Hodgens House

This inspiring, innovative home is built in the major regional city of Bendigo, in Victoria. The Architect/ owner/builder Lucas Hodgens left no stone unturned in the attempt to create the perfect home for himself, his wife and his growing family.

Lucas and his wife chose the location of their new build and were inspired by the ambience it offered them. The site had a strong historical point of reference for the pair as they used to camp in that very spot when they were teenagers. Lucas used this history as the focal point of his design; he wanted the home to relate back to the notion of a campsite, as well as relate to the picturesque surrounds that enveloped them.

Whilst Lucas was so used to designing inner city residences where there is always so much surrounds, he begun working on the daunting task of designing his family home where the context of the site was purely nature and the bush.

“It changed my life for the better as it was always a dream that I had. I always wanted to design and build something myself,” said Lucas.

This house was designed with a lot of care, consideration and attention to detail. To keep in line with the notion of a campsite, the house itself is designed around an outdoor space that the family is able to close down, rather than your stereotypical indoor space that is able to be opened up.

In order to create this feel, Lucas came to the realisation very early in the design stage that his project required a high quality glazing solution which was flexible as well as durable. He also came to the realisation that he was going to need to work closely with a window fabricator before the design process went any further as many of his decisions surrounded the glazing of this unique project.

After much research and deliberation into a variety of materials and suppliers, Lucas decided upon the Vantage Aluminium Joinery range of aluminium systems. He felt that they were the most adaptable, aesthetically pleasing and durable product on the market.

Acme1 Windows & Doors are a local supplier of the Vantage range of aluminium systems and Lucas chose them for their high quality workmanship and ability to assist in the design phase.

The experienced team from Acme1 Windows and Doors worked closely with Lucas on the design of his home. Lucas required a nine metre opening in the central living space of the home and large scale glazing was integral to Lucas’ design. Acme1 utilised the Vantage Series 618 sliding door for this main span of glazing.

The large opening door consists of six stacking doors plus a bay for the doors to stack into the cavity. This allows for a seamless and clean finish to the glazing.

Lucas needed to incorporate screening into his design to protect the building from the elements.

Acme1 worked with Lucas to come up with a custom solution to screening the living area. Using the same Series 618 profile with mesh in it, the solution was to hide an entire secondary frame outside of the first frame. This frame is concealed within the cavity and steps of the verandah.

The completed project is an amazing family home which is utilised to perfection during winter, when the doors are closed and screening is hidden in the cavity. During the warmer months, the door is hidden within the cavity and the screens are pulled across to allow for ventilation throughout the home, whilst protecting from the elements.