A qualified builder and architectural designer, Mr Wernham said the home was inspired by the couple’s creativity which they used every day in their professions.
“My partner trained as a contemporary jeweller and I am a trained carpenter and architectural designer, and it was an opportunity for us to apply our skill sets to something crafted, bespoke and considered,” Mr Wernham said.
“We took it as an opportunity to showcase our creativity and skill sets.”
Mr Wernham said he had been following and studying sustainable architecture throughout his career and it was important to the couple to build a chemical-free home.
“There is wool insulation throughout, thicker than current building code minimums making it more energy efficient,” he said.
“We’ve also used magnesium oxide board which is low embodied energy in terms of production, unlike gypsum board which is very energy intensive to produce, this has a low carbon footprint.
“We’ve also used paints from the Natural Paint Company which are mineral based paints and are eco friendly and chemical free. All the timber surfaces used natural oils not polyurethane.
“We spent a lot of time sourcing high quality, recycled, or repurposed materials where we could, as a way to cut down on manufacturing and production of things.
“We used Totara timber which is incredibly durable. It was wind felled Totara which is a native timber. It was destined to be fire wood so we were lucky to find it.”
