Third Element Design Studio was commissioned by RACV Country Club in Healesville, Yara Valley to design a new porte-cochere to replace their existing, badly weathered structure. The client required a fabrication and finished product that would be designed using modern construction materials including colorbond roof and flashings, but with an external timber look that suited the existing building and would fit with the rural area and surroundings. 

The site was located within a bushfire area which required the building to have a BAL-40 fire compliance rating. This made the client’s brief for achieving a timber-look finish more complex given the flammable nature of many timber choices. 

Third Element selected Blackbutt timber to provide the timber look whilst also achieving the required BAL rating requirements. The timbers were fixed to the outside of a fully-enclosed sub structure which was made to address the ember attack issue. This main structure was designed and coated with a black finish to allow it to blend seamlessly with the existing grey-stone building with black accents. The clever use of black on the base structure ensured that the structure disappeared into the background allowing the warmth of the timber to bring prominence to the front of the building and act as the hero. 

The finished project features timber battens on the underside of the porte-cochere which are interspersed with subtle black LED light strips between the battens for feature night lighting. Planter boxes were established on the front face of the structure with climbing plants which will eventually fill the end wall providing privacy to the main reception, and maturing into a striking green compliment to the timber and steel structure.  

Third Element in conjunction with Stable Projects were able to seamlessly achieve the client’s vision for the project. Through initial 3D camera views and renders provided to the builder and client, the finished product was constructed as a feature-perfect replication of our shared vision.