15
A specimen eucalyptus and
olive grove beyond provide key
design reference points.
Are we talking prohibitive costs?
Most people say it's a complex roof. It is, but at the
same time, it's done in a way repetitive and therefore
quite economical. Once the builders understood the
geometry, it was actually quite an easy exercise to
put together, despite what it looks like.
The interior expression is very true throughout and
mirrors the external expression.
We wanted a truthful building which may sound a cliché,
but really this was driving the relationship of the ceiling
to the roof and vice versa. And it's most definitely from
the landscape. After spending time here, reflecting on
the property’s qualities – there is a definite 'hand-of-man'
quality with the olive grove planting in a broadly north-
south alignment. The whole house is very much about
catching the play of light – especially at either end
of the day.
Isn’t a healthy house one that ventilates and
converses appropriately with the elements?
This isn’t a typical environment or setting. While it’s
beautiful, it’s environmentally challenging. We were
mindful of the climate here. It's quite cold in winter.
It doesn’t snow, but it's very cold. At the other end of the
extreme, it's also a bushfire prone area. Bushfire shutters
on the outside also modify the amount of heat or the
amount of light coming into the house. This orientation
was done quite purposefully. The orientation was
important to capture cross-flow ventilation. Double-
glazing also ensured year-round comfort levels
without compromise to transparency.