The brief was to build a simple weekend retreat that would respond to the local climate, the immediate site and the surrounding landscape. The site is 65 hectares, located in Kangaroo Valley, and is surrounded by steep sandstone escarpments to the south and views down the valley to the North. There were no existing services on the site.

The decision to make the house entirely self-sufficient, was made early in the project as a means of controlling the budget. This then drove the design process, toward a well considered environmental response in terms of form, structure and materials and led to a new exploration of sustainable systems and technologies for our practice.

The extruded rectangular form of the house, stretches along the contours of the site, and enables every room to have a view. The circulation spine is aligned with two wooded “fingers”, enclosing the site to the East and West. Windows at each end of the corridor frame particular views of selected trees. Internal finishes have been deliberately selected for durability and to give the spaces a pared back, almost industrial quality, that compliments the exposed steel structure of the building.


click here for more