Well I think I have finished the drawings this week. I have four drawings with details and notes, as well as a four page specifications document. I have sent them to the builder so he can cast his eye over them to see if I have covered it all and specified the correct timbers, etc.
The specifications have been prepared in accordance with the Victorian Building Regulations 2006, the Victorian Timber Framing Manual, the Moyne Shire Council Design & Development Overlay Schedule 21, Port Fairy Design Guidelines 2001, and the Glenelg Hopkins Catchment Management Authority Land Subject to Inundation Overlay recommendations.
Our own desires for this house were these: brick veneer construction; heritage look to blend in with the heritage buildings of the town; high ceilings; light interior; good kitchen; hardwood timber floors; efficient heating, cooling and water systems; orientation to the northerly light for passive solar heating; double garage with sealed driveway; nice spaces for garden and vegetable garden; sheltered southerly aspect; sheltered al fresco area with decking; four bedrooms; two bathrooms; pantry; good storage space; house divided into three sections and use of doors and hallways for cross ventilation and efficient heating and cooling. The design took quite a bit of adjusting until I came up with a plan that achieved this.
I contacted a local surveyor to conduct the soil test and survey the block of land. We need the flood heights so we can set out the house to comply with the inundation levels. This has become a factor now with the awareness of global warming and rising sea levels. We are aware of these factors.
The last flood in Port Fairy on record was in 1946 and we have been told by locals that this was the result of an unusual combination of events: there was a lot of rain; the Moyne River filled and was blocked by debris; and there was a king tide.
The surveyor told me that it only requires one hole to be dug for a soil test, but he likes to dig three. He says the soil there is usually deemed “stable” with a base of sand and limestone, but there are sometimes cavities. So he likes to visit the site once the footings have been dug, just to satisfy his own curiosity. He obviously loves his work.
I hope to submit the drawings and specifications to the local council in the next week or two. Hopefully we can get approval before Christmas. Fingers crossed.
