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Zorzi pulls out all the stops on WA’s top home

John GelavisThe West Australian
Zorzi Builders won the prestigious Bankwest Top WA 
Home award at the 2021 Master Builders-Bankwest Housing Excellence Awards held last Saturday May 29 at Crown Perth.
Camera IconZorzi Builders won the prestigious Bankwest Top WA Home award at the 2021 Master Builders-Bankwest Housing Excellence Awards held last Saturday May 29 at Crown Perth. Credit: Matt Jelonek.

The whole shebang. The full works. Going all out. These phrases don’t often fit a home building project because words like ‘budget’ and ‘compromise’ get in the way, but there was no holding back on Western Australia’s top home for 2021.

Zorzi Builders got the rare chance to throw everything they had at a lavish riverside house in Dalkeith and were rewarded with the 2021 Bankwest Top WA Home title at the Master Builders-Bankwest Housing Excellence Awards last weekend.

However, a house does not reach the standard of ‘excellent’ just because it sits at one of Perth’s most prestigious addresses by the Swan River and lots of money has been spent on it.

To meet Master Builders’ measure for excellence, the builder must manage every facet of the project with skill, precision and craftsmanship to achieve top-quality results throughout the home.

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Maintaining consistently high-class work also means good communication with tradespeople, clients, suppliers and architects alike. Not everyone can do it – so congratulations to Zorzi Builders on getting it right.

The home they created is fittingly called The Peak and it is built over four storeys, demanding significant reinforcement on rising land overlooking the river. Details noted by the judges include a spiral staircase cut from one pipe and one of the largest sky-framed windows in the southern hemisphere, which opens out to the balcony from the living area. The pictures on page 4 are stunning.

Last year, Master Builders WA celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Housing Excellence Awards, but I am prouder than ever to introduce the 41st awards this year because the industry has faced unprecedented challenges to get here.

The building industry has made a sudden switch from slump to boom, which has been tricky to manage. COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions also delayed the judging, which, in turn, meant the awards were delayed by several months.

But here we are with 26 judges having assessed almost 300 entries, adding up to a total building value of just under $165 million.

The awards were presented on Saturday May 29 at a glittering event at Crown Perth and, along with the Top WA Home winner, a couple of other champions deserve a special mention as well.

Bluewater Building Co won the Best Country Home award with a classy residence overlooking the ocean at Eagle Bay, which judges described as “a house you want to be in”. The three-storey home features enclosed balconies which can be used all year-round and exceptional stonework blending in with beautifully finished timber floors.

A basement area was included late in the build when the owner saw a chance to make use of the extra space to create a games room and bar area.

The Best Display Home award went to Plunkett Homes for the Norfolk in Jindalee, a Hamptons-style home adapted to the Western Australian lifestyle, with an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area flowing seamlessly into a large and inviting alfresco space.

The Best Alterations and Additions prize was won by Amerex Renovations and Additions, who gave new life to a character home in Dalkeith through a major extension and renovation. The entire floor plan changed to repurpose rooms and create a large open-plan area, so every corner of the house was included in the making of a modern family home behind the classic facade.

The Master Builders-Bankwest Housing Excellence Awards covers mansions to modest residences, so the real winners are the Western Australians who want to build a home – because quality builders are available at all levels

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