Outlook House

This compact two storey house was designed for a client looking to downsize. The brief sought a simple, low maintenance home with a flexible lower level to house a classic pinball machine collection. The steep infill site replaces an existing shed, reusing its building platform to minimise site disturbance. Established vegetation surrounds the house and informs both its form and spatial organisation. Living spaces are lifted above ground to increase daylight, outlook, and privacy. Steep topography, geotechnical conditions, and daylight plane controls shaped a compact 9 × 9 metre plan, with a monopitch roof sloping down to sit comfortably within the permitted envelope. The ground floor is clad in fibre cement, while Coloursteel Kahu in Lichen wraps the upper level, extending across roof, walls, and soffits. Internally, Strandboard linings and Marmoleum flooring create a natural and warm interior. The project demonstrates how a distinctive architectural outcome can be achieved on a modest budget through careful planning and material restraint. Standard construction systems and readily available materials are used creatively to produce a considered and distinct home.