Working in the industry for almost a decade, you start to see just how much meaning is behind the design and build of a client’s dream home. Ticking off those wishlist items and creating a space you imagine yourself and the family enjoying for decades to come - it’s the Australian dream. It’s finally our turn to design and build a project close to our hearts and we’re so excited to bring you along on our journey. What better way to start the journey than by giving you a sneak peek into the initial design and planning phase. So, welcome to Organica!
Inspiration & Design
The initial inspiration for Organica was simple. Relaxed, Organic, Resort. These three words created our design pillars and provided us with guidance throughout the rest of our design journey. The creative juices were flowing from here on out. The next step was to incorporate Zoe & Tyson’s wishlist into the design. When asked about this list, they had five non-negotiable items.
Passive design
Minimal
Low-maintenance
Family, dog and builder-friendly
Clean Lines
To achieve the relaxed, organic, resort feel while also keeping to the wishlist may seem like a daunting task to some, but for Zoe, she’s always had a strong vision for the final result. To maintain her vision, Zoe created a mood board that is often used to provide a visual reference to suppliers and trades. This mood board has been fundamental to the consistency of Organica’s design.
Materials
With our inspiration locked in, we moved on to our material selection. This step can be incredibly daunting as it sets the whole vibe for the home! What we super helpful during this step is to note down a few wishlist items and work your way from there. We set our sights on natural, sustainable and low maintenance materials. What does this look like you may ask? Imagine concrete flooring, lime plaster render and timber feature walls.
Concept & Layout
The design is made of two components which will also be staged in construction. The first is the YHD Studio and the second is the main residence.
The YHD Studio is our creative workspace that will be completely open to the public. Accessed by a spectacular spiral feature staircase, the studio will be private from the main residence.
This space is located directly above the 4-car garage and is a total size of 60m2 [to put the size into perspective, think of a granny flat]. The garage will be constructed with concrete block walls and feature luxurious curved edges with overhanging gardens along the front wall. As mentioned above in our material selections, we’ve chosen a soft and breathable lime plaster for the exterior finish. The walls and roof of the studio’s upper level will be cladded in steel architectural cladding.
Organica is Tyson and Zoe’s forever home. So, when it came to the concept and layout of the main residence, flexibility and usability were two of the most important factors to consider. This meant incorporating multi-functional design elements that would support their family growth throughout all stages of life. The main residence will be split into two spaces, upper and lower living, and contain three bedrooms, two living spaces, two bathrooms and a pool house. The upper level will boast an exquisite open living space with a kitchen, a large outdoor entertainment area overlooking the bay and of course, the master suite. The lower level, aka the kid’s retreat, will be comprised of two bedrooms, one bathroom, the laundry, a rumpus room and the pool house overlooking the pool area.
Design & Build
The design and build of Organica have involved some [yes, we may be biased] very talented industry professionals. Let’s start by highlighting the design by none other than YHD’s creative director herself, Zoe Pohlmann. Having worked on hundreds upon hundreds of projects throughout her time in the building design industry, you could say Zoe was definitely ready to create her own dream home. Her role doesn’t stop there though. She’s also the project manager and in charge of the interior and exterior selections and specifications… what a weapon.
To bring these designs to life, we’ve got Tyson from Fin. Design & Construct in charge of the build. Tyson will organise everything from the materials to the trades, and with over 16 years of experience on the job, he knows only the best. Just as he is towards all of his projects, Tyson is extremely passionate about this build and if we didn’t stop him, he’d probably work on it 24/7!
Designed by talented Designer, Mon Palmer, Organica’s landscaping will complement the foundational features of the home such as the curved, limewash exterior walls and the pool area. The hanging garden over the garage will create that organic vibe and really tie both the house and YHD studio together with the surrounding outdoor plants. The existing XXX (gum trees) will provide natural shade and privacy from the main road.
Suppliers
Organica has and will continue to work with many amazing suppliers from all over Australia. We’re truly so honoured that these brands have fallen in love with our vision for Organica and are so grateful to have their support. Here’s our current list of suppliers [however this continues to grow every day!]:
Keep your eyes peeled for our chosen products with these suppliers via our socials!
Timeline
The pandemic definitely hasn’t made it easy on the building industry, with many suppliers experiencing lengthy delays. However, Zoe and Tyson’s experience and knowledge of the industry have considerably helped the project stay within the proposed timeframes. The build commenced in October 2021 and we’ll be looking at a late 2022/early 2023 finish. To give you an idea of what we’ve been up to so far, we’ve put together a mini timeline for the next 6 months [you’ll have to stay tuned for the following 6 months!].
October: Anddd Organica has begun! Our first month was predominantly focused on preparing the site and making sure it was ready for the construction to begin. In the latter half of the month, we completed the dig for the rear boundaries and pool area, poured the concrete slab and installed the Plungie pool.
November: November was a big month as we poured the concrete slab for the first level of the garage and studio and began the wall installation for the lower level!
December: With 2021 coming to a close, we completed a few final tasks that set us up for a great return to the site in 2022. This included the final concrete pour for the walls of the garage.
January: After a well-deserved Christmas break, our team came back to the site ready and raring to go. January was the month we conquered the studio and garage works. This included craning up the rebar and completing the plumbing and electrical prep for the second-level slab pour.
February: February was one of the most exciting months - Organica was finally starting to take shape! Throughout this month we poured the slab for the second level of the garage and studio and installed all of the framings.
March: Woohoo, you’re officially up-to-date now! This month we installed the roof, skylights and windows. We also started limewash rendering the exterior walls and… it’s looking absolutely AMAZING so far. We’re so happy with this selection!
Follow along and stay up to date
Stay up to date with Organica's progress by following our Instagram! We post weekly updates of the build, products we'll be using and suppliers who have joined us on this exciting journey.