2020 Master Builders Win

The judges congratulated Rob Rule and Cameron McInnes from Reef Coast Constructions on “a great job” and said the client was obviously very happy with their new house.

“Quite rightly described as a small house with a big feel,” the judges said. “This house has been designed in conjunction with the client to provide plenty of functional living area and to minimise dead space.

“This has been achieved by having only showers in the wet area rooms and utilising space in the double garage for the laundry and drying area. A very innovative design.”

Rob and Cameron have a combined 50 plus years industry experience and Reef Coast Constructions has been building quality homes in Townsville for the past 15 years.

Boasting multiple Master Builders awards, the team is testament to its unwavering principles of high quality and personal service for every client at an affordable price, backed by excellent industry skills and knowledge.

As the owner of Reef Coast Constructions, Rob said to be recognised with this award showed that their high standards and abilities were respected in the industry and provided a level of confidence for future clients.

“With our new home win, this is very important for us in an area of the industry that is very cutthroat and highly competitive,” he said.

“Our standard inclusions are of a high standard and quality. We believe it highly important that even first homeowners have choice in their selections and reputable good quality inclusions in their homes as they, more than anyone, need their home to stand the test of time.

“Our sub contractors all follow our values and standards in their own businesses which means that we build up to a standard and not down to a price.”

He said clients appreciated their customer service and the involvement they had in the process.

“This is very important to us as we cannot be everything to everyone, however for those we build for, our process, pricing and service is welcomed and appreciated,” he said.

It provides us as a business the confidence that we are on the right track with our business practices, goals and vision for our clients and the industry as a whole. “At Reef Coast Constructions we are specialist custom builders meaning that we tailor our clients’ homes to them, not us.”

The client of their winning home, Catie Marshall, couldn’t agree more. “Above and beyond are the words that come to mind when I think of everything Reef Coast Constructions have done for me,” she said.

Not only did they work and push to get me in my home by my very tight time frame, but they did it with a smile and were always happy to answer my persistent questions.

“I wholeheartedly encourage anyone looking to build, to consider this locally-owned, friendly business as your future builder. From start to finish, Reef Coast ensured I was happy with all

decisions and invited me to different stages throughout the build to finalise any and all details.”

THE PROJECT

With a tight budget, the client requested a three bedroom, two bathroom, double garage home to be constructed.

The unique block of land is just 291m2 with a 10m frontage and 8.5m rear access. The home is accessed from the rear laneway and is on the western end of the street with only one neighbour on the eastern side.

The block is in the new Stage 11 development of The Village Estate in Oonoonba.

Rob worked directly with the client from the start to design and construct a home that met all of the design elements required by the developer.

“We believe it highly important that even first homeowners have choice in their selections and reputable good quality inclusions in their homes as they, more than anyone, need their home to stand the test of time”

The design required the consideration of the prevailing breezes and the blistering western sun as key factors along with the ability to create privacy for the occupants from the laneway and main access roads leading to the home.

The home was constructed mainly from rendered masonry block with feature elements of lightweight construction with cladded walls. It contained a Colorbond roof with ceiling insulation. The home was single storey on a monolithic slab foundation.

Rob’s design created a home that has a small footprint but a large feel. The laundry was positioned in the double garage along with a store cupboard to enable the maximum usage of space in the interior. Storage is further increased in the home with a large hallway cupboard providing plenty of space for linen and broom space.

Construction was then handed to Cameron to bring the project to life. As partner in the business, Cameron has the vested interest required to uphold the values of Reef Coast Constructions and produce the best outcome for clients. Also as a licenced Builder, Cameron’s experience means that quality assurance is upheld and the work flows effectively, especially with this project’s tight time frame.

The master bedroom has its own walk-in robe and ensuite. There are two more modest bedrooms capable of containing queen-sized beds and also including built in robes to each.

The main bathroom is positioned between the second and third bedroom for ease of access and privacy maintained by the entry hallway to each bedroom.

The open-plan kitchen, dining and living room provides the feel of a much larger home. With the rear patio access from the lounge, it provides easy indoor/outdoor living and dining experiences.

The position of the patio allows for the owner to have a view to Castle Hill as well as buffering the afternoon sun to allow for passive cooling of the home.

The design allows for easy airflow throughout the home due to the positioning of windows and doors to capture and exhaust the prevailing breezes in the estate.

By placing smaller windows on the western facing wall, including blockout aluminium louvres in the lounge and large windows and openings on the southern and eastern facing walls, the effects of the summer sun are reduced to create a comfortable living environment all year round without having to rely of air conditioning – and this makes the home very energy efficient and cost effective to run for its owners.