White Gum Wool

From the outset this project was seen as an opportunity to showcase what our team is capable of producing in the housing sector.  It was obvious that such a unique and thoughtful design deserved particular care and attention to detail to deliver the end result it deserved.  The client was obviously after something unique, but the house would also have a strong focus on both functionality and sustainability.

It was decided early on that we would be as hands on as possible with this project, keeping as much work in house as we were able to.  The design and specification of the kitchen and other joinery in the house, being predominantly plywood with timber tops, meant we could handle the manufacture in our own humble workshop with the machinery we had.  Similarly with the timber windows and doors, being casement style windows and swinging doors.  Though we had never manufactured a house lot of windows and doors, it had been something I’d wanted to tackle.

The site came with some significant challenges.  The site is remote, situated at the back of the clients’ 1000 acre property on the outskirts of Oatlands in the midlands of Tasmania, with considerable outlay to have a road built to the site before works could begin.  The house was to be completely off grid, meaning all on site work was to be done using a generator.  This project was also found to be the windiest site we have ever experienced, which proved testing at times.

The design is unique, with fanning sections spreading out from a central point.  The different sections define the different rooms/functions of the house.  The sections face north-west through to west, with the skillion roof pitched high on this side with full glass catching the afternoon sun to heat the concrete slab throughout.  Also heating the slab when required are the hydronic pipes laid prior to pouring, which are heated via the wet-back on the freestanding woodstove – the centrepiece of the kitchen/living.  The stove also heats the hot water for the house, with back-up from the full off-grid solar/battery system if needed.  Also adding to the sustainability credentials is a composting toilet system.

Architect: Morrison & Breytenbach Architects

Photography: Dearna Bond Photography