The client’s brief was simple: maximise privacy, maximise views over their idyllic valley in the Byron hinterland, and maximise natural light throughout the home. Sounds simple. But it’s very hard to achieve with traditional home design. To meet this brief, we had to think very far outside the typical house box!
Fortunately, being a semi-rural site, we had lots of space to work with. To meet the privacy mandate, we opted for a pavilion-style design connecting a series of buildings along a central corridor. With this approach we could allocate independent design elements to each room, allowing greater privacy for bedrooms and bathrooms and angling the buildings to optimise daylight and views.
At the centre of these interconnected buildings lies the hub of the home – the kitchen/ living/ dining space. Easily accessible from all parts of the house, it anchors the home to its family function.
Every room enjoys an expansive valley vista, as does the connecting corridor, ensuring optimal views from every space within the home.
Outdoor areas are uniquely crafted to relate back to the building’s individual components with cladding and new and established trees providing shade and privacy.
The roofline’s extended gables serve a dual purpose. They are articulated for visual resonance when viewed from the exterior and across the valley, making a striking aesthetic statement. Perhaps more importantly, their practical function is to modulate solar access and shelter outdoor areas from the elements. With its deep eaves, the gabled roofline is precisely calibrated to minimise direct sunlight during summer while maximising winter sun, helping to regulate indoor temperatures and reduce energy use for heating and cooling.
This is a high-performing home designed and built to last for generations. Incorporating an ultra-flexible layout, it can be readily extended to to accommodate a growing family with minimal cost and disruption.