Welcome to the home of one of Newcastle’s premier building companies - Buildingwise Construction
I knew I was going to be in for something special when I was invited into the New Lambton home of Archie and Danielle, owners of luxury home building company, Buildingwise Construction.
You’ve likely noticed their signage on temporary fencing outside some of our region’s most luxurious and enviable builds. Luxury is their game, and if their new home is anything to go by, they’re winning.
Perched up on the hillside on a block of land that Archie has coveted since the early 2000s, the couple’s vision has finally come to fruition.
“When Archie was younger, the house that was on this block came up for sale, but he couldn’t afford it at the time. He vowed that if it came up for sale again, he would buy it,” Danielle said.
Sure enough, in 2018 it again came on the market and he snapped it up. The tenants were fortunate enough to be the custodians of arguably the best views in New Lambton, until two years ago, when the house was knocked down to make way for Archie and Danielle’s dream home.
“It was our goal to live here by the time our son, Angus, started school. We moved in last November, and he started school this year,” Danielle said.
“The block of land was sloped so there was a huge civil component to the build. It’s a 1,100 sqm block and we’ve flattened it to the extent that we’ve now ended up with 700sqm of level land. It took six months for this stage, alone. From there, the build only took 12 months.” Archie said.
Archie and Danielle chose their team carefully for their project. They started with their architect, Space Design Architecture. The briefing process was extensive, and their architect really took the time to get to know the couple; how they spend their spare time, their taste, their lifestyle and what their design objectives were for the house.
“They discovered we love the outdoors, going to the beach and camping. They presented us a mood board that reflected this with a palette of earthy tones and textures,” Danielle said.
The Tasmanian oak they have used for their staircase, the Navurban timber veneer they have used for their kitchen and internal doors, the polished concrete floors, stone cladding and natural limestone outdoor pavers are all selections that came about from the original design concept.
They had a very clear vision of the aesthetic they wanted to achieve, which made the selection process run smoothly.
“Our lifestyle was also an integral part of the design process. We entertain regularly, having visitors almost every day. We wanted our visitors to feel welcome and at home. Our home is like a central point where everyone gravitates to.
“We also wanted low maintenance and ease of cleaning so that guided many of our selection choices,” Danielle said.
Danielle had a Pinterest board where she collected images of what she loved. She would show them to their architect and interior designer and they would source them on her behalf.
How close is the finished result to your original Pinterest board?
“Very close. If you look at the original drawings from when it was drawn up, it’s almost identical,” says Danielle.
The enormous 3.8m x 1.5m natural stone kitchen island is quite literally built for entertaining. SDA incorporated a tapered design feature into each end of the island, making this one of the most challenging projects that local stonemasons, Edstein have ever worked on. The kitchen and joinery in the house was all made by Nadin West.
In front of the kitchen is the dining area with soaring two-storey high ceilings, dressed with full height sheer curtains from the team at Valley Vogue. The Jardan dining table is teamed with timber and leather chairs from GlobeWest.
Above the dining table hangs an installation of five pendant lights that had to be tailored with extra long cords to accommodate the extended drop.
The living room’s focal point is a stone clad wall with a combustion fireplace for the cooler months. The custom Jardan sofa and Armadillo rug sit harmoniously within the space with their organic form.
Stepping outside onto the limestone tiled balcony, we enter Archie’s domain. It’s a sports bar like no other. Seriously, it has everything, right down to a slushy machine, pizza oven, ceiling fans and heat strips for all season comfort – and the cherry on top? Two televisions. Why, you ask?
“Simple,” said Archie, “one for the footy and one for the races. After all, it is a sports bar.”
All of this overlooks their heated pool, set at a balmy 29 degrees all the year around. Beyond the pool is a yet-to-be-used fire pit area, just waiting for the cooler months to arrive so they can enjoy this with family and friends.
There is also an outdoor shower and toilet for guests to use when using the swimming pool, a surprising amount of lawn for what was once a steep block, complete with a cubby house for the kids, and even a veggie garden. Sandstone from the site excavation has been repurposed in their landscaping.
Stepping back inside we walk down the hallway and Danielle shows me cleverly hidden lockers, all clad in Navurban timber veneer, for storing bags and coats belonging to their two children Angus and Asha.
Opposite these lockers is the eye-catching Tasmanian oak staircase leading to the upstairs bedrooms and a bank of stadium-type steps where the children sit in the mornings to put their shoes on. Nothing has happened by accident here. It is thoughtfully planned out and flawlessly executed.
The team at Octopus Design incorporated a rooftop garden that wraps around the house. The show pieces are a 30-year-old dragon tree and a grass tree that both came all the way from WA. They also have a row of 40-year-old olive trees that were craned in.
“I saw them growing in a paddock when I was working on a building site and fell in love with them,” says Archie.
Upstairs is a second living area and the family’s bedrooms. The couple’s sun-drenched ensuite, fitted with Brodware taps and accessories, has a double shower and a bath with views all the way up to Port Stephens.
We stand on what was originally going to be a part of the rooftop garden, but was altered to be an expansive verandah off the master bedroom, and I have the opportunity to pick Archie’s brain about how to plan a successful build.
Archie, what advice would you give to others who are planning a build?
“Choose a team experienced in the field that you’re going into. You might know a builder but they might not have experience in building a house like the one you’re planning. This doesn’t just apply to builders. Make sure your engineers have worked on similar projects before, choose an architect who has designed similar houses before, likewise with your landscape architect and interior designer.
“Once you have your team and you set out your plan with all of them from the very beginning and everyone knows what the planned outcome is that they have to deliver, you’re going to end up with a successful build. Communication and transparency is key. You should have a builder you can trust and that you’re comfortable with the decisions you make.
“I tell people when variations happen, it’s because they change things along the way. If you set your plan out right from the beginning, then nothing changes and that’s how it should go.
Be clear about your expectations from the beginning and be clear about managing expectations in terms of budget.”
When people are looking to choose a builder, what are some of the questions they should be asking?
“Firstly, have they got experience in your type of build? Secondly, ask about their trades. Do they have a network of trades that they continuously use and have built good relationships with,” Archie said.
“Perhaps, most importantly though is mutual trust. It goes both ways.”
Now Archie and Danielle are enjoying their first year in their beautiful new home, the only challenge they face is how to choose from the many volunteers to house sit should they ever choose to leave this oasis for a holiday.
Photography credit Murray McKean