off grid stone build

Stone fireplace with concrete hearth overlooking the plains of Gnarwarre and Barwon River

Earlier this year, Stone Society had the opportunity to work on a pretty wild off grid construction project headed by W Build Group and designed by Blasco Stuart in the rolling plains of Gnarwarre, Victoria.

The build was completed using solar energy and collected rainwater - the home is entirely disconnected from main services.

Our roll, in collaboration with Jake Letierri (J.Lettieri Tile Pave Stone) was to install the stone on this magnificent fireplace/feature wall. Encompassing approximately 65m2 (internal and externally) we spent the better part of 8 weeks hammering away alongside some remarkably high quality and passionate trades to achieve a beautiful, functional finish to the home.

The thermal mass of stone surrounding the fireplace will act to naturally retain the warmth of the low lying Winter sun while absorbing and slowly dispersing overnight the excess heat typical to a rural Victorian summer.

The style of stonework is Filetti, a random, semi coursed type of building that uses primarily long, thin stone and originated as a paving technique across Europe for its ability to disperse heavy loads over multiple stones.