HUON VALLEY HOUSE
2014
‘A structural system that trades ground for height, and exposure for control.’
This house pushes the limits of a timber-framed system. Drawing on the A-frame houses of the 1960s and 70s, it pursues efficiency as a means of extracting maximum spatial return.
Set high above Franklin on a steep, bush-covered site, the house is fully exposed to Tasmania’s volatile weather. Commissioned by a couple seeking retreat and resilience, it relocates life as far south in Australia as possible in response to a changing climate.
With no height limit and a mandate to minimise footprint, the project resolves as a symmetrical, self-supporting structure. Four decks project to the points of the compass, calibrated to shifting wind and weather. At any moment, one is protected.
The plan is octagonal, organised around a cruciform interior. In elevation, the building reads as a diamond—tight to the ground, expanding upward—stacking program while reducing its impact on the landscape. The ground level is given over to carport, mud room and flexible sleeping for extended family. Living and the primary bedroom sit above.
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HOUSE
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CONCEPT
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MUWININA | HUON VALLEY | TASMANIA
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STRUCTURAL ENGINEER | CO-STRUCT