Nestled among the trees of a forested hill, a serene Tasmanian home works intuitively with its natural surroundings. However, this build’s complexity was one of the most challenging – yet satisfying – constructions for HIA member, Merlin Constructions.

‘The thought of building on this block seemed impossible,’ says David Overeem, co-founder of Merlin Constructions. But after the shock of the challenge, David soon realised the site’s potential if the dwelling ran along the contours. ‘We knew we could terrace the land and provide accessibility.’

Close to the bush

Overlooking Hinsby Beach in Hobart’s suburb of Taroona, the build is cantilevered to create openings between the structures and the hillside. This offers pathways for local wildlife and a concealed entry for the main house, below the upper floor.

‘You feel like you’re so close to the bush, you can nearly touch it from each room of the house,’ says David. ‘This creates an indoor/outdoor connection. This was always essential for our clients, so the whole house is wrapped in glass,’ he says. 

The lower level consists of two bedrooms, a bathroom and a rumpus, while the upper level holds a living room, dining area, kitchen and laundry. The art studio features versatile workspaces and a guest suite, showcasing the client's passion for creativity.

Extensive use of a glazed facade by Candour surrounds the house, from floor to ceiling. ‘The exterior lets the home sit harmoniously within its natural setting, while our clients enjoy the natural outlook to Derwent river and beyond,’ says David.

‘Screens throughout the home give privacy and separate spaces. There are virtually no external walls apart from a few that create the option of a dark room in the art studio.’

According to HIA judges, this four-bedroom home is ‘breathtaking – it perfectly blends luxury and innovation. This construction and site are complex and challenging but were executed to absolute perfection.’ 

To recognise these achievements, this Taroona house won the 2024 HIA-CSR Tasmanian Home of the Year, Outdoor Project of the Year, Custom Built Home of the Year, Kitchen of the Year and Tasmanian Bathroom of the Year.

Seamless execution

Founded in 2006, Merlin Constructions collaborates thoroughly with professional consultants, from architects, interior designers and landscape architects to structural engineers, project managers and quantity surveyors.

‘Our collaborative approach ensures that every project benefits from a holistic perspective, innovative solutions, and seamless execution,’ says David.

During the 19-month build, the Merlin team worked closely with the architectural firm Archier. ‘They have a cool design theory where they love connecting the outdoors with the indoors. Mind you, we've done three projects with this firm, and all of them had challenges we needed to solve,’ says David, laughing.

When taking on the project, the Archier team decided to elongate the footprint along the contours to make the steep block move livable. The excavation and site establishment set up this project by framing usable tiers of space for the construction phase. 

‘One of our greatest issues was COVID-19,’ says David. ‘We started just after it hit in 2020. We had a few hold-ups in our construction timeframe because of local lockdowns, but the real issues came with the supply of already contracted material and portions of the project.’ 

This included a window system manufactured in Victoria that combined timber and thermally broken aluminium glazing adaptors from Germany. 

‘This system coupling the materials had never been installed in Australia,’ says David. ‘We needed to put all aspects together onsite in Tasmania, but not before receiving them. The manufacture of the timber facade framing was held up in Victoria for three months, and the glazing adapters were held up in the Panama Canal closure for six months. 

‘During the delays, we had plenty of time to research the window system so once they arrived, we could start putting together all the intricate aspects of this structural system, a significant aspect of the overall build.’ 

After completing the construction in early 2023, directors David Overeem and Adam Direen knew this home was a ‘unique and creative build’. The team could see it was a potential winner when applying for HIA state awards. ‘We’d been really close to winning Home of the Year in the past. We knew it had to be more than just a good house to win – it had to be exceptional!’

And the Merlin team are now satisfied that Hinsby Hill certainly is ‘exceptional’.

Book now!

The HIA-CSR Australian Housing Awards – one of the country’s most talked-about events in the industry – will conclude the three-day HIA National Conference in Melbourne on 15-17 May.

Book now to be part of this peak annual event.

First published on 3 April 2025