exclusively to be used for fires.


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