Tinbeerwah / 2013

Wallaby Lane house and studio are located at Tinbeerwah on the Sunshine Coast. The dwellings were designed for a family relocating from Sydney with construction finalised late 2013.

The site, a long sliver in shape, is just over 2 hectares. Established bushland in the centre of the property separates the two buildings.

The house sits high on the site and is linear in plan to follow the natural contour. Orientated to the north, large eaves and a fly-over roof shade the building. Cross ventilation, natural daylighting and beautiful views to Cooroy Mountain are maximised.

The house plan is spacious yet compact. No space is wasted. A suspended polished concrete floor throughout the living areas provides the thermal mass to the building. Low e glass and large overhangs provide a very comfortable internal climate.

The property is not serviced by town water or sewerage. An onsite waste water treatment system looks after both buildings and rain water is harvested. This elegant Noosa hinterland home sits on a 4 acre site with quintessential Australian bushland separating the house and studio. It harvests rainwater, generates solar electricity and has its own site waste water treatment system.

The main house was to be visually seductive and environmentally responsive. The approach was to plan the main building on the natural contour of the land, pivoting to the north. This laid the foundation for a long linear building. The studio was a different dwelling for visitors, yet needed to share the same services. The studio was positioned on the other side of the bush, to take advantage of the magnificent setting, the view to Cooroy Mountain and for privacy.

The house builds on established ideas, such as the use of a mix of heavy and light weight construction, wide eaves and natural day lighting. It is hoped that this contributes to the continuing local built environment discussion.

The platform of the building essentially sits on natural ground and follows the existing contour. A skillion roof provides maximum sun protection from the northwest and allows soft natural day lighting into the interior from the southeast. This solution has also enabled the house to be naturally cross-ventilated.

Wallaby Lane House attracted international attention and has been widely published.

Photography: Alain Bouvier and Nic Granleese