Hebel Matters

A solid base for Latitude 37 with Hebel Power Floor 

Latitude 37 is in the business of designing and building luxury bespoke custom homes – and that often includes the superior soundproofing provided by Hebel PowerFloor.

Customisation is the new buzzword in building – crafting every design to suit different family needs and tastes, resulting in beautiful, individual homes.

This has been the story behind the success of Melbourne’s award-winning custom home builder Latitude 37, which offers bespoke custom-designed homes in the city’s eastern, southern and bayside suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula. In fact they recently were awarded HIA Australian Medium Home Builder of the Year in 2021.

 

Director at Latitude 37, Doug Macleod, says that each custom home project is unique and the design and specification for each project is created specifically to meet the needs of each individual client, considering their site, budget and lifestyle.

Clients are offered an option for Hebel PowerFloor and increasingly this is being incorporated into the custom home projects they design and build.

“As we work through the design process, we discuss the available specifications and options and develop a pricing proposal to reflect each client’s individual preferences. Hebel PowerFloor is always offered as an option, as well as Hebel cladding for upper floor walls and we’re finding more and more clients opting to include these features in their new Latitude 37 home.”

“PowerFloor has also been installed in our new display home in Balwyn North, which will be launched next month.”

Latitude 37 homes are at the luxury end of the custom homes spectrum, mostly with a contemporary aesthetic, which suits the properties of Hebel. Macleod says the appeal with PowerFloor is the feeling of solidity, reduced noise and increased thermal performance, all of which are important for their clients.

“The main benefits that we convey to clients is the solid feeling underfoot and the reduction in noise transmission as well as the benefits in energy performance of the home,” he says.

“Quite often, double-storey homes have kids bedrooms or play areas upstairs and Hebel PowerFloor helps to reduce noise from running around upstairs.

“Walking through homes we have built with PowerFloor, including our new display home, certainly conveys a much more solid feel than walking on a timber floor.”

Hebel PowerFloor is also being specified for basements in new builds, a design feature in increasing demand from Latitude 37’s clients, particularly in eastern and bayside suburbs where land prices are at a premium and lot sizes vary.

Macleod says that PowerFloor is ideal for basement applications.

“We’ve had a number of clients who don’t want the cost of a full concrete lid over their basement,” he says. “So we can provide a timber structure with Hebel PowerFloor instead, achieving a similar solid feel that you would have with a concrete floor, without the cost.”

Basement uses go far beyond garaging in high-spec homes, Macleod points out.

“Our clients often require the basement to include features such as a home theatre, gym, cellar and storage spaces as well as parking for multiple vehicles, often with a high specification finish consistent with the rest of the home. This would not be possible without building a basement.”

“By using a timber floor joist system supporting PowerFloor, services are run through the joists and concealed from view rather than being exposed beneath a concrete lid.”

The thermal qualities of Hebel also helps reduce a building’s environmental footprint, and, with all buildings now requiring a six-star rating, this can make all the difference, especially with homes that include huge expanses of glass.

“Six star energy rating is mandatory in Victoria,” says Macleod. “Many of our clients have sites that feature great views. Sometimes the orientation of a site means the views face due west, which is a challenge for our designers to balance the competing priorities of maximising views while achieving year-round comfort and good energy performance. Including Hebel Power Wall and Hebel Power Floor can assist in achieving the mandatory six star energy rating.”

 

About Hebel PowerFloor

Hebel PowerFloor is a strong, versatile, high performance building product made from Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC). A sound investment for a peaceful home, the strong and solid flooring system consists of 75mm steel-reinforced AAC panels, installed over steel or timber joists. The superior acoustic performance and thermal insulation properties of this flooring system helps to keep houses warmer in winter and cooler in summer – as well as minimising noise transference between rooms and floors of the house.

For more information or to download the Hebel PowerFloor Brochure – click here.