House in the Dry | MRTN Architects

House in the Dry | MRTN Architects | Photographer: Anthony Basheer

2025 National Architecture Awards Program

House in the Dry | MRTN Architects

Traditional Land Owners
Kamilaroi/Gomeroi of the Kamilaroi Nation
Year
2025
Chapter

New South Wales

Region

Regional

Category
Residential Architecture – Houses (New)
Builder
J and S Contracting
Photographer
Anthony Basheer
Project summary

Drought is never far from mind in this part of Australia. This meant that the design of this Tamworth house was focused, not only on regenerating the land and creating a garden, but also on resisting drought conditions in future. The creation of an almost totally enclosed courtyard garden in the centre of the house was one way of dealing with this. At the front of the properties, two sheds connected by a roof also connect to the house on either side, forming a square around this central courtyard.

House in the Dry offers an architecture that sits low on the land, with elongated forms that recede into the landscape. Providing views of the foothills and a sense of being embedded within the Australian landscape, the finished house is intelligent in design but simple in expression.

The house truly reflects what we were hoping for when we put the brief together; a house that is really sympathetic to and sits comfortably in the landscape. No one part of the house is the ’hero’ piece, the view out the back is that, the house just supports and enhances this. Antony nailed it as the house really reflects how we live, it is very functional yet very liveable and comfortable, a space that we can truly relax in and call home.

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House in the Dry | MRTN Architects | Photographer: Anthony Basheer

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