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Great Ocean Road Builders director Jack Everitt and his family always dreamed of living by the ocean. So when he discovered a rare, vacant block of land for sale in Lorne — just 150 metres from the beach — he jumped at the chance to create a home from scratch.
‘Having grown up in Lorne, which is surrounded by the Otway National Park, there’s limited for land for building purposes, Jack says. ‘We saw the opportunity as the only way we could be able to live so close to the beach.’
The only catch was that the steep and undulating block was covered in dense vegetation and foliage.
‘The block sat on the market for more than four years, deemed unbuildable and the bush fire rating too high,’ Jack adds. ‘With the help of Josh Crosbie Architects, we conducted some due diligence and took on the challenge.’
In addition to using noncombustible black steel sheets on the exterior for bushfire protection, they managed to overcome these restrictions by embracing the natural landscape in the resulting design.
The four-bedroom home now cascades down the sloped block, with four levels supported by bored pier footings that minimise impact to the site foundations. Inside, warm blackbutt timber cladding lines the interiors, as the open-plan living room frames views of the ocean and outwards towards Lorne.
There’s even a fireplace for wintery nights, while the elevated outdoor deck is the place to watch the waves on a sunny day.
But Jack says the best part is how the home captures both views of the ocean, and the leafy gum trees of the surrounding bushland.
It’s been a total dream home for him, wife Amelia and their children, Archer (8) and Autumn (6) to live there for the past three years, and they’ve now listed 4B Tradewinds Avenue for sale in pursuit of their next passion project.
‘We’ll miss coming home to somewhere that feels so private and calm,’ he adds.
4B Tradewinds Avenue, Lorne, VIC is listed for private sale with Michael Coutts and Tyrone Provan from Great Ocean Road Real Estate.
