Wings over water

Designed by Kamermans Architects

From the architects:

The owner brief required a sustainable, single storey, contemporary, four bedroom country house on a flat site, surrounded by mountain ranges.

The resulting home extends towards and sits in unity with the mountains, displaying its own peaks and troughs created by the butterfly roof with two twisted planes which emphasise the drama of the surrounding landscape. 

Passive solar principles were a driving factor with features like the soffits angled to guide the winter sun deep into the building, while the large overhangs protect from the summer sun, keeping the house cool, enhanced through high level opening windows.

The natural axis of the building creates a view shaft from the front door, through the conservatory, delineated by the jetty, towards Cornet peak. 

This conservatory space is designed with ground thermal mass to perform as a heat sink, producing passive heating for the whole house and allowing the owners to grow sub-tropical plants all year round.

The sculptural form responds to environment via the push and pull of the façade. 

The weatherboard profile of alternating depths and thicknesses create soft rippled shadow lines, reflecting the pond and standing in harmony with the wispy trees. 

The natural stained timber interjects seamlessly into the land.

Designed by: Kamermans Architects

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Mickey Ross