Hedger Constructions are proud to be nominated for the Master Builders Association of Victoria (MBAV) Building Excellence Awards 2022.
The MBAV Building Excellence Awards are held annually and celebrate the exceptional craftsmanship and achievements of Master Builders throughout Victoria.

In the Regional Building Award category, Hedger Constructions are nominated for Best Custom Home $1M‐$2M and Best Custom Home Over $2M.

The property nominated for the Best Custom Home Over $2M Award is known as Cathedral Nest, a modern farmhouse located in Thornton. Utilising a myriad of recycled and sustainable materials, Cathedral Nest has a rustic appeal and showcases sweeping vistas of the Cathedral Ranges.

The brief for this expansive 5 bedroom, 5 ensuite residence was to take full advantage of the views to the surrounding ranges from every angle and utilise recycled materials wherever possible. The clients also desired a timeless home that would embrace both an indoor and outdoor lifestyle, providing ample space for entertaining in style, irrespective of the season.

Consisting of 793sqm of living and garage space, and an additional 323sqm of decking and pool area, the brief has certainly been met in this impressive home, that whilst offering every modern convenience, blends beautifully within its rural setting. The extensive use of recycled materials is a key component to the build. Designed to weather and blend into the landscape, the external cladding is recycled floor joists, reclaimed from the demolition of an old chicken farm, laid vertically and secret nailed.

The clients were keen to establish a relationship with the Hedger Constructions team, who are known for their creative input in both design and material selection. The build team were consequently involved after initial concepts were developed, creating a design and construction project where their expert knowledge was offered into structural detail and the sourcing of materials.

Inside the home, the feeling is warm and inviting thanks to an inspired material selection, and a carefully chosen colour palette of earthy tones that enhances, rather than detracts from the outlook.

With a huge quartz‐based stone island bench, a high‐end appliance package featuring a custom-made black steel rangehood, and continuation of the V Groove lining boards that feature extensively throughout the open‐plan living areas, the modern country kitchen adds to the interior entertaining space, whilst a butler’s pantry allows prep and mess to be hidden behind the scenes.

Thermally broken double‐glazed steel framed windows of European design are used throughout the home – the first install of this product in Australia. The glazing package provides passive heating and cooling and includes custom made screens and a one‐off handle design that was initiated for this project. The windows align spectacularly with the cladding to create a sense of strength in the building. In addition to maximum energy efficiency, the glazing also provides the necessary bushfire protection for this rural project.

A key feature of the home are the internally exposed timber trusses. Using recycled ironbark sourced from a demolished Sydney wharf, each truss was made and pitched on site and fitted with distinctive individual black steel brackets that further enhance the solid nature of the work. Exposed Oregon battens link beautifully to the trusses.

The main living area includes a sunken lounge with custom made couches and features back‐to‐back Jetmaster heaters, warming both the lounge and private sitting room beyond. This required a large amount of structural consideration to enable the flue system to be switched and flow to the exposed steel ducting portals. Steel lined wood boxes feature either side of the fireplace and clever use of the external cladding allows for hidden cupboards to be incorporated into the design. The area is finished with a glass dividing panel separating the two rooms.

A key aspect of the design was to separate the communal and entertaining spaces from the private quarters via a separate bedroom wing. Each of the spacious bedrooms features the V Groove lining boards for continuity of design and the rural aesthetic. Each bedroom is served by a luxurious floor to ceiling tiled ensuite, accessed via a floor to ceiling barn style door which blends seamlessly with the room when closed. A custom recessed bedhead is an added feature to each suite.

The subfloor throughout the property contains hydronic in‐slab heating, including panel heating in the bedrooms and recessed panels in the hallways. The tiled areas have under tile floor heating.

Externally, the expansive deck areas feature recycled ironbark boards, and provide plenty of room for entertaining with an infinity-edge pool, golf putting green and an inground trampoline. Complementing this area is the entertaining pillar, with in‐built wood-fired heater, BBQ and audiovisual package.

Recycled sleepers stood vertically act as a pool fence, linking with the rustic aesthetic and a developing landscape package. A dedicated services pavilion means that no services are located around the external of the home.

The outstanding finish to this exceptional country home is a testament to the skilled tradespeople and the success of the relationship between architect, client and builder.

With over 30 Master Builders Association Awards to date, including multiple Regional Builder of the Year wins, it’s easy to understand how Hedger Constructions have built a reputation as one of Victoria’s best custom home builders. Specialising in luxury custom homes, Hedger Constructions are redefining modern living with homes that transcend the traditional. Every Hedger Constructions home is masterfully crafted with a considered approach toward innovative and sustainable design, and this new Thornton home is no exception.

Hedger Constructions service Metropolitan Melbourne, North East Regional Victoria, the wider Yarra Valley region and Surf Coast Shire. Focusing on sustainability, innovation and quality, the name has been associated with many of Victoria’s luxury home projects. The build team at Hedger Constructions places a high value on their relationships with clients, encouraging creative input and open communication, with the aim of total client satisfaction.

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