Mostly hand-built Mornington Peninsula home takes out top gong at HIA-CSR awards

A Victorian pavilion-style house – mostly hand-built from raw materials including recycled spotted gum and blackbutt posts – has won the 2012 HIA-CSR Australian Home of the Year in the HIA-CSR Australian housing awards.

The winner – located at Red Hill South on the Mornington Peninsula – was selected from a list of state-based finalists.

F & J Sanders Builders Pty Ltd took out the top award, winning the 2012 HIA Australian Home of the Year.

It also won the award for the Australian Custom-Built Home of the Year in the $1 million-plus category.

The judges were impressed with the pavilion-style house, noting its mix of energy efficiency and luxury.

Spread over three levels, the home has expansive open plan living, with polished concrete flooring throughout.

There are four bedrooms with balconies, study, rumpus room, four bathrooms plus a separate powder room, plant/service room, three-car garage and outbuilding.

There is a large undercover barbecue pavilion with in-ground pool.

The judges concluded the design of the home allowed it to feel light and airy, especially as open windows maximised the views.

Its energy and environmental features included state-of-the-art sustainable technologies allowing it to be virtually self-sufficient.

It came with geothermal technology along with LED lighting, a sewage treatment plant, three 86,000-litre concrete water tanks, solar hot water, and 4.7kw solar panels.