Whitemount is a luxury ski lodge situated in the heart of Mount Hotham in the Victorian Alps. Built by owner David Turnbull and completed in 2020, Whitemount is the ultimate Mount Hotham residence. It features exceptional views of the alpine mountains and is leased to holiday makers when the owner is not in residence.

Buildings in the Mount Hotham area must comply with strict regulations that are governed through the Department of Infrastructure’s Alpine Planning Division, with specific aesthetic conditions that are sympathetic to the alpine ski field environment. This includes ensuring roof panels are made of wood, that two-thirds of the bottom floor of each house feature local rock, and that the roof and wall cladding are at least 100mm thick.

With the environment in mind, there were three key considerations David made when selecting building materials and products: The highest quality to ensure the building’s long-term structural integrity; quick and easy installation due to the inclement weather and high winds of up to 140km; and high-performance insulation to ensure the home could be heated quickly and retain its warmth in the cold climate.

After undertaking extensive research into the area’s planning controls and compliance requirements, David discovered that steel roofing could be used instead of wood, provided it adhered to the same earthy tones of the neighbouring properties. With the aesthetics solved, the extreme weather still posed a challenge, with high winds and snow weight a looming consideration. Victorian snow regulations state that all houses with flat or near flat roofs must be able to hold one tonne or one cubic metre of snow. Additionally, snow breakers must be installed to capture snow from the roof, so that any snow falls directly into the owners’ property without breaking off in pieces to avoid personal injury or property damage. Local planning does not allow for any gutters to be used so customised flashings had to be created to both help seal the building and replace gutters. The home’s square design was also kept simple to ensure the project installation could be completed as quickly and easily as possible.

To meet local requirements without compromising on his vision for the property, David selected Kingspan’s KS1000RW trapezoidal roof panel for the roof and Kingspan architectural wall panel plank profile with PIR insulation core for the walls. According to David, one of the biggest benefits of using Kingspan products were their strength and capacity to be installed without the need for steel struts, which allowed David to achieve a five-degree roof pitch in one direction, and a seven-degree roof pitch in the other, to control the snow slope.

Installation of the Kingspan roof and wall cladding was completed in just three days due to the products’ simple fixing mechanism. The speed of install was a huge benefit as construction was not possible during the peak ski season.

“I wanted to use products that I trusted. Having used Kingspan products previously, I knew the quality of Kingspan was excellent and their products were able to be installed quickly and easily. With many properties in the area experiencing ongoing problems with leaking, it was important that I used a product that would withstand the environmental conditions as well as satisfy the strict compliance criteria,” said David Turnbull.

Project details

Project: Whitemount Resort, Mount Hotham

Location: Hotham Heights VIC 3174

Client: David Turnbull, Turnbull Australia Pty Ltd

Sector: Leisure

Completion: January 2020

Products: Roof: 150m² KS 1000 RW - 100mm, Walls: 120m² 100mm AWP Plank Profile