This project is a simple timber home designed for a client on a budget who was looking for a place to settle down and raise a future family.

The small house is oriented east to west to create an optimal north-facing orientation over the lawn and garden. Wrapped in black fibre cement (FC) sheeting, vertical and horizontal timber battens cover the sheet joins to create a tectonic pattern that articulates the facade and defines the window locations.

Part of the northern face has been carved out to create a sheltered outdoor terrace. This helps open up the dwelling to catch the sun’s movement throughout the day.

The house has a split spatial composition, with bedrooms on one side and communal living areas on the other. The outdoor terrace flows smoothly into the internal living space, allowing the house to remain open for much of the year.

Challenges

The building’s dimensions were constrained by the size of a standard FC sheet, minimising unusable cut-offs and waste. Each element of the home had to be designed and delivered with efficiency in mind, ensuring simple and timely construction to keep costs down.

Materials

Fibre cement sheeting was chosen for the primary external cladding due to its lightweight nature, economy and ease of installation. The main hardwood timber used is Australian Blackbutt, grown on the north coast of NSW. The Hoop Pine plywood was also grown and manufactured in Queensland. The use of these and other locally sourced materials helped to reduce the project’s carbon miles while also giving the home a sense of place.

Key products/suppliers

Icon Sink Mixer: Astra Walker
Australian Blackbutt: Cutek
FC sheet, painted black: Dulux
90cm undermount powerpack rangehood: Fisher & Paykel
HV1015-HV1017 Tivah (external wall light): Havit
90cm freestanding cooker, Gloss Black: Ilve Appliances

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