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| Submarine House |
| Built on a floodplain, this house has been designed to withstand severe flooding. |
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On the floodplain of the Hawkesbury River, we visit a 'Submarine' house, that has been specifically designed to withstand severe flooding. An existing century old house was replaced after 170 years of flood damage, with much of the timber and materials recycled including a pole with flood markings dating back to 1867. The new structure has some unique design features.
David May is the current owner, fourth generation to run the Turf farm which was originally used to grow vegetables. The farm house, sheds and barns were constructed when the area was first developed by white settlers and members of the May family built many of the heritage listed sites on the preperty. Council restrictions dictated the terms of the house 'replacement' including the limit to build only three metres above ground level.
David's family lived in the house for some of it's demolition but eventually moved into a caravan while the new place went up. Much of the existing house timbers were preserved and reused along with any other usable materials. The ironbark corner posts were polished and reused as kitchen benches and much of the stringy bark flooring has been reused on floors and the verandah railing.
The house has been made resistant to flooding in a number of ways. Firstly, the structural poles stretch 3.5 metres into the ground rather than 1 and the house is also elevated to make the first storey only susceptible to twenty year floods and the loft to one hundred year floods. The building is designed so the kitchen can be dismantled and all furniture moved into the loft within forty minutes. There's also a hidden gate on the loft balcony that can raise the furniture in case of flood. The house has special engineering designs to minimise damage to the building when it is hit by logs and other debris and the verandah is designed so that surrounding farmers can pull and moor their boats during a flood.
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More Info
Builder: Australian Hardwood Homes (Sydney) Lionel Buckett MBL: 0409 393425
Turf Famers: Dad & Dave's Turf (Sydney) MBL: 0418 261484 or 0418 617203
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Disclaimer
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