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The Challenge
Building a home in Glenrowan, famous as the home of bushranger Ned Kelly with a landscape as rugged as its history, presented a demanding set of conditions.
The location’s extreme winters and scorching summers meant a conventional build was never going to be enough.
The original dwelling on the site never truly rose to the occasion. Although the block offered an East elevation and magnificent views towards Mount Buffalo, the existing house was “not quite up to scratch.”
Rather than compromise, home owner Phil Fordham took a bold approach and reimagined a rural home to meet the demands of both climate and country life.
This led to the decision to bulldoze three-quarters of the property and effectively start again.
Elevating the new structure—raising the house about 900 mm higher and extending over the existing retaining wall to achieve a total elevation of around four metres—introduced further complexity, from structural demands to access and construction logistics.
The location itself posed another serious challenge: bushfire risk.
“If you’re in town, you’re protected from fire, but out here in the bush, so to speak, you’ve got to worry about the element of fire, and you’ve got to be prepared,” Phil said
He also wanted to protect what he valued most about the property: the peace and quiet, and the sense of being surrounded purely by nature.
The challenge was to create a home that could withstand harsh weather and potential fire while enhancing the serenity and experience of the stunning location.
The Solution
To respond to both climate and fire risk, Paul chose LuxeWall by Bondor pre-fabricated panels as a core part of the building envelope.
Homeowners can create thermally efficient spaces that stay cool in summer and warm in winter, fully insulated, energy smart and importantly in bushland settings, fire resistant.
This made Bondor a natural fit for Glenrowan’s extreme conditions, helping deliver a home that feels like a retreat in both heat and cold.
Fire preparedness was built into the specification of the house.
“We’ve built a house to suit that reasoning,” Phil said. “That’s why we’ve gone the BAL-rated house with the Bondor, the double glazing, all fire protection that’s needed, just in case that happens.”
LuxeWall panels provide more than comfort — they form a key part of the property’s bushfire strategy and support a safer way of living out in the bush.
Bondor also offered crucial construction advantages for the rural, elevated location. In comparing construction methods, Paul was clear: “Bricks take three or four weeks to clad a house. Bondor took four days.”
While the builders “weren’t familiar with Bondor” at first and said, “Oh, I don’t know about this,” their perception shifted quickly:
“After one day working with it, they said, ‘We’re going to build more Bondor houses.’” The panels simplified finishing, too: “Once the wall’s up, done,” Phil said.
The end result is a home that performs as promised in everyday life.
“When it starts to get warm, I think, time to get back to the house, because it’s insulated so well,” adding, “Come in here. It’s nice and cool and the air conditioners not even on… Likewise, on a cold day, it’s a retreat,” he said.
Through elevation, thoughtful design, and the strategic use of Bondor panels, the project successfully transformed an underwhelming dwelling into a resilient, comfortable bushland retreat.
