Far sighted

It makes sense that a holiday home is set in a breathtaking location. Similarly, it is logical that the design of the house will appreciate that environment at every turn.

This wood and stucco house, designed by architect Robert Swatt of Swatt Miers, sits on a hill overlooking a rustic valley.

"The design follows the contours of the land a long ridge, with the hill falling away gently in front and dropping more dramatically to the left and right," says Swatt. "The house appears to climb and crown the ridge, with two congruent wings at ground level and a master suite set back on the upper level."

The connected wings are offset, and protrude at different ends of the house. This stepped form creates an entry courtyard at one corner and open-air terraces outside the kitchen on the opposite corner.

Besides wanting a home that would blend with the landscape, the owners requested it be flooded with light and optimise views of the scenery.

"From the entrance, you can look right through the residence," says Swatt.

"The eye is drawn past the living spaces and kitchen, through bifold doors to the 15m pool at the rear, which visually extends the linear design," Swatt says.

In the ground-level living areas, walls of glass slide open to the surroundings on three sides out to a terrace with a fire pit in one direction, and to the pool in another.

While the double-height living spaces and kitchen make up the public wing, the wing behind is dedicated to the children's bedrooms and a guest bedroom.

"A single-sided corridor serves the rear wing. Lined with clerestory windows, this offers more light and air than a hallway with bedrooms on both sides. An open stairway and bridge to the master suite add to the sense of openness. Views stretch out from every angle, across all the rooms of this home," says Swatt.

The Douglas fir structural elements are left exposed and celebrated as a feature of the interior, and function to accentuate the viewing corridors. Wooden supporting beams are highlighted against crisp white wall panelling or are extended from the outside to the inside, lengthways and across the residence.

The material palette augments the connection to the environment. Extensive use of cedar boards for soffits and overhangs and wooden floors upstairs is complemented by limestone tiles on the ground-level floors.

Windows reflect a similar attention to materials. These are silvery on the outside, in subtle contrast to the exterior stucco and finished with Douglas fir on the inside, to match the interiors.

Energy efficiency is only to be expected in a home designed to respect the natural world. Bifolding glass doors and a multitude of windows provide cross ventilation and the many overhangs ensure control over solar penetration.

"The home has a number of green attributes, which are mostly tucked out of sight. For example, because it is on the flat roof, the 3.4kW photovoltaic system is unseen," says Swatt. "Water is supplied by a well and there is a septic system, so the house is entirely off the grid.

"In addition, low-VOC paints were used throughout and the vertical-grain Douglas fir used in the windows and doors is Forest Stewardship Council-approved ensuring it has been sustainably grown and harvested."

The long, slim building also features efficient underfloor heating.

"From the terrain-hugging design, use of natural, sustainable materials and extensive glazing to its energy-efficient heart, the house presents a tribute to the unspoiled environment that surrounds it."

Story by: Charles Moxham