22 Hanslope Avenue, Alphington.
Type of work
New house with period detail
Building duration
9 months
Description
Benn Crosbie was involved with this project from its conception. He organised pictures to be drawn up by a local draftswoman. He supervised all the trades and was the chief carpenter from start to finish.
The owners wanted the house to have an old time feel but with modern luxuries.
The front of the house is Edwardian in nature with a large gable window and grand entry. The front rooms of the house have been built with an Edwardian flavour; pressed metal ceilings, high ceilings, ornate architraves and skirting boards. Two bedrooms have tasteful en suite bathrooms. As you move into the living area it becomes more modern; lots of light, central fire place with stone features. The sitting area opens out onto an attractive pool with wide board merbau decking. The owners were not happy to put a pool in without water tanks. Benn organised for these to be purchased and installed under the main living area. Ground work was a huge undertaking as the land in and around Alphington is renowned for very large sub-terranean basalt boulders. The second storey of the house has high cathedral ceilings and Velux skylights. Benn recommended that two of these be on automatic opening switches to give a good air flow in the summer months. Council regulations were strictly adhered to and “dorma” windows were built to fit in with these restrictions.
The owners were very keen to make the home as environmentally sound as possible. Benn recommended several ways to achieve this; double glazing on all exterior windows, extra insulation, hydronic heating, evaporative cooling system, R 3.1 foil paper under all the floors.
