When Advanced Building Engineers’ owner Jason Nguyen bought a small block on the site of the old Edith Cowan University site in Churchlands, he knew the house would need to be carefully designed to maximise living space.
With a block size of 300m2 and a 10-metre frontage, Jason decided to include a loft to provide the biggest living space possible to accommodate his growing children in future years.
Once the home was designed and a scale model made, JAV Developments were commissioned to complete the build of the home.
Services
Advanced Building Engineers provided the following services for the project:
Engineering drawings
Soil testing
Compaction
Inspection of suspended slab
Inspection and certified steel reinforcement
Energy efficiency
Project Details
Jason wanted the loft to be structurally designed so that it was incorporated into the architectural design of the rest of the house. The roof was drawn to include four skylights in the top part of the pitch to give the area plenty of natural light. A raking ceiling was also used.
For this type of loft system, the only option was to use structural steel portal frames. The portal frame members were hidden in the roof space and to reduce costs, timber was used in between the frames.
Lofts are notoriously hot in summer and Jason was keen to make the home as energy efficient as possible to reduce their reliance on air conditioning. Due to the potential for heat transfer, the skylights were double glazed with a UV reflective surface. Various other energy efficient considerations were made to increase the home’s star rating.
Due to its height, the home was engineered for minimal movement in high winds. After three years there are no signs of cracks; only minor settlement near the corners of the negative finished walls.
Outcome
The light and bright house has enough living space to be the family’s forever home even with adult children living there. Jason thought of everything including a third garage space for one of the kid’s cars when they are old enough to drive!
With Jason’s vision, other dedicated ABEWA staff and the professional builders at JAV Developments, the property ticks all the boxes in terms of form and function.
If you are looking for engineering drawings or a structural design for your new home or renovation design that will solve a problem, speak to one of Advanced Building Engineers’ experienced consultants on 08 9382 8888 or contact us online.