Bushfire house lessons learned.
Chris Clarke rebuilt Callignee II after losing his home in the Black Saturday fires. Hear his story.
This is Part 2 of my interview with Chris Clarke – listen to Part 1 here.
In this episode, Chris shares more about his material selections for Callignee II, and how his personal health and well-being impacted the decisions he made for his project.
He also shares how his brief was a strong framework for all involved, and I ask him how he’d do things differently if he had his time again. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about his modular business.
Chris Clarke is a builder, and Director of SWALE Modular.
It took Chris ten years to plan and build his minimalist timber and steel dream home at Callignee in Gippsland when, less than a week after completion, it was devastatingly razed in the Black Saturday fires of 2009. All that remained was a concrete slab and a burnt out shell.
Despite such a huge loss, Chris bravely decided to rebuild at Callignee. Callignee II, as it came to be known, was the deserved recipient of multiple industry awards, including Building Design of the year for 2011. It’s a testament to resilience and Chris’ inspirational attitude, as well as his skills and abilities.
Since Callignee, Chris has become passionate about modular housing as a sustainable and affordable way to create homes – especially in rural locations and those challenged by constraints such as bushfire ratings.
He founded SWALE in 2001. SWALE’s aim in design and construction is to achieve the simple balance between the landscape, the environment and lifestyle pleasures within affordable budgets. Using upcycled and new shipping containers fabricated in Vietnam, the homes include fantastic design features and a climate-sensitive approach.
SWALE homes are individually created to complement the Australian landscape. They design and build using the surrounding environment as the canvas, making our homes truly amazing places to live.
Let’s hear from Chris, as I begin this chat by asking him about the choice to use recycled timber in his home – something you’d not normally see in a bushfire prone area.
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE NOW.
CATCH UP ON PART 1 HERE.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS PODCAST:
Watch Grand Designs | Season 1, Episode 1
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6hhq9l
Swale
http://www.swale.com.au/
http://www.dakinihideaways.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/SwaleModularCommunity
https://www.realestate.com.au/lifestyle/transportable-modular-boat-house-on-pontoon/
Lifestyle
https://www.lifestyle.com.au/tv/grand-designs-australia/gallery.aspx?id=389
Callignee II
https://gippslandia.com.au/forged-in-the-fire/
https://www.architectureanddesign.com.au/projects/houses/calignee-ii#
https://renew.org.au/sanctuary-magazine/house-profiles/reborn-from-fire/
The post Bushfire House Lessons Learned | Chris Clarke + Callignee II appeared first on Undercover Architect.