Professionals and suppliers in the building and construction sector are being called to step up and support rebuilding efforts in bushfire ravaged communities. Here’s one story of how to change lives.
|
Three key takeaways:
|
Barb and Dave Rugendyke lost their home on New Year’s Day 2020 when Australia’s Black Summer descended on the Bega Valley. The smoke may have lifted, but scores of families in Cobargo and other regions are still waiting for insurance or building assistance.
Supply chain disruption from the fires and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have sent building costs skyrocketing, adding to the barriers many people already face from inadequate insurance and difficulties obtaining planning permissions.
The town of Cobargo in New South Wales was one of the worst hit and many residents are still sheltering in caravans and other temporary accommodation.
The Rugendykes have spent their lives giving to their community as foster parents, even playing the role of local town Santa. Last year they saw their kindness returned, as a host of suppliers and building and construction professionals, led by architect Jeremy McLeod of Breathe architecture, joined forces to rebuild their home.
The design process was somewhat reverse engineered, with the architects first calling suppliers to request components for the house. McLeod reached out to Fisher & Paykel for appliances, Tradelink for bathroom fixtures and fittings, and Taubmans for paint. Fielders, BREC Energy, Form Brick, StudioAll, Accent Windows, Automatic Heating and a myriad of other suppliers were also called upon, each one donating materials.
“It was this incredible team of people that came together within the blink of an eye,” McLeod says. The challenge, then, was to design a house from a “kit of parts”.
The Rugendykes’ new home is simple, efficient and robust. Breathe designed a home that is carbon neutral in operation, and as resilient to future fire events as possible. Take the pitched roof, with sprinkler system along the ridge line, which was chosen as it will shed embers in the event of another fire.
While they have received a positive outcome from a position of despair, the Rugendykes says it does not come close to replacing what they and the community lost. “That’s the saddest part,” explains Barb Rugendyke. “A lot of people out there are still living in a caravan.”
Property Council members dug deep after the bushfires, and the Property Council was a strong advocate for place-based resilience strategies and decisive action on climate change in its submission to the Royal Commission into the bushfires.
But people still need “practical” help, McLeod says. “Building prices have gone through the roof because everyone’s trying to rebuild.” Insurance “won’t cover the cost to rebuild” because trade prices have escalated.
“If you’re an architect, please offer your services pro bono to deliver a project from start to finish. If you’re a builder or a tradie, please think about coming down here and doing some work to help deliver some houses. And if you’re a supplier, think about donating some materials to help bring down the cost of building.”
Julia Cambage, chief executive officer of the Australian Institute of Architects, says many families who lost everything in the fires have missed out on the “huge levels” of stimulus roll-out in response to the pandemic.
“While we will continue advocating strongly for better-targeted stimulus and urgently-needed regulatory reform, we urge those across the industry to step up with practical support for their fellow Australians.”
Firms, builders or companies willing to help can contact Architects Assist.
Watch Barb and Dave Rugendyke’s story on YouTube to see how the built environment industry is giving up time, money and materials to help bushfire-ravaged communities rebuild.
