Bombala | Sealand
A light-filled house with protection from the subtropical sun, wind and rain.
Bombala is a house for a couple to enjoy a relaxed lifestyle and entertain friends and family.
The first challenge was to open the house to the outside, while also being able to provide protection from the subtropical sun and rain. To maximise light, ventilation and water views, we used big sliding glass doors and windows that could open to the outside.
To provide protection from the summer sun and rain, windows and doors have overhanging roofs and timber vertical screens. We also included two covered deck spaces. One on the north and one on the south. The clients can move around the house to be out of the wind, or to enjoy the ideal sun conditions, depending on the time of day and year.
Corymbia | Tim Ditchfield Architects
Corymbia is a beachside weekender inspired by the nostalgia of regional coastal dwellings across Australia. A place of salty barefoot days. A multi-generational dwelling where treasured memories are created. Rest, respite, rejuvenation. Unfussy and unpretentious. Functional yet joyous. Stripped back yet playful. Natural, Native and of its place. Of the dunes, the coastal heath, the Wallum Country.
A grassed north facing courtyard is the heart of the dwelling. A place to lounge, play and converse. This element is flanked by two wings separated by an outdoor breezeway space, and united by the sheltering roof over. Cars were deliberately relegated away from the street frontage, freeing the frontage of crude garages that often dominate the street. A timber sleeper driveway and crossover are a nod to the sandy beach tracks of K’gari and completes the subordination of the vehicle in favour of people.
Coulson Creek Shed | Reddog Architects
Coulson Creek Shed was envisioned as a rural retreat where the convergence of nature and communal spaces would harmonize seamlessly. Sited away from the property entry, the home intentionally turns it back to the road to provide privacy to the internal and external living spaces. Deliberate orientation of the shed towards the north captures the panoramic spectacle of Mount Greville and Coulson Creek strategically framed by carefully placed windows in the main bedroom and living room. An expressed portal structural with corrugated zincalume cladding references the shed typology common in the area while allowing for a more refined interior. The idea of a rural shed, however, serves as a mere facade, concealing a more cultivated interior.
East Room House | Loucas Zahos Architects
The program is arranged around an outdoor room located on the Eastern side of the circulation spine. This creates a central court that reveals itself from all areas of the house. This outdoor room allows Eastern morning light to permeate the rear of the house, with large sliding doors almost 5m in height allow the boundaries of the building envelope to blur with the landscape and allow occupants to enjoy the subtropical climate beyond its walls. Contemporary abstractions of the traditional Queenslander are revealed through the materiality of the house.
Doonan House | Kelly Martin Architecture
Our brief was to build a home that fosters a sense of connection and closeness within the family and stimulates an awareness of the greater world outside of self.
A semi-permeable KLD space connects the wings and opens up to the southeast/northwest while maintaining shading from the late summer sun.
Sightlines through the building were important to maintain a visual connection to the landscape, as was direct access for as many rooms as possible.
A sense of lightness was created by lifting the building off the ground and lifting the living space roof and fully opening on each side, which was contrasted with the heaviness and anchoring of the rammed earth walls.
The wings either side were separated via use. To one side was the family sleeping zone with direct access to the outdoor shower at the far end. The other contained the carport, mudroom and guest/office.
Dorge | Base Architecture
Dorge stands proudly at the precipice of Toowoomba’s Glenn Lomond Park. Through its grandeur of scale, form and materiality it is a home that presents itself to be robust to the first-time visitor, however once welcomed inside, the softer interior begins to reveal itself. The interior architecture humbly steps back to play background, while allowing the captivating surroundings of this family home to take the lead role. With a subtle nod to Australian homesteads of the past and present, this home celebrates the best of rural life and a harmonious relationship with landscape.
Hopewell Street Residence | W.I.M Architects
The Hopewell Street Residence was founded on the idea of creating a modern adaptation of the beach shack with functional spaces that could accommodate dynamic programmes for the owners.
The primary design was formed around two distinct wings with a connecting breezeway link across the levels. The wings are divided into both public and private realms and the programme is addressed through the various levels.
The materiality was to be raw and natural and in some layers blends with the natural environment/context.
The process involved a strong integration with both Engineer and Builder which through weekly site meetings, sketches after surfs and a buy in by all parties led to a high-end outcome with strong ensuing relationships between client, builder, and architect. The house is as much a representation of the client and builder as it is the architect.
Huet | Base Architecture
Our clients’ home commands attention with its bold architectural statement, strategically positioned to captivate both street level and surrounding landscape views. Reflecting their appreciation for mid-century aesthetics, the design blends retro influences with modern sensibilities. Deliberate choices in facade detailing and dynamic roof forms create a distinctive identity while enhancing the streetscape’s visual appeal. Internally, the layout maximises spatial efficiency, seamlessly integrating living spaces with private areas through clever design solutions. Careful consideration was given to construction methods, ensuring a high-quality build within the budget constraints. Emphasising natural light and ventilation, the home prioritises sustainability and comfort. As a residence tailored to two town planners, it sets a new standard for suburban living, harmonising with its environment while promoting attainable and sustainable development.
Kiamba Valley Farmhouse | Aspect Architecture
Located in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands, the Kiamba Valley Farmhouse draws from the site’s history of cattle farming, to create a dwelling that celebrates the traditional vernacular of the Queensland farmhouse. Anchoring itself harmoniously amid the rolling hillside, this family residence is a tribute to the joys and challenges of rural living. The sprawling outhouse style pavilions, characterised by meticulous craftsmanship and robust construction, lay the groundwork for the residence’s future narratives. After residing in the onsite cottage for an extended period, the owners recognised the need for a more expansive home to accommodate their growing family, while strategically elevating the different and somewhat undiscovered vantages of the property they have always known. The choice to maintain a sense of the traditional with the new resulted in a home that combines a sense of people and place.
Moffat Beach House | KIRK
Moffat Beach House sits on a constrained site in the sub-tropical coastal climate of the Sunshine Coast. It is the first CLT (cross laminated timber) house to be constructed in Queensland using prefabricated Mass Engineered Timber construction and erected in just seven days. All the timber used for the construction has been sourced sustainably, grown from regenerated forests, and fabricated locally within Australia. The CLT and GLT (glulam timber) used in the project regenerated from the Australian softwood plantations in only eight minutes. The beach house that previously sat proud in its place is referenced throughout the project’s form, scale, and material palette, providing an outcome that is respectful of the local neighbourhood character. Each design element was carefully considered with the clients to achieve a residence that is a sustainable upgrade, while honouring the beachside neighbourhood aesthetic.
