This process took twelve months, and Shaun describes it as the most challenging aspect of the build.
One section of the 550-square metre basement is given over to a four-car garage. The rest of it is kitted out as the ultimate fun-cave – an elaborate space that sets a whole new benchmark for in-home entertainment. There’s a sunken theatre room, a games room, pool table, gym, cellar, bar and a full-sized single lane bowling alley.
From the crisp white ceilings to the polished concrete floor and luxurious, jewel-toned textiles, the basement rooms are imbued with warmth and brightness. Most of the walls are exposed concrete – a decision made on the fly, Shaun says, because they looked so appealing when the formwork was stripped away.
Here, sophisticated design is interspersed with unexpected touches of whimsy. The stunning red brick feature wall in the bar and cellar area, for example, is made from bricks recycled from the original house. And the games room features a window that looks into the depths of the pool, bringing soft, filtered light into the space. ‘There were challenges associated with getting that to work,’ Shaun says. Underwater windows have particular requirements in terms of waterproofing and pressure loadings, so Desyn flew in a Queensland supplier to engineer and install it.
The bowling alley, finished to competition standard complete with gutters and pinsetter, is perhaps the standout feature of the basement. Desyn contracted bowling manufacturing specialists QubicaAMF to provide the design, materials and specialised trades for its construction.