A construction site with two houses lifted several storeys off the ground has left Australians stunned.
Homes in the Brisbane suburb of Bardon have been raised on stilts to make way for the construction of a new daycare facility underneath.
Locals have described the houses as ‘super Queenslander’ due to the sheer height to which they are raised.
Although floodwaters could well flow under the base of the houses, construction plans show they will be lowered and incorporated into the center.
Harmony Early Education, which will run the centre, has taken the same approach, closing houses and adding them to other facilities in Queensland.
The company purchased the properties in June 2020 for a total of $2.2 million before combining to build the center.
Construction started in March after redevelopment plans were given the green light earlier this year and is expected to be completed in February next year.
Development plans show that the center will have three separate outdoor play areas and six activity areas, spread over two floors, along with an underlying parking garage.
A Brisbane construction project has been dubbed the ‘super Queenslander’ after two houses had to be lifted stories high to make way for construction (pictured)
An image of the strange-looking construction site shared by a perplexed local on Reddit has since gone viral.
Many Australians called the site ‘daddy long legs’ or ‘Inspector Gadget’ at home.
“I’d love to see an update in two years when everything is done and sorted… This is mind-boggling,” one person wrote.
A second recalled how a relative had moved his house up one floor and was “the only one on the street that didn’t go underwater” when it was swamped by the water.
“The mold and moisture were still doing their job, unfortunately,” she added.
A third wrote: ‘Honestly I think there should be more houses on stilts in general.’
‘Having an updated, modern Queenslander would be a good change from the s***ty American-style bungalows you see in the urban sprawl.
‘Pillar foundations are cheap to install and you don’t have to lay a concrete slab, plus there’s plenty of space under the house to relax.’
The two houses will eventually be deleted to be incorporated into the new children’s center in Bardon (photo, artist’s impression)
Another Australian pointed out that the original houses could not be demolished to preserve the ‘residential context’ of the area.
“They usually do not get permission to demolish the existing monumental buildings,” they wrote.
“So they just build parking garages and classrooms under and around the building.”
Another Harmony center in Brisbane’s east had a similar problem, but was built around the house rather than lifting it.
“The builders are not allowed to touch the building without permission, and if they do, it must come from other old buildings approved by the municipality,” said another.