Murfett. “These reach to varying heights, corre-
sponding to the interior spaces behind.”
The raised vertical timber elements on the
cladding work hard in the design. They serve to
bed the shutter systems, provide protective ends
for the cladding, and conceal the steel skeleton
that give the multi-level building its strength.
The entry, located to the side of the home,
negotiates an incline via a small ramp, while the
zinc cladding here matches the greying wood
and wider natural setting. Render was used as
the cladding finish at the other, less public end.
Both ends are inset slightly, bringing shelter,
shade, and a sense of privacy. Part of the owners’
brief was that the new house wasn’t ‘looking’ at
the main home. Elements like the wood shutters,
and these inset end treatments help achieve this.
“The guest house presents as a single-storey
landscape feature but actually incorporates five
split levels of living spaces,” says Murfett. “By
careful configuration of these spaces we were
able to include a large living and kitchen area,
three bedrooms, two bathrooms, ample storage,
and a roof deck within the 85m 2 footprint.”
One way the architect gained space was by
having circulation elements opening directly
Facing page: The custom shutters
swing open as well as having
operable blades, while the windows
directly behind them can be opened
for cooling cross ventilation.
Above: A small ramp leads up to the
home’s front door. The inset end –
in glass and natural zinc – admits
plenty of light, while the metal tones
in with the grey wood cladding.
The inset furthers privacy and also
provides shade from the sun.
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