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Kampung Batu Bigga (Rocky Knoll Shelter) | Philip Leeson Architects and Sarah Truscott Architect

Located in a rural setting south of Canberra, Kampung Batu Bigga is a meticulously crafted rammed earth sanctuary, a joint vision between architect and outdoors enthusiast owner. Grounded in a profound love for the bush, this residence seamlessly integrates with its scenic surroundings, reminiscent of a bushwalking hut. The intentional modesty of the home’s footprint encompasses compact private spaces, with a shared living space under the distinctive roof form.

The design pays homage to Australia’s bush construction history with rammed earth and Zincalume cladding, and it carefully wraps the contours, with a wing–like roof extending to shelter outdoor spaces. Sandstone ‘wind’ walls protect against prevailing winds; and sustainability is embodied throughout with onsite harvesting of rainwater, energy and waste processing. From the outdoor kitchen to serene internal spaces, Kampung Batu Bigga harmonises architecture and occupants with nature, exemplifying a thoughtful blend of design, sustainability, and connection to the Australian bush.

House on a Path | Joanna Nelson Architect

A 1970s house on an experimentally planned suburban site in Canberra has been reorganised and reoriented through two precisely placed but loosely programmed additions to ‘front’ and ‘rear’.

Japanese influences are evident in the original house and courtyard and Radburn planning principles in the battle axe block – the unfenced ‘front’ boundary is to a public pedestrian path while the ‘rear’ driveway leads to the street.

The principal architectural idea is to amplify these distinctive attributes while providing legible entries and introducing circular routes.

The additions internalise seven external openings – slotting under the existing eaves to the ‘rear’ and matching the footprint of a demolished deck to the ‘front’. The additions function equally for utility, or to detour, gaze out and welcome in.

Inside, these circular routes enrich living patterns while outside, a new circular path skirts a new pool and gathers up narrow and generous spaces into a continuous whole.

Esca Inman Valley | Das Studio

Esca is a nature-based tourism operator offering environmentally sensitive, luxury experiences in regional settings, enabling landowners to unlock the potential of underutilised properties with a turn-key prefabricated, off-grid, accommodation solution.

This project, Esca’s third venture, features two 66m2 suites located atop Mt Alma in the picturesque Inman Valley.

Tasked with designing an experience, not simply a building, the design responds to a scripted 48-hour stay, focusing on creating memorable moments of joy that stay with guests long after departure.
Material choices speak to the surrounding landscape, and were chosen with tactility, robustness, and comfort in mind.

An open-plan layout with intimate spaces concealed behind low-height walls and full-height cavity sliders, allow operability and privacy while maintaining incredible views from all key areas.

A full kitchen, luggage store, powder room, indoor/outdoor bathing, wood fire, king bed and protected terrace all provide a sense of space and luxury within a compact footprint.

Ember | MRTN Architects

Two studios with a unified language but serve contrasting purposes, to work and not to work. One exercise and meditation space, that can also be used as a guest room. The other, a work and inspiration space for a writer and art director. There was a clear decision not to build an addition to the existing home, but to keep its original form and create private spaces that physically detached but visually connected. The purpose and inhabitant of each building help to determine its form; that they be separate but with a connecting space between.

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