By Natasha Fujimoto & Melanie Spencer
CRAFTING his own personal masterpiece, local Rushworth man Steve Hutcheson is rolling up his sleeves to construct an extraordinary home. Drawing on a lifetime of experience in engineering and construction, including work on infrastructure in conflict and disaster zones overseas, Steve is applying his ingenuity along with a bucketload of grit and determination to build a fire-resilient, off-grid container house. Forged from steel, sweat and relentless resolve, it’s a project that reflects not only his resourcefulness but his enduring vision.
With the kind of self-reliance that comes from rebuilding communities from the ground up working with the United Nations, Steve’s self-build is by no means a run-of-the-mill undertaking. Instead, his concept is a modern, sustainable home built from ten 40-foot shipping containers.
Innovatively designed, this robust house is situated just outside a designated fire zone and in termite territory, so Steve’s choice of a metal-framed structure clad in Monument Matt corrugated iron is no accident. Every surface, including walls, floors, ceilings and roof, is fully insulated, with hydronic heating running through the entire house.
Undertaking much of the work himself along with his friend Regan, he is supported by local trades for plumbing and electrical work, Steve is two and a half years into the construction. From welding the frame to installing a crane on-site to lift materials, it has been a physically demanding and deeply personal endeavour.
With flooring and internal linings currently underway, the home is already an impressive structure despite a lot of finishing work still ahead. Featuring four bedrooms, three bathrooms, an expansive office, lounge, kitchen, dining area, walk-in pantry and laundry, each bedroom opens onto its own balcony.
Incredibly, there are 38 windows, glorious cypress pine floors and a handcrafted front door made from recycled timber and rustic welded steel.
By all accounts a bold initiative, Steve’s container home is an inspirational tribute to the enterprise of one man’s skilled vision and a lasting testament to the importance of a dream realised.
