River House

In 2024 Saltbush worked closely with builders PreFabulous and our astute clients on the design and realisation of the River House. The home was pre-fabricated in Wagga Wagga, trucked in three parts and installed in Tathra on the NSW south coast.

A prefabricated home worked well in this instance for two reasons. Site access was somewhat remote, but also open enough for truck movement. And the time and cost savings associated with avoiding multiple trades on site in a remote location, together with the advantage of greater quality control, stacked up nicely.

The partnership between Saltbush and PreFabulous was very rewarding.

We learnt about how to maximise prefabricated modules within the limits of trucking constraints. We also learnt about the manufactured building standards that apply to prefabricated coated homes, in place of NCC performance.

Working closely with Pre-fabulous, we helped push their standard palette of materials, fittings and finishes towards lower carbon, lower emission and higher performing outcomes.

The three photos above show the level of completion at Pre-Fabulous headquarters in Wagga Wagga, prior to trucking.

The plan below shows the modular configuration of the house. The crank in the plan we achieved by utilising a small, timber-clad linking element.

The skewed pavilions established a geometric 'fit' with the site boundary and contours, good solar access, and opposing water views to both river and ocean.

The River House installed in Tathra, furnished and with landscaping well underway.

Project: River House
Type: Prefabricated House
Description: A compact three bedroom home in two pavilions. Fabricated in Wagga Wagga, trucked in three parts and installed in Tathra.
Location: Tathra, NSW
Client: Private
Year: Completed 2024
Area: 72 sqm GFA
Value: $0.75 M
Services: Sketch Design, Design Development, advice during fabrication
Team: Adam Russell
Builder: PreFabulous
Project code: 2119