BRISBANE builder Aaron Dick almost let the Gold Coast Home of Year pass through his fingers.
The founder of Carpentology Group was approached by a family friend to undertake what he thought was a small renovation on a sprawling rural homestead at Biddaddibah, near Canungra.
Dick says he was weighing up whether it was worth taking on the job, but quickly warmed to it when he saw the architect designs which included a full makeover for the existing homestead, the addition of a six-bedroom guests’ quarters, the construction of two aircraft hangars and a mini tennis centre.
The renovation job, said to be worth more than $10 million, has been named by Master Builders as the 2014 Gold Coast Home of the Year and won Carpentology the award for best home renovation over $1 million.
The property, known as Wirraway, sits on a 600ha site and the project took a year to complete.
Dick describes the finished product as a Queenslander with modern finishes.
The expansive main homestead comprises just four bedrooms, although each has its own en-suite bathroom.
This leaves the remainder of the house devoted to create the ultimate country retreat, complete with all the luxury of a modern home, including cutting-edge technology that allows the homeowners to control multiple electronic functions with the touch of their iPhone or iPad.
More than $1 million alone was spent on the home automation technology through which all of the home’s electronic functions such as air-conditioning, lighting, sound system, security and appliances can be controlled remotely.
Wirraway’s stunning features include an expansive 4500-bottle wine cellar finished with plush cedar cabinetry that would be at home in any private country club.
There is also a ballroom big enough to host 20 revellers.
Dick says the job is the biggest Carpentology has undertaken, and the most expensive.
“We basically worked solely on that project with 65 to 70 guys on site,” he says.
“We started on January 14 and had the owners in by Christmas that same year.”
Some of the key numbers for the house include 2500sqm of floor space, with 570sqm of exterior decking. The property is surrounded by 1km of fencing, including cement driveways and electric gates at the entry.
The massive wrap-around swimming pool, which holds 800,000 litres of water, is 30 metres long and 9 metres wide and features a bridge, 8-metre waterfall and a retractable diving board that lifts out from the roof.
THE FULL LIST OF 2014 MASTER BUILDERS AWARD WINNERS:
2014 Gold Coast Project of the Year
Lend Lease Building Pty Ltd
Gold Coast University Hospital
2014 Gold Coast House of the Year
Carpentology Group Pty Ltd
Wirraway
2014 Gold Coast Apprentice of the Year
David Fitzgerald
2014 Gold Coast Women in Building Award
Julie Nutting
2014 Gold Coast Rising Star Award
Shamus Cameron
Excellence in Sustainable Living
Nicolaas Bruin
Springbrook House
Trade Contractor - Swimming Pool, Outdoor Living & Landscaping
Jamie Bramich T/A JB Pool Construction Paradise Point
Health & Education Facilities $5 million - $20 million
Adco Constructions Pty Ltd
Bond University Abedian School of Architecture
Health & Education Facilities over $150 million
Lend Lease Building Pty Ltd
Sporting & Community Service Facilities $5 million - $20 million
Evans Harch Pty Ltd T/A Badge Constructions Projects
Coomera Community Hub
Commercial Building (office accommodation) up to $5 million
Rawcorp Pty Ltd
CityPods
Commercial Building (Office Accommodation) Over $5 million
Capefield Pty Ltd
Elkhorn Centre East
Industrial Building Over $5 million
Evans Harch Pty Ltd T/A Badge Constructions Projects
Enhanced Landforce Stage 2C, Kokoda Barracks
Tourism & Hospitality Facilities Over $5 million
Kane Constructions Pty Ltd
RACV Royal Pines "One Spa"
Refurbishment/Renovation $2 million - $5 million
One Sector Pty Ltd
Zupps Truck Extension
Refurbishment/Renovation Over $10 million
Alder Constructions Pty Ltd
Gold Coast Turf Club
Display Home $276,000 - $375,000
Henley Properties (QLD) Pty Ltd T/A Plantation Homes
Manhattan Q1
Individual Home up to $275,000
Cummins Constructions Pty Ltd T/A GJ Gardner Homes Gold Coast North
Balmoral 202 Award Series
Individual Home $476,000 - $625,000
Sanctuary 28 Projects (QLD) Pty Ltd
Individual Home $776,000 - $1 million
Nicolaas Bruin
Springbrook House
Individual Home Over $2 million
SEQ Construction Group Pty Ltd
Home Renovation/Remodelling Project up to $275,000
A & J Building Group Pty Ltd
Ten 7
Home Renovation/Remodelling Project $576,000 - $1 million
Anthony King
Low-Rise Multi-Residential Housing (Duplexes)
Sunland Homes Pty Ltd
Concourse Villas Royal Pines
Medium-Rise Multi-Residential Housing (Units/Three-Storey)
Condev Construction Pty Ltd
Edgewater Stage 1 – Apartments
TO READ MORE ABOUT THE WINNERS AND FINALISTS DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY OF MASTER BUILDERS GOLD COAST'S MAGAZINE SHOWCASE
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