In December 2020 bricklayer and dad Daniel Page began work on his spacious, bright and energy-efficient house in Weston.
In July he moved in. He is friends with tradesmen Jamie Giacomini and Martin Ardagh, from Auswide Building Constructions and Tomaree Homes. (He also works for them.)
"With two young boys, it was essential that I made a home that could be grown into," Page says.
"We love how spacious and open plan it is, as it suits our family perfectly.
"The openness of it makes it easy to still feel like we have our own spaces, and they are multifunctional as well."
Auswide Building Constructions is Giacomini and Ardagh's main company. They employ 20 people, and since 2017 have been building custom homes in Newcastle.
But, for the Weston home, they are operating as Tomaree Homes, a smaller sustainable initiative they've recently started.
Page told them he wanted to build a home, and Giacomini, who is studying sustainable design, helped him create it.
They positioned the house, taking the sun, earth and breeze into consideration.
Giacomini studied predominant wind patterns in the area so they could create breezes through the house.
Page's bricklaying skills came in handy as the home is double brick.
Giacomini and Ardagh are always happy to discuss the environmental benefits of brick as thermal mass. This keeps the temperature stable and reduces the energy bill.
The windows are double glazed, which stops heat transfer and improves insulation.
"My bill has been much lower than previous homes so far which is great for me," Page says.
The idea to build better, environmental homes started when Giacomini and Ardagh were travelling in Guatemala.
They were inspired by the building materials used there and the way home designs blended indoor and outdoor areas.
Now the two really want to change the way houses are built on the East Coast. They want to see less timber and more bricks and blocks in Australia. What they're doing with houses such as Page's is what they call "solid construction", which is a common building style in many parts of the world.
After Page's house was finished, the house was ranked in the top 2 per cent of Australian houses for thermal energy rating. Quite an achievement.
Brooke Ivancevic also works for Tomaree homes, and she worked on the home's interior designer
"Dan's a single dad with two kids, he wasn't overly fussed with the color pallet, as most men aren't" she jokes.
"We kept it light and bright, neutral greys and whites, timeless colours."
One of Ivancevic's favourite features of the house is the kitchen. She loves the beautiful 3.5 metre island.
Page loves the indoor/outdoor living aspect.
"My boys live outside so it's great that it is so open and that they can be outside and I can see straight out there while I'm in the living room or kitchen," he says.
Giacomini and Ardagh plan to build as many efficient and sustainable homes as possible in the coming years. They are also building skygarden rooftops. They are passionate about their vision for Australian homes.
Ardagh wants to move beyond the big, cheaply made, generic houses that have been built in their thousands. He said that people often make an emotional connection to a house they want to build without realising the practicalities.
The home that they want and the land that they want to build on isn't always a great match.
"Project builders drop houses onto the block without understanding the natural benefits of that particular site, the view, the sun, the breeze path or views or windows to maximise that place," Ardagh says.
He emphasises that a sustainable home is more than just considering its location. It's understanding the site and that the house should be there for 50 years or more.
"If you design a good house it becomes a good home," he says.
Page can certainly attest to that.
