With the right team and approach, a home on a sloped block can be the most beautiful on the street. Photo: Sunny Homes.
If you’re among the tens of thousands expected to move into Canberra’s growing suburbs in the next five years, chances are you’ll be faced with a sloped block.
New suburbs such as Jacka, Royalla, Macnamara, Whitlam, Denman Prospect, Googong and Ginninderry are hilly, undulating or mountainous, with up to 80 per cent in some parts encompassing an up, down or side slope.
But a sloped block is a beautiful thing to Sunny Homes director Sunny Malhotra.
“With the right team and approach, the challenging or sloping block can accommodate the most stunning home on the street,” he says.
“That’s good news because finding a flat block in Canberra is pretty rare these days. Of the 250 homes I have built, I think about 10 were on flat blocks.”
Sunny says building on a sloped block doesn’t always mean higher costs and longer lead times – every site is different.
In fact, these “sloped blocks” have their own advantages.
By working with the grade to devise the right composition and orientation, it’s possible to build something every bit as functional – and potentially even more beautiful – than a home on a flat block.
“Homes on sloped blocks lend themselves to unique architectural split-level designs,” Sunny says. “You also tend to be able to get elevated views, and natural ventilation and light, as well as extra storage options.”
Having tackled slopes as steep as 9 metres, Sunny says even the most challenging sites can produce stunning results.
He says no two approaches will be the same.
In Lawson, he built a home on a 5-metre slope downwards. In Denman, another with a 5-metre slope sideways. The results, while both beautiful, were vastly different.
Sloped blocks present unique challenges – and opportunities. Photo: Sunny Homes.
The trick is understanding the limitations of the slope, as well as the possibilities, and working with them alongside the client’s priorities and goals – something only a custom home builder with experience on sloped blocks can achieve.
“Volume builders build more or less the same designs and the specs don’t work for sloped blocks,” he says.
“We had clients come to us after wasting six months with a volume builder who couldn’t manage a slope of 4.5 metres diagonally from back to front. They were very happy with what we achieved
“We have four expert designers in-house and work with some truly excellent architects who delight in finding the unique selling points of sloped blocks.”
He says if done right, these homes always come with views.
“We recently built a home in Bonner that was literally opposite a three-storey Coles. We built it in such a way that it captured a view of Telstra Tower.”
With design possibilities as varied and distinctive as Canberra’s slopes, Sunny admits it’s not always easy to put the potential of these sites into words.
That’s why he’s creating a display home at 8 Shillam Chase, Whitlam. The split-level home is gracefully set on a 4-metre upward slope. Its purpose is to show the public sloped blocks can be just as practical and even more inspiring than flat ones.
“I hope it helps people see that, for a trusted, experienced builder, a slope isn’t a problem – it’s the foundation for something extraordinary,” he says.
The display home at 8 Shillam Chase, Whitlam, is open Friday to Monday, 10 am to 6 pm. For more information visit Sunny Homes.
