Now and Zen
A Yangebup couple wanted to entertain on a grand scale and still managed to be energy efficient.
Doing their homework on the ideal dream home has paid off handsomely for a Cockburn couple, thanks in no small part to the exceptional work of Beeliar-based company, Zazen Building & Design.
The couple, tradesman Cos and his wife, Lisa, spent more than a year researching ideas, potential designs and picking the eyes out of the best of what they saw in display homes and friends’ houses.
When they arrived at the office of Zazen co-owner, Dino Colica, they dumped a big scrapbook of clippings on his desk and a very rough sketch of what they wanted for their home.
First and foremost, the couple needed a home capable of entertaining on a grand scale. With a large extended family and big social network, dinners and parties for as many as 40 people weren’t uncommon.
They also wanted a modern, energy-efficient home that would stand out on a big block of 600 square metre in the Bayview Estate, Yangebup. And all of the above had to be achieved on a fairly modest budget by custom-home standards.
“Most people look at a couple of display homes and say, ‘yep, that’s the one for me’ and add a few modifications when they come to a builder, but Cos and Lisa really did their homework,” said Mr Colica.
The finished home came in at about $400,000 and met all of the couple’s requirements.
“In the grand scheme of things, compared to other boutique or custom builders, we were quite cost-effective,” said Mr Colica, who formed Zazen Building & Design in partnership with fellow-builder, John Simunovich, just two years ago. Word of Zazen’s quality work has spread rapidly since, with most of the 15 homes they aim to build each year the result of referrals from satisfied clients such as Cos and Lisa.
“Basically, they wanted a house to entertain friends and family and went with an energy-efficient, passive house. The east-west orientation made this a bit tricky but we went with ComfortPlus glazing and an increased insulation factor,” said Mr Colica.
“Zazen also worked closely with the Cockburn Council on the home’s positioning on the block with due consideration for its policies and residential design codes. In order to comply with the residential design codes, most homes can’t be built higher than 500mm above the natural ground level of a building site. In this case, we liaised with the Council and brought the home up to the absolute maximum limit resulting in a very slight incline.
“The garage base is actually higher than the main slab level of the house, so we had to install special storm water provisions but it hasn’t affected the aesthetics of the home at all. “The result was a functional home that didn’t compromise what Cos and Lisa wanted. The house turned out exactly how we wanted it to and Cos and Lisa were happy and so was the Council.”
Completed in seven months from the time the slab was laid, the home features some classy touches. The traditional, double-brick four-bedroom, two-bathroom home is essentially split into two wings. The south wing houses the family room, kitchen, garage and laundry while the bedrooms, bathrooms and ensuite are in the north wing.
A jarrah, pivot door with a distinctive, stainless steel vertical strip, provided by Bayswater’s M&B Sales, makes a grand entry statement. From there, visitors enter via a hotel-like foyer and gallery of special marble tiles.
A 50 square metre alfresco area, complete with an in-built commercial barbeque and rangehood, caters for the couple’s passion for entertaining. The kitchen, family room and enclosed study all have their own entry points to the alfresco area. In the kitchen, a drop ceiling, 30mm stone benchtops from leading industry supplier, Australian Counter Tops and La Germania appliances (including a dual-gas free-standing cooker) bring a commercial edge to the layout.
“We’ve used Bonlex, a Japanese super-premium, high gloss vinyl ithe kitchen. It’s more hard-wearing than your standard laminate but significantly more expensive than your standard laminate doors,” said Mr Colica.
A bi-fold window servery allows smooth access to the alfresco area when the party is in full swing and a sunken home theatre which can be closed off with aluminium French doors, rounds off the entertainment package. In the bedrooms, the walk-in wardrobes with custom-built cabinetry and sliding doors help to maximise space and enhance the home’s lean, flush look. Zazen have used a New Zealand brand of tapware, Phoenix Lexi, in the bathrooms which again adds a touch of the modern, boutique hotel to the home. The showers feature fully-frameless, hobless glass doors which are another nice touch that give the home that little bit extra. On the outside, the brick is coated with Dulux Acratex which, according to Mr Colica,
“Is superior to a sand render finish as it doesn’t fade and doesn’t get the crazing or fine cracking that render can get after a couple of years.”
“The colour is much more consistent too,” said Mr Colica. But one of the home’s real wow factors is designed so as not be seen – at least not from the road. Opting for a higher elevation and flat roof means the roof itself can’t be seen from the front of the home.
“The front brickwork is at 41 courses and the roof at the back of the house drops down so it’s concealed. With concealed box guttering, this adds a statement factor to the property so that when you drive down the street the house literally punches you in the face,” said Mr Colica.
In keeping with the name of Zazen, which means to meditate, the home delivers the perfect, lifestyle balance for Cos and Lisa.
“We purposely wanted to run Zazen out of a home office so people could see where we lived and know they were dealing directly with the owners.
“There’s only John and myself in the company and we basically take care of everything – from the initial sales inquiry, to building the house and handing it over to after-sales service,” said Mr Colica.
Dino Colica started in the building industry as an apprentice painter while John Simunovich began as an apprentice cabinetmaker. Over the years, the pair worked through the ranks doing scheduling, estimating, project management and supervising at various companies before finally joining forces and forming Zazen in May 2009.
“When we started Zazen, we took all the good points from the companies we had worked at and added the personal touches we wanted – true personal service and quality and the combination of those two things have basically made us successful.”
And the name Zazen?
“We wanted to have a name that was different – not our name, or a combination of surnames. We wanted something that people thought of as being different. “Zen is that harmonious balance that we aim to incorporate into our designs and work,” said Mr Colica.