PROJECT OVERVIEW
Under Construction | Contemporary acreage residence in Razorback, designed around generous family living, entertaining and a strong connection to its rural setting.
Location: Razorback, NSW
Project Type: Custom New Home | Acreage Residence
Council: Wollondilly Shire Council
Status: Under Construction
PROJECT GALLERY
THE BRIEF
The clients approached Distinct Innovations in 2020 wanting to create a substantial contemporary family home specifically designed for their acreage property. The design process began with detailed consultation rather than a predetermined floor plan. The original engagement called for extensive discussions around architectural features, room requirements, lifestyle priorities and the clients’ ideas before the first concept was developed. Further consultation and refinement followed once the initial design had been reviewed. Through this process, the brief developed into a five-bedroom residence with multiple living zones, generous entertaining areas, a three-car garage, swimming pool and detached pool cabana. The aim was to create a home that took advantage of the scale of the property while still feeling cohesive, practical and clearly tailored to the family.
THE DESIGN RESPONSE
The residence was developed as a series of connected forms rather than one large building mass, allowing the substantial floor area to sit more comfortably within its acreage setting. Living and entertaining spaces form the centre of the home, while separate zones provide greater distinction between family, guest and private areas.
The three-car garage is positioned so its doors face away from the street, reducing its visual dominance and allowing the front elevation to remain focused on the architecture of the residence. Orientation was also carefully considered. Although the property has a predominantly east-west orientation, three principal living areas were designed with northern exposure to capture valuable winter sunlight. The extensive frontage and available land allowed the residence to develop horizontally, strengthening the relationship between the internal living areas, alfresco spaces, landscaping and pool.
The generous acreage site still presented several planning and technical considerations that needed to be incorporated into the design. The property is approximately 3.267 hectares and includes open grassland, areas of forest vegetation and terrain falling towards natural drainage features associated with the wider Nepean River landscape. The property is also located within a mine subsidence area, requiring coordination with Subsidence Advisory NSW as part of the approval process. Bushfire assessment, on-site wastewater servicing and rainwater collection were also considered as part of developing a home appropriate for its rural location. The bushfire assessment concluded that the proposed dwelling did not require a nominated BAL construction level under that assessment, subject to its recommendations being implemented. These requirements were addressed alongside the architecture rather than treated as separate issues after the design was developed.
PROJECT OUTCOME
Razorback House demonstrates the value of allowing a custom home design to develop through detailed consultation rather than forcing a predetermined plan onto the site. What began with the clients’ brief in 2020 evolved through concept design, design development and approval documentation into a highly individual contemporary acreage residence. The Distinct Innovations design received Council approval, including subsequent approved refinements, and is now being brought to life.