Launched in April 2021, Sekisui House Australia’s future-focused, home-building brand Shavida is an extension of the master community developer and home builder’s signature approach to residential design and construction.
With more than 60 years’ experience delivering exceptionally designed, sustainable dwellings, including zero-emission homes in Japan, Sekisui House Australia’s Shavida homes have been created in collaboration with Australian and Japanese registered architects to deliver on the company’s commitment to build more innovative homes across south-east Queensland.
Using conventional building methodologies, Shavida provides a diverse range of ready-built homes and homes to build across single and double storeys, centred around the needs of first homebuyers, families and downsizers.
Four Shavida display homes opened early this year at Ecco Ripley—Sekisui House Australia’s residential community in south-east Queensland’s western growth corridor—showcasing the latest designs and premium inclusions.
The master community developer has built flexible and affordable homes in Ecco Ripley since it launched in 2014, providing a solid proving ground for the introduction of Shavida.
In just five months, more than 60 Shavida homes have sold across the custom-built and ready-built range, including terrace homes, quadplexes and duplexes.
Sekisui House’s Comprehensive Housing and Human Life Research and Development Institutes in Kyoto, Japan, are Sekisui says, the first of their kind in the world, established to develop architectural technologies, evaluate housing performance and find ways to bring happiness into the home.
Findings borne out of these Institutes during the past 30 years have been translated for the local context to inform all Shavida home designs to deliver future-focused living.
Sekisui House Australia registered architect Teresa Chan and product design and development manager Yukihiro “Naga’” Suenaga, who is also a class 1 architect in Japan, worked together in collaboration with other key members of the team to create the latest Shavida design collection.
Teresa, who has worked in the industry for more than 18 years, said Japanese architecture was all about attention to detail.
“The Japanese have gained a reputation for being smart with space as their houses tend to be very small. That’s why every inch of space within Shavida floorplans have been fastidiously designed to create the most value, comfort and freedom on smaller sized lots, which is where our strength lies,” she said.
“Careful consideration has also been paid to features such as open-plan living, outdoor connection, smart storage solutions, and natural light and ventilation, which all contribute to making a Shavida home more comfortable and liveable.
“It’s that considered living that we always think about when we’re looking to move a window here or there, but it’s also those little moves and changes that have an impact on how we live in a room. This is why our research out of Japan is so important.”
Through comprehensive research, Sekisui House has taken the time to understand how families at different life stages work, move, play, relax and entertain in their homes to ensure an overall sense of comfort and ergonomic harmony.
The design of Shavida homes demonstrate this research in practice, with space-efficient floorplans that take advantage of zoning, multi-purpose spaces and child-friendly design, underpinned by indoor-outdoor living integration.
Yukihiro, who has been involved in more than 400 custom home projects, said Shavida home designs maximise space by adopting a smart approach to zoned living.
“Our designs create a balance between social and secluded zones to provide both a sense of space and privacy, which is perfect for different types of occupants like young families,” he said.
“Shavida homes are also designed to be flexible and convenient, with many floorplan options that include a butler’s pantry off the garage so groceries can be easily transported from the car, and a multi-purpose room off the kitchen with line of site for families with young children.”
Shavida’s energy-efficient inclusions also help to reduce each home’s carbon footprint, another key motive of the Comprehensive Housing Institute with its research leading to the construction of more than 51,000 net-zero-energy homes since 2013.
“Our designs focus on providing a comfortable and sustainable lifestyle, reducing each home’s impact on the environment through inclusions that promote greater energy efficiency, such as a solar panel system, insulation, ventilation and roof sarking,” Yukihiro said.
The efficiency of Shavida designs extends to its innovative cavity wall cladding system for the Queensland climate that is not only breathable, but also self-cleaning—available across select, ready-built homes.
Handmade in Japan, the wall cladding system features an intelligent coating that repels heat, and sheds dust and grime with just a light shower of rain, providing an exceptionally low-maintenance solution for busy lifestyles.
“The smallest details (in a Shavida home) were a standout for me,” Shavida homeowner Lisa Sheikh said.
“In other homes, we weren’t seeing that same quality and attention to detail. The quality of the fixtures and fittings really stood out—everything was there and ready to go at the right price and that’s exactly what we were looking for.
“The whole experience with Shavida has been fantastic. We would 100 per cent recommend Sekisui House Australia to anyone.”
Leveraging the strong population growth in Ripley, Shavida’s first-year strategy will focus on the region to maintain high-quality build products, with more than 120 homes expected to be built throughout Ecco Ripley and nearby master planned communities.
Shavida has also begun to expand across the Ipswich region, with the aim to grow its presence across south-east Queensland in select, high-growth corridor areas from 2022 to help address the need for affordable and quality housing in the booming region.
The Urban Developer is proud to partner with Sekisui House to deliver this article to you. In doing so, we can continue to publish our daily news, information, insights and opinion to you, our valued readers.
