A modest weekend retreat, this geometric home is comfortably planted on an exposed ridge line in High Camp, Victoria. Surrounded by unending sky and land, Elemental House is completely off-grid and self-sustaining.

After many years of living in the city, these homeowners were seeking a retreat which would provide them with a relaxing escape away from city living. The house was then designed to function self-sufficiently, boasting its own power, water, and waste treatment onsite. To complement its self-sufficiency, a sustainable design became inherent; the home uses passive solar techniques to minimise the need for heating and cooling.

Considering the local environment, Spotted Gum coated in CUTEK® Extreme CD50 was chosen to clad the exterior of the home and was also utilised internally, coated in CUTEK® Interior, as a design feature for the ceiling. CUTEK® Interior’s ultra-matt finish will give the illusion of raw, uncoated timber while protecting it from moisture, dust and other elements which are prevalent in a home environment.

The design of Elemental House is intentionally raw, emphasising the connection between the house and its surrounding environment. As High Camp is exposed to the elements – harsh sun, strong winds, storms, and bushfire – CUTEK® Extreme CD50 was recommended to protect the timber and allow it to gracefully silver over time. Silvering over time was a key consideration to the homeowners as it further expressed the elemental aging process of timber in the harsh Australian environment; it also allowed the home, which is situation high on a hill, to settle and disappear into the surrounding landscape.

CUTEK® products are designed to highlight the beauty of timber while powerfully protecting it; by using CUTEK® Extreme CD50 and CUTEK® Interior on the Spotted Gum, this timber home will be protected from the harsh elements of the Australian landscape.

• Photos courtesy of Marnie Hawson
• Architect: Ben Callery Architects
• Builder: Keenan Built
• Landscape Architect: Kathleen Murphy Landscape Design
• Stylist: Belle Hemming
• Product: Extreme CD50; Interior
• Colour: Clear
• Application: Exterior; Interior
• Materials: Spotted Gum
• Location: Victoria

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