IT’S the type of home a builder could fall in love with and, sure enough, the head of one of Australia’s largest private building firms did.
For Scott Hutchinson, the chairman of Brisbane-based Hutchinson Builders, it was love at first sight when he set eyes on the award-winning property at 37 Molonga Terrace, Graceville.
He had sat in awe among the crowd at the Australian Institute of Architecture Awards in Brisbane in 1989 when the Donald Watson-designed home scooped the top accolade of Royal Australian Institute of Architects Robin Boyd Award.
“It won best building out of everything and then went on to win the Robin Boyd,” he said. “The head judge John Simpson said that when the architectural judges went in there, they felt humbled. I thought to myself this house must be special.”
He was keen to have a look but the tri-level home, designed specifically to make the most of its riverside location, was not for sale at the time.
“Then we were at another party where someone said you’ve got to come see this house and we happened to be looking for a place at the time. We took one look and said this is it,” Mr Hutchinson said of his and wife Mary-Jane’s reaction upon walking into the property for the first time.
It was “the river room” that floored him.
“Everywhere you turn there’s a picture postcard scene. The joinery is amazing. And just the way it looks at the river. Everywhere you look there’s something amazing. When I looked at it I thought I wish I could say we built this.”
A fourth generation builder and qualified engineer, Mr Hutchinson said the work was so good that “the only way it could be done was with the architect coming down with A4 sheet instructions every day - the way the Opera House was built”.
As a builder, he said it would be hard to price the construction of a home like that let alone reproduce it, so intricate was the workings.
With 33 metres of river frontage and 3,117sq m to play with, the property includes a boathouse, pontoon, alfresco entertainment zone, infinity-edge pool, multiple decks, terraces and balconies.
It has four bedrooms with a master suite that takes up the upper floor including an attic perfect for a library or studio. There was also a gym, sauna and music room, leadlight windows and parquetry floors, fully screened and air-conditioned.
According to agent Patrick Dixon, it was “an enduring testament to design”.
He said it had “such a high level of specification and intricate detail at every turn”.
Mr Hutchinson said they had only decided to sell because the family was downsizing with children all growing up.
The property is open to tenders until 5pm November 11.
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