First House Past the Trees
Formerly vacant, the site undulates along its length to form three distinct parts; entry from the street, space below the canopy and an exposed area to the rear. Central to the site are three indigenous melalueca trees known locally as Moonah’s. Located on Wadawurrung Country along the northern edge of Barwon Heads, these trees are protected throughout the area and formed the primary design response to the site.
These three existing conditions inform the arrangement of the house. It is made up of three parts; two sheds, a sleeping pavillion and a living pavillion. The two sheds form both points of entry from the street, whilst also providing storage and facilitating the workings of the garden.
The L-shaped sleeping pavillion is oriented around the three central Moonah trees. The living pavillion is open and light, containing the houses everyday utilities.
The elevation of the house allows it to occupy the space between the ground and the canopy above. This distinction appears to seperate house from garden, however each room has a window that extends beyond the building line to frame different moments within the garden. The aperture facilitates this connection, where varying window heights create a habitable area for storage, working or vantage.
Materials were chosen to reflect the surrounding context. Monotonal fibre-cement panels and blockwork walls reference the silver bark of the moonah’s, whilst timber batten screens are used to filter light similar to the canopies above. Internally, a combination of plasterboard and plywood at different datums signify utility and express volume.
