Project: The Block 2022 - Gisborne, Victoria

Architect: Group Architects - Julian Brenchley

Builder: Nine in Six

uPVC Extrusion: aluplast

Window and Door Fabricator: Thermotek

Principal Glazing: VistaTech™ triple glazed units

Photography: ©Marnie Hawson Photography

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The biggest season in the shows’ history – contestants set out for a ‘Tree Change’ renovating a set of free-standing country houses positioned on 10-acre blocks in regional Victoria.  

With majority of viewers residing in our major cities, the previous 17 seasons of The Block focused on renovations around the metro areas of Melbourne and Sydney. Due to the pandemic, there was an overwhelming number of residents fleeing these locations for a ‘Tree Change’ which soon became the premise of this year’s season.

Dubbed early on as the biggest season in the show’s history, we saw contestants head to the bush to renovate a set of free-standing country houses positioned on 10-acre blocks in the Macedon Ranges.

Not only was property size dramatically larger, but the mastermind behind The Block executive producer Julian Cress, came up with the brilliant concept for this season to focus on sustainability and rural resilience.

“We were just trying to use the absolute best and most sustainable practice in everything that we did this year,” explains Cress.  

The 6 houses in total were architecturally designed to run completely off grid and ambitiously sustainable - no small feat.

Setting the bar with a minimum 7 Star energy rating requirement, the renovations formed the perfect project for Viridian to demonstrate the true benefits of using high performance triple glazed windows - insert our triple glazed product here.

VistaTech™ Ultimate Performance Triple Glazing - installed across all six houses - has a three-pane technology that is up to five times more efficient than standard glazing and when combined with a high performance frame, it provides the most thermally efficient residential window and door system currently available in Australia.

This means that from the moment the glass is installed, it works to ‘slow the flow’ of heat loss or gain through the windows. In simple terms, it keeps the house warmer in winter and cooler in summer, making the house far more comfortable without the need to rely on heaters and air conditioners, an effective way to reduce energy bills and cut carbon emissions.

Not only an immensely sustainable product, but it also provides unwavering levels of natural light which formed an integral feature of each house design. The high performance windows encapsulate the stunning country views and flood the large open living spaces with daylight, delivering the future occupants of these homes the ultimate residential haven.

With the most sustainable practices executed in this year’s season, the launch of our VistaTech™ Ultimate Performance Triple Glazing range, and Melbourne’s winter rain fall which created a muddy terrain that not only challenged contestants but us too! It proved to be the biggest season in the show’s history and really took us on quite a journey.

 

Take a look at the gallery below - to see our favourite spaces!

 

Living, Dining & Kitchen

The heart of the home – an entertainers delight with kitchens that include some of the most sought after and luxury appliances, large dining spaces and relaxing lounges that are not only comfortable but overlook some magnificent views of the rolling hills of Mount Macedon through jumbo VistaTech™ triple glazed units.

 

Original Homestead, Cabana and Tiny House

The historic homestead and cabana, connected by a luxury blue tiled pool and surrounded by thoughtful landscape design, were a unique highlight for this year’s season. The cabana which acts as a pool house and additional relaxation zone was built using a 3D concrete printer – the first of its kind in Australia.

Additionally, the Game Changer feature for House 4 which centred on sustainability saw the construction of its very own Tiny House – completely self-sustainable.